Rabid (1977)★ 6.4/10

Much like "Shivers," David Cronenberg revisits familiar territory, transplanting the contagion from a claustrophobic apartment complex to an open urban sprawl. Yet despite the expanded scale, the characters remain underdeveloped, and the narrative still avoids probing deeper questions about human nature or the role of institutions in managing crises. Instead, it stays content delivering surface-level visceral thrills.

Watching "Rabid" after living through the COVID era lends its infectious outbreak premise an eerie resonance. While the film takes creative liberties with medical plausibility and the performances often veer into exaggeration—particularly from the leading man—it still maintains a complete, if somewhat unremarkable, narrative. Beneath the body horror lies a faint but deliberate thread of female resistance and quiet defiance against patriarchal control.

Campy as all hell, but also amazing. I loved the storyline here. And the subtlety of the performances. Great for a midnight watch, even if it looks like it was made on a budget of $6.