We’ve all seen movies that show the beginning of an outbreak. Viral, zombie, no matter which it is, the outbreak always starts with one person and then quickly spreads everywhere. What you probably haven’t seen, though, is that story told in real-time without edits, following a group of friends on what was supposed to be a fun night out that turns into an absolute nightmare.
That’s the plot of Mads, a new French film from director David Moreau. It’s a 90-ish minute single take (or at least, is made to look that way with hidden cuts) that starts in a guy’s apartment, goes down the road, into a house, back into a car, to a party, onto the streets, and into a tall building, all while the camera follows either on foot or by vehicle. The result is a constantly stressful ride that leaves you a little empty story-wise but sufficiently blown away at the impact the filmmaking style has on it.
I always enjoy a bit of peri-apocalypse (the start of the Dawn of the Dead remake is nerve-wracking - thanks James Gunn) and one-shot scenes really ramp up the tension when done right (looking at you Children of Men). So combine the two and I’m sold.