User reviews

This is your classic shock horror film thats disturbing to the average movie buff, straight off the bat my first though was the comic series 'crossed', however crossed is way extreme, the sadness is like a watered down movie adaptation, the gore, the sadistic acts this infection causes its hosts is comically over the top but not to a point where its too much, the subway scene not long into the film gives you just a taste for what you are getting yourself into.

Blood, gore, vulgar language and eye gouging.

I really liked this one.

In saying if you cant stomach it do not read the crossed comics.

The most violent film in the history of Chinese film, the blood level is average, but the imaginative sadism and close-up shots cause serious physical discomfort, the violent and strange atmosphere is full of hostility, and challenges the physiology. The black pupils are like an abyss. Don't dare to stare for long.

Online viewing of Locarno Film Festival. This film has really wanted to see for a long time. Together with "Curse" and "psychic medium", it has become the most anticipated Asian horror film of the three major years for fans. Actually, the impression after reading is general, and there may have been enough psychological expectations, so the presentation of plasma and violence is still acceptable. But the plot is really much weaker than expected. In the end, I didn't fully understand the way the virus spread. Moreover, it is not a zombie film. The infected people in the film still retain human consciousness and thinking, and even can speak normally. Only the most violent and dirty side of the body is stimulated, just like people have to blink, they can't control it at all. This is probably why the director said that this film wants to highlight the "evil" side of human nature. With the epidemic situation as a big environment worth pondering, we can probably understand what the director wants to express. However, compared with Busan, it also presents the evil of human nature in an extreme environment, and the characterization is much worse. There is even no character emotion at all, which naturally becomes a simple class B film. However, we can still see the director trying to add some caution to some scenes, such as the audience who still don't forget to take out their mobile phones to shoot even though there is a river of blood on the subway, such as the president who talks and gives history lessons to panicked people but can't take effective action, such as the doctor who thinks he is just and dignified but experiments with babies... Of course, these people have no good end, The director may also want to use this way to make some of his own voice. There should be more extensive discussion when resources are available.

An ordinary day in the life of a modern couple, turn into total chaos and madness, when the current pandemic in the city turns people into depraved savages, this journey pushes the zombie genre towards extreme levels of violence and gore. This film doesn't have much of a plot, out of control bloodshed and gore is present constantly also certain scenes of sexuality will offend some viewers, this is horror and this film have no problem reminding you of that, overall, not a bad movie, but this one, maybe I should have avoided, I like a good horror film, but a movie like this not meant for me.

In Taiwan, doctors warn that the Alvin virus may mutate and become dangerous for the population. But it is election year, and the political authorities minimize the menace to avoid a lockdown and win the election. The young couple Jim (Berant Zhu) and Kat (Regina Lei) are discussing their vacation on the next week, since Kat is stressed and needs vacation, but Jim has a meeting with a German agency in the period scheduled by her. Jim takes Kat to her work in his motorcycle, but when he returns, he stops at a cafeteria nearby his home to drink a coffee. Out of the blue, a client is wildly attacked by an old woman and soon the place becomes a havoc, with violent clients attacking the others that become also violent. Jim runs to his apartment and is attacked by his next-door neighbor, Mr. Lin (Ralf Yen-Hsiang Chiu). He has two severed fingers by Mr. Lin, but succeeds to escape. Meanwhile, Kat is commuting by subway and out of the blue, a man stabs and infects many passengers, and the begins a wave of violence in the wagon. Kat flees from the train with the commuter Molly (Ying-Ru Chen), who lost one eye stabbed by a passenger. They reach the hospital, but Kat loses her cellphone during the running. She borrows one and tells Jim where she is. Soon they are attacked by a horde of insane people in the waiting room. Kat seeks refugee in the maternity section and is helped by the virologist Dr. Alan Wong (Wei-Hua Lan). He explains to her how the virus infects the people but cuffs her to the shower while Jim seeks her out in the hospital.

"Ku bei", a.k.a. "The Sadness" (2021), is a gory Taiwanese film with a pandemic caused by the Alvin virus. The effects are violence and depravation of the infected people. The special effects are top-notch, and the plot is cruel. This film is not recommended for viewers that do not like gore and gruesome effects since they may be disturbed. The plot is an evolution and more credible than zombie movies, and it is feasible that a chemical weapon may affect people the way describe in the movie. The plot may have been inspired by the Covid pandemic, but the idea of the mutation of the Alvin virus causing insanity is really scary. In the conclusion, it seems that Kat was killed by the soldiers in the helicopter since the viewers overhear gun shots when she opens the door of the helideck. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "A Tristeza" ("The Sadness")

Yes, this is exactly the best way to describe it.

I don't know if the director intentionally aimed to weave deep psychological themes into the film, or if it was just to make a name.

But I do know that the film carries a heavy tension between ethics and human desire throughout.

It's a film with little unnecessary dialogue-almost 90% of the conversations have meaning, delivering the film's core message.

