Shudder’s one-shot horror film is the future of the genre

The following contains spoilers for MadS. Proceed with caution.

Sometimes the best and worst thing about horror movies is how often certain gimmicks are rehashed to create a simple scare. Whether it’s the timeless jump scare or the grim ending where the survivors weren’t destined to survive in the first place, certain conventions made the genre predictable. But when it comes to storytelling techniques, One-shot horror films are few and far between, but they always seem to push the envelope in unique ways. This is exactly the case with David Moreau MadSthat tells a story that feels both familiar and brand new, while proving that something as medium-challenging as a one-shot film is exactly what horror needs right now.

MadS is about a young man named Romain (Milton Richie) who is celebrating his 18th birthday. After picking up some drugs from his dealer, Romain drives home and meets a strange woman who tries to commit suicide in his car. Traumatized and under Romain’s influence, Romain does what he can to make sense of the situation, which evolves into a night in which he and two others are unsure whether what they see is real or a figment of their imagination is. Even if there is no answer at the end of the film, The journey of realization that the audience and the characters go on is something that no horror film has ever done so well before.

MadS used a continuous feature-length shot to sell its horror

The film’s talented cast complemented the unique filmmaking

From the trailer alone, MadSThe biggest selling point is that the story is told in one continuous shot. This is not a new technique as it has been used in previous films La Casa Muda and its remake, The silent house. However, these were paranormal films that turned out to be survival stories. In the case of MadS, The use of a continuous shot is an essential part of the plot as it helps the audience experience their own climax as the tension builds in real time. From the moment Romain leaves his dealer’s house and picks up the strange woman, the film doesn’t let up. Seeing her attempt to take her own life creates a tone of confusion and terror that stays with Romain throughout his time in the film. This only gets worse when the drugs take effect in his system and he goes to a house party for his birthday. From then on, it’s clear that more than your average high is afoot, and the incessant shaky-cam techniques show that he’s internally losing touch with reality.

One-shot scenes in films are nothing new. While shows like those on Netflix Daredevil and films like Old boy showed how well this framing device worked for action scenes, MadS uses the one-shot technique to put the audience on a roller coaster ride similar to the terror felt in the equally frightening films Unpolished gemstones. This only intensifies when Romain leaves the party and the audience focuses more on his lover Anaïs (Laurie Pavy). As she walks through the city, she experiences a similar mental break, unsure of what is happening to her or around her. Through the climax, the next point of comparison MadS’ There would have been an explosion of tension 28 days laterwhich, more than anything, is a desperate fight for survival. MadS’ The deliberately slow build-up to the brutal finale would not have been possible without the film being shot in a single take.

Apart from the camera work, MadS’ The cast also sells every moment they’re on screen. They do an excellent job of keeping even seasoned horror fans on their toes as they decipher why they’re acting so crazy. This is particularly true for Pavy’s character Anaïs, who lives through her madness with reckless abandon, fear, and ultimately complete submission to everything she controls. The result is a figure that may be one of the scariest of 2024. However, Anaïs’ captivating madness would not have been possible without Lucille Guillaume’s Julia, who has been with Anaïs and Romain from the beginning and finds herself in a horror show by the end of the film. Their inability to comprehend what is happening around them and to recognize what is real and what is not is a sick joy to watch. Through these three films, audiences are treated to one of the rawest displays of horror that truly shows how unprepared people can be when things go terribly wrong.

MadS’s main selling point caused some continuity errors

The film fell victim to the inherent flaws of its framing device

It is difficult to make a film in a single shot, and therefore it is equally difficult to tell a story that is “perfect” in terms of continuity. While MadS is still one of the clearest examples of a one-shot film, it addressed, albeit briefly, issues with its pacing and continuity. In particular, the internal logic of the film is a bit poor. This isn’t all that surprising, as the trade-off for a long, uncut shot is information that could have been provided from another character’s point of view. By focusing on one character at a time, MadS The film deliberately keeps its main character (and the audience) in the dark about what they don’t already know. This makes parts of the film’s chronology and rules unclear, which in turn will confuse and irritate some viewers.

For the three main characters, there was an important rule that determined how madness was portrayed MadS was spread. Similar to the danger that comes with sharing drug paraphernalia, Romain and Anaïs share a moment in which what influences them is passed on from each other through a kiss. This becomes the norm as Anaïs transmits an illness apparently caused by medication to other people through body fluids. However, when Julia tries to help Anaïs on her scooter, Anaïs begins to spread her blood on Julia’s face and mouth. At the beginning of the film, Julia is also shown kissing Romain while he is bleeding from his nose. Nevertheless, Julia seems unaffected.

This raises the question of why Julia did not succumb to the same illness despite participating in the same activities as Anaïs. Admittedly, this is a continuity error that in no way affects the overall story. At worst, it’s still one that might at least initially amaze audiences. The film’s inconsistent logic also falls apart the more you think about it in retrospect. But even this question and its vague explanations only add to it MadS’ Impact and horror as it shows how little is known about the spread of the disease and how it could potentially affect Julia in the future. Even when the terror that is spreading is finally explained, it is clear that the disease that has spread through the city is still unknown to those who knew about it before the outbreak.

MadS proves that horror needs more one-shot films

The film’s creative risks paid off

Single-shot films are not common, especially in North America, with films like Unfriended leading in the region. But films like the comedy A cut of the dead and of course the frightening MadS proved that this narrative style is the future of the genre. MadS is a journey from beginning to end, and that’s how it’s meant to be; One-take storytelling means the audience is more at the mercy of the camera than ever. This means that the way the tension rises and falls can be felt at different speeds. With films like MadSone can’t help but wonder what it would be like if a similar technique were used in a traditional slasher franchise such as: B. would be used Halloween. In fact, this type of technique has already been shown in a scene from Halloween 2018 sequel/soft reboot. Even haunted house movies could be a wonderful hub for one-shot terror, playing with the idea that the victims and audience have no idea what’s going on, but have to find out in real time.

There is a universe of possibilities in the realm of single-take films. MadS has shown that creating one-shot films is useful not only for scaring audiences, but also for mixing genres in real time. What begins as a bad drug trip quickly turns into an apocalyptic nightmare, made even more frightening by the convincing cast of characters. Even better is the sense that if the story were to continue, it could branch into unexpected genres in the way other horror franchises tend to do A Nightmare on Elm Street or Child’s play stayed fresh and relevant for decades. David Moreaus MadS isn’t afraid to try new things and put a new twist on many classic tropes and genres that horror fans know and love. By conveying some otherwise familiar horror conventions in a new way, MadS shows that there is still a lot of unexplored territory in this genre. To further explore these new horizons, the best thing horror filmmakers can do is follow them MadS’ risky but worthwhile steps. MadS It may not seem like what horror movie fans were expecting, but it’s something the genre desperately needed.

MadS is now streaming on Shudder.