Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A young woman develops a taste for human blood after experimental plastic surgery, and her victims turn into bloodthirsty zombies, leading into a city-wide epidemic.
Cronenberg's Rabid blends body horror with epidemic thriller in characteristically visceral fashion. The plot is inventively conceived — experimental surgery gone wrong sparking a vampiric plague — though execution is sometimes uneven. Acting is functional but unremarkable, with Marilyn Chambers an interesting casting choice whose performance is inconsistent. Cinematography is competent and gritty in a way that suits the material without being especially distinguished. The film earns above-average novelty for its early articulation of Cronenbergian body-horror themes and the unusual blending of vampire myth with contagion horror, predating many imitators. The ending is bleak and effective, delivering a nihilistic payoff consistent with the film's tone.