Rabid (at Monster Fest ’19)  ★★★½

THE Soska sisters burst onto the horror scene in 2012 with American Mary.

The twins, Jen and Sylvia, had co-directed a previous feature, 2009’s Dead Hooker in a Trunk, but their S&M-set, body horror attracted more attention beyond their native Canada.

Their new film, Rabid, is a remake and tribute to their country’s greatest horror director, David Cronenberg,

Considered a modern master of the genre, Cronenberg has specialised in body horror and the associated themes through films like Rabid, Shivers, Naked Lunch, Crash, Dead Ringers and The Fly.

The Soskas use the basic story from his 1997 original, but give the main character a different background in order to explore in more depth our ongoing individual and societal obsession with beauty.

In Cronenberg’s original film he stunt cast former soft-porn actress Marilyn Chambers in the lead role of a random accident victim who is brought to a nearby medical clinic for treatment that goes horribly wrong.

The remake sets up the lead character, Rose, as a young designer working in a fashion house who already has body issues due to the facial scars left from a car accident years before that killed her parents.

Rose is talented but erratic, placing her constantly at odds with the business owners, the eccentric, tyrannical Gunter.

Following another even worse accident on her motorcycle Rose is left with horrific facial injuries that threaten to compeletly ruin her emotionally.

In contrast to the original story, she sees an advertisement for new experimental stemcell research by a private clinic and decides to apply.

The results are incredible and Rose embarks on a new lease of life. However, she not only sufferes severe side effects but also passes on a virus to others that manifests itself as a manic psychosis, akin to severe rabies.

In contrast to the original, the Soskas take their time setting up the characters and narrative. This means we are more invested in their fate but also means there are less scenes of pure horror and carnage.

Laura Vandervoort is good as Rose while Mackenzie Grey has all the best lines as Gunter, the make-up and practical effects are excellent, there are plenty of solid jump scares and nice attention to detail.

The latter extends to several nods to Cronenberg’s other films, including using Naked Lunch author William Burroughs as the name for the clinic founder and the red capes worn by the surgical team, ala Dead Ringers.

This is a film for horror fans lovingly made by horror fans.