In the most colloquial terms, the film's theme can be summed up as: "They're aware, but the pleasure feels inevitable-as if you're telling them not to blink."

A film that reflects the endlessness of human desire.

A film that acts like a warning.

A film that says the only thing keeping us from total collapse is that thin thread of awareness about ethics.

One of the most interesting and heartbreaking aspects is that it's not a virus that turns you into someone else, or a zombie, or anything like that.

It's still you-completely you-who transforms from a victim into a full-blown maniac with no boundaries or rules.

And in the final scene, where the director builds the story's climax in the very last moments, when even the protagonist is not spared from the madness, and the tears and pain turn into tears of twisted pleasure- you hope for a happy ending, but the director keeps you suspended in a surreal state at every moment- a surrealism rooted in realism.

If you were in the theatre when NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD first was shown, you would immediately see the similarities. Shock value horror with an intelligent script that pokes at the double standards of the day (race relations, at that time) yet with no clear solution. Nihilism for its own sake. Above average for the genre, but most viewers will spot the "reversal/reveal" well in advance.

Inspired by the comic book series Crossed, what starts out like a love letter to Hollywood then blows up into a world of its own. The Alvin virus has infected up to 10% of the Taiwanese citizenry, leaving them evil, sadistic, homicidal, rape-oriented, and very busy. In this zombie-pocalypse any eating of people is a "side dish" so to speak. It's the physical and sexual violence that takes center stage in this epidemic. Rob Jabbaz has started his career with a slick, beautiful, gore-splash of a body horror that is difficult to look at sometimes. Very little looks to be CGI and that little bit looks good enough to seem real. The rest of this flick looks so real it looks almost too real. Blood splatters about to an extent that only Kubrick's blood wall is comparable. The music is exquisitely done. Not only is it beautiful and evocative but it starts right in at the top in a wonderfully supporting way.

It's a good film, well made, the violence and gore are pretty intense, just wished it had been called crossed as the film is so heavily based on the comic, the only difference between the film and comic is the fact in the film the infected get black eyes and the comic a cross forms on the face. It's the closet we'll probably get to a crossed based film. Would really enjoy a follow up film if the option is there. This is not a film to recommend for people who don't like horror, this is pretty up there for extreme stuff going down, but if you enjoy intense violence this is a great film to watch.

This is easily one of, if not the most violent films ever made. It's basically the Crossed comic series put to the screen. And while that does mean that this movie is certainly not for everyone because of the excessive, tasteless, brutal, and unforgiving violence, the story is at least told well and if you can stomach what happens in the film, you might enjoy it quite a bit. The acting is only alright and the technical aspects of the film are very impressive, but again, it's a very very hard movie to stomach, especially if it's not your thing. So either stay far, far away from this film, or go in headfirst and enjoy.

They don't pull punches on the sadist idea which made the movie better than most "zombie" movies.

Lots of blood.

Just watch it...... Filling the character limit to make review.

In terms of script, The Sadness is a generic zombie film that uses the covid pandemic as a starting point. What makes this film rise above the sea of dreck you call "contemporary horror films" are the scenes of extreme violence that will bring you back to the golden days of Lucio Fulci and Tom Savini. No fake looking CGI here, most of the grue is provided via extremely realistic prosthetic make-up and tons of karo syrup.

Even more upsetting to most viewers, will be the scenes of sexual violence and rape. You see, the "zombies" in this film want to rape you before eating you, and despite some of the most disgusting scenes of sexual violence happening off screen-the eyeball sequence-viewers that belong to the "politically correct" spectrum will want to skip this one.

In terms of carnage, The Sadness rivals Braindead, Ichi the Killer, and The Raid 2. A flawed effort, yet essential viewing for all sick puppies out there.

I don't know how people think this movie is funny. The whole time I was watching I was nauseous, I've watched horror movies all of my life, thrillers, comedy, slasher, unrated. But this movie really made me sick. I kind of understood the storyline but the gore in this movie- the rapes- were so much on my mind. NO. I didn't think they were funny, I thought they were horrifying. Yes, the situation was ridiculous, but it was so hard to watch. This movie haunts me, and I've seen so much. If you want to watch something that's hard to watch, because of the gore or the story, watch this. I really can't watch this again.

The gore! Well, the gore is awesomely done here. All the spilled guts and bloody sexual scenes and gouged eyes are just perfectly done! I can really forgive every fault this movies has because the effects are quite a sight. Probably it is one of those that once you watch, you dont forget. The story is just of a classic zombie movie with a little bit of heroic and kind characters in parts, trying to figure out how to survive it. I would have liked the characters to be more detailed, get a bit more attached to the main heroes. However, we can forgive this fault, since the movie provides a solid vilain, which is not a small thing. While the majority of movies center on the main hero or heroes and fail to come up with an eqully interesting villain, this movie gives us one that, somehow, as plain as he is for the antihero, he is also very credible.

