Bullet Points: The Sadness (2021)
I promise you this is my last horror flick this year. I know it’s no longer October and I’m probably breaking my own rule by not posting this closer to Halloween but I’ve been meaning to watch this one since it came out and it feels like one that just might be special. And by special, I mean completely depraved and fucked up.
Synopsis: A young couple trying to reunite amid a city ravaged by a plague that turns its victims into deranged, bloodthirsty sadists.
- Pandemics suck: The citizens of Taiwan are just coming out of a pandemic which royally sucked and the great majority of them aren’t ready to throw themselves full-fledged back into another one. Despite what the scientists and doctors say, it’s getting more and more difficult for anyone to take this shit seriously but things are about to happen that will force the entire population to open their eyes.
- Our lovely couple: We meet Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei) as they wake to just another normal morning. Kat is off to work and Jim is just kind of chilling around but the day starts with a morning drive on Jim’s scooter and their first sight of some bloody death. It’s nothing compared to what comes next but it is an odd visual for these two as they are just going about their normal lives.
- Holy Shit: When the violence begins to happen while Jim is just grabbing his morning coffee, it rarely slows down to take a breath. People get stabbed, bitten, and the blood gushes through the shop like someone dropped red food coloring in the sprinkler system.
- Evil dudes doing evil stuff: A good portion of the film goes by without knowing exactly what is happening or why. Kat is still in the dark at this point but Jim starts piecing things together. It seems they should have taken that new virus a little more seriously.
- A safer way to travel: While I might suggest taking the subway when you’re visiting a big city, taking the train while some rage-virus is going on around you is a very bad idea. Kat is finally making her way home from work and a crazy dude who sits next to her becomes one of the half-dozen or so people on the train who get extra stabby and turn the entire train car into a bloody mess.
- Hospitals: While Kat eventually makes her way to a hospital, it’s not exactly a safe place to be. In fact, no place is safe in this city and the crazy guy just won’t stay away. People are hacked up by axes, there are blood orgies, and I’m quite certain someone got their eye raped!
- Just when you think it can’t get any worse: Jim and his attempt to rescue his girlfriend runs into all sorts of problems. Roads are blocked by crashed vehicles and the streets are littered with dead and mutilated bodies. Riding through the streets on scooter is already bad enough but now imagine being chased by crazed lunatics.
- The sadness: If you’ve made it this far in the film you should be somewhat prepared for an ending that is less than happy. This ain’t no Julia Roberts movie and if she were in it I can’t picture her sitting there while someone attempts to flay the skin off her body and rape her to death. It’s not something that would be good for her brand. For this film, however, it’s one thing after another and the end of the film offers very little in the way of comfort or closure.
The Verdict: Having just watched Terrifier 2 recently, The Sadness didn’t quite have the same effect that it would have had otherwise. In terms of gore, it’s among the most insane things I’ve ever seen and while it’s debatable whether or not it outdoes Terrifier 2, the tone of the film is much different. The Sadness feels like getting punched in the stomach every 5 or 6 minutes. Each scene surpasses the last in terms of how awful it is and even the end of the film made me think about crying just a little bit. For those people who aren’t afraid to take the dive, I’m certain you’ll find something in this movie that makes you sit on the edge of your seat and there is a good chance you’ll be just as depressed as I was in the end.
