Rabid: Remake of classic early Cronenberg horror is all homage, few new ideas
By Thom Ernst
Rating: B-minus
When word got out someone was remaking David Cronenberg’s Rabid (1977) and the someone was the Soska Sisters, what followed was an understandable amount of curiosity pooled with a judicious amount of cynicism.
It’s a rare enough challenge to remake a Canadian film but to remake a Cronenberg film felt like a serious folly of the ego. And yet, it felt right. Jen and Sylvia Soska: Identical twin sisters making genre films. The very name The Soska Sisters reads like the start of a Cronenberg script. If anyone has the DNA to properly tackle a Cronenberg remake, it’s them..
Laura Vandervoort gets her face fixed and wakes up hungry in the Soska Sisters’ reboot of Rabid.
The Soska Sisters are not new to the scene. They’ve been directing and writing genre films for close to a decade - two decades when adding in their years as performers. But despite a productive career, and the inevitable novelty that comes from being identical twins, the Soska Sisters have, intentionally or otherwise, kept a modest profile. The thriller, American Mary (2012) is likely their most noted accomplishment along with managing to catch Quentin Tarantino