The Sadness is by far the most brutal film I've seen so far with really disturbing scenes that shake you to the core. And despite the disturbing carnage and horrible rape scenes, the film has a surprising depth and room for interpretation. It seems like Rob Jabbaz wants to hold the mirror in our face, much more our society. How far do we let our instincts guide us? What brings out the darkest in us and what would that darkness look like in you?

A topic that is extremely profound and which the film illustrates incredibly well, in addition to the brutally bloody and almost unbearable scenes.

Ultimately, "The Sadness" isn't a movie for the faint-hearted that will shake the viewer and won't be forgotten after watching.

The movie is one of the goriest movie i have seen in the last years! My favorite remain The Evil Dead remake! The movie is fast paced, action scenes are decent choreographed, lots of blood and gore very good realized, the acting is kinda amatourish but overall is entertaining! Give it a chance! :)

28 Days Later + Train to Busan on angel dust. While it could have relied solely on extremity (and it is insanely violent and brutal), it manages to actually slow down and build moments of genuine tension. While a couple of the over-the-top scenes border on silly, it is still an effective and visceral hell ride.

I don't think there are much words to describe this film, but few come to mind: sadistic, disgustingly violent, and unrelenting.

The movie is insane. And there's a lot of things that I don't feel like going into detail about, but this movie will wind up on the most disturbing movies iceberg. There's no doubt in my mind concerning that.

With all that said, do I recommend this? I honestly don't know. It is a good film, in terms of the ultra violence and gore (practical effects and stunts are really well done here) and the story is pretty simple to follow. In terms of the comfortability, I can't say you'll be able to sit through it without cringing or gasping once. It's a hard one to sit through. That's for sure.

You can say a lot about The Sadness. Fact remains that it's one of the most refreshing and at the same time most disturbing zombie films of the last years.

First things first: maybe the creatures in this film don't really qualify as zombies. Sure, they do bite people, but they can still think and are just plain crazy. The mysterious virus not only makes them extremely violent, but it increases their appetite for sex as well. No, this is not just a cheap trick, especially in this #metoo era it's extra disturbing. My wife thought it was sick, but hey, she likes to watch Virgin River, Grey's Anatomy and This is us, so zombies aren't really her cup of tea.

For the rest the story is pretty standard. Amidst this zombie invasion a man wants to find his girl in order to protect her and see that she's alright. She ends up in a hospital trying to keep the bad creatures away from her. He must travel through the city and country side to reach her. Not really original.

But what makes this movie stand out are the really violent scenes. Boy, there's a lot of blood here and people die in extreme ways. The most disturbing moment is a rape scene. You don't see anything graphic, but still... This is stuff that nightmares are made of.

The Sadness is a horror movie that really blows up in your face. Its extreme violence and disturbed ideas make it a film that's not for everyone. It looks great though and keeps you hooked till the end. It only lasts about 92 minutes.

Not a film you should see on your first date 🙂

Disturbingly fun treat for true gore fans with unique twist on your typical zombie/apocalypse movie. Robert Jabbaz made convincing make-ups and special effects in killing/eating/raping scenes. These real-life implications needed no plot and characters developments.

Extremely gory, hyper-violent, disturbing, sadistic, and brutal with a unique overly horny twist on your typical virus outbreak movie.

This was well-made and entertaining enough for gore fans but the script was kinda weak, the acting was mediocre, and the generic story kinda lost me in the third act. Sad.

Zombie movies are so overrated and common these days. What set this Taiwanese horror flick from the rest was its boldness. Few films of the same theme have tried but failed to create something inherently and genuinely shocking to the audience. I loved how vivid and realistic the scenes are. I also admire the director's way of going straight into the chaos instead of creating a slow burn atmosphere. I must say the running time was maximized to its full potential. There was enough storyline to be followed, and performances were very convincing. This was definitely one of the really vile and disturbing films not just for the genre fans and international horror fans but also to the general audience as well.

Shows restraint with the bodygore and nudity that others would focus alot more screentime on for a true gorefest.

The whole movie had something going on and none of it felt unessecary. A few moments of calm with comfy "but you know whats gonna happen with this soon" shots aswell as predictible happenings. Im left with some questions but it was still enough that held the whole story together after a second watch.

Not speaking the language and watching with subs youre always missing out on the true linedelivery and/or acting in general but the charatcters came across disturbing, conflicted etc when they where suppose to.

A Wonderful gruesome ideal 1980's

splatter movie with all the modern bells and whistles

Lots of incredibly painful scenes

It all in good fun though

No creepy lingering on the pain as if you enjoyed it

no interminable captivity

That was all just all the sublimated

American-Sado Masochistic desire given space to breathe

not that this isn't extremely disgusting

plus unlike Romero weird sex is part of the threat

all the gore if just for the joy of seeing something

so disgusting, it is like you went through something

like Spielberg ended up doing in his family films

only that was gross and disturbing

this is energetic, bright, inventive, well filmed, good pace

no ridiculous "stars" to get in the way

oh, and it gets vile

I guess you got a lot to compete with these days

no fancy plot either.