The Sadness

Lore & Background

The Sadness was screened at the 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada in August 2021 and at Fantastic Fest in the U.S. in September 2021. Raven Banner Entertainment acquired worldwide distribution rights, and the film began streaming on Shudder on May 12, 2022.

Reader's Guide

The Sadness is significant as a feature directorial debut that garnered critical acclaim for its unflinching depiction of pandemic-induced violence. On Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 48 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.9/10, and the consensus calls it 'an unstintingly grim—and overall effective—slice of dystopian horror.' Metacritic assigned a score of 68 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews. Critics praised its filmmaking finesse, practical effects, and allusions to the current pandemic, though some criticized its oversimplified plot and use of erotic violence. The film won Best Film in the New Flesh competition at Fantasia International Film Festival and Best Picture and Best Director at Fantastic Fest's horror competition. Its legacy includes comparisons to the comic book series Crossed and recognition of Rob Jabbaz as an impressive new voice in horror cinema.

Did You Know?

• The Sadness was filmed in 28 days in Keelung and Taipei.
• The special effects crew spent up to three months producing practical artificial heads, including some that could explode or spray blood.

Production & Craft

The Sadness marked the feature directorial debut of Canadian filmmaker Rob Jabbaz, who also handled the writing and editing. Produced by Machi Xcelsior Studios alongside David Barker, the film was captured over a tight 28-day schedule across the cities of Keelung and Taipei. The cinematography relied on Red Digital Cinema Monstro cameras paired with Arri Signature Prime lenses, giving the footage a sharp, cinematic texture. Behind the scenes, the practical effects team at IF SFX Art Maker dedicated as much as three months to crafting an array of artificial heads—some engineered to burst or spray blood on cue—along with prosthetics, fake organs, and other gore props that would define the film's visceral aesthetic. Production designer Liu Chin-Fu built out key environments, including a fully realized subway car interior and a hospital set, both of which serve as crucibles for the story's most intense set pieces. The result is a film whose physical, hands-on effects approach lends it a tactile brutality that digital alternatives often lack.

Plot & Narrative

The narrative centers on Jim and Kat, a young couple navigating Taipei as the Alvin virus—a pathogen initially resembling influenza—spreads with terrifying speed. Government officials, preoccupied with an upcoming re-election, dismiss virologists' warnings about the virus mutating, while the public remains skeptical. The infection, however, proves far more sinister than a simple flu: it hijacks the brain's limbic system, transforming victims into intelligent, articulate killers driven by an irresistible urge to act out their darkest sadistic impulses. The story escalates through a series of harrowing set pieces—a subway car massacre, a hospital overrun by the infected, a televised presidential address interrupted by a grenade attack. A pivotal twist reveals that Dr. Alan Wong, one of the scientists who warned the public, has been secretly injecting newborn infants with the virus in a bid to develop an antibody. Jim arrives at the hospital already infected, and in a final, devastating exchange, he confesses that the virus has given him purpose and that he intends to torture Kat before she escapes toward a waiting helicopter, her ultimate fate left ambiguously unresolved.

Release & Festival Journey

The Sadness first hit theatrical screens in its home market of Taiwan on 22 January 2021, before embarking on an international festival circuit that showcased its genre appeal across multiple continents. Its world premiere took place at the 74th Locarno International Film Festival in Switzerland on 12 August 2021, a prestigious venue that signaled the film's crossover potential beyond the horror niche. It subsequently screened at the 25th Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada and at Fantastic Fest in the United States, both in the latter half of 2021, cementing its reputation within the genre community. For broader audience access, Raven Banner Entertainment secured worldwide distribution rights, and in April 2022 the studio confirmed the film would begin streaming on the horror-focused platform Shudder starting 12 May 2022. The cast also benefited from the film's visibility: Regina Lei, who plays Kat, was making her feature film debut, while Berant Zhu brought the role of Jim to life. The staggered release strategy—festival prestige followed by genre festivals and then on-demand streaming—gave the film a sustained cultural footprint well beyond its initial theatrical window.

Critical Reception & Legacy

Upon release, The Sadness earned predominantly favorable reviews from critics, who recognized it as a bold and unflinching entry in the body-horror subgenre. On Rotten Tomatoes, 88 percent of 48 critics' reviews came in positive, yielding an average score of 6.9 out of 10. The site's critical consensus praised the film as an "unstintingly grim—and overall effective—slice of dystopian horror" that lived up to its title. Metacritic's weighted average placed the film at 68 out of 100 based on seven critics, a rating the platform classifies as "generally favorable." Among individual reviews, Film Threat's Alex Saveliev awarded a perfect 10 out of 10, describing the film as "some kind of genius" that propels forward with "a vicious force, full throttle, both embracing and disregarding convention." Saveliev specifically lauded the film's stylistic commitment, noting its refusal to look away from its own extremity. The critical response collectively positioned The Sadness as a standout debut that married political satire—through its depiction of a government dismissing a pandemic threat—with relentless, practical gore, creating a tone reviewers found both disturbing and artistically coherent.

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