I never thought that I would see a live-action “Crossed” comic book adaptation, but I think The Sadness is pretty damn close and probably as near as I would dare approach. This zombie virus by way of rape and torture does go all in on the sadism and gore, which I suppose could be a point in its favor. Unfortunately, that is the only vague plus that it has, which in my case wasn’t even that much of a positive.
This film eschews any necessity for drama or characters, relying on the extremes of gore-porn to drive things along. I quickly grew weary of its schtick and found it grotesque for its abhorrent vacancy rather than its blood & gratuitous rape fantasies. The problem with this film is that other than its quiet cough towards topical COVID conspiracy, it has nothing to say beyond continual “shocking” moments. I don’t feel it made any significant commentary on rape culture or human frailties or the violence innate within the darkest recesses of our psyches - no, it just wanted to molest eye sockets and grind genitals against barbwire.
No, I don’t think this is trash, nor is it as bleakly horrific as the doldrums of Crossed. But Crossed also usually had characters that told a story and demonstrated subsections of human frailties within the most doomed circumstances. If you want unfettered violent imagery and gorapaloozas, this bite of Taiwanese horror might be your desert, but I had my fill after a couple bites. No thanks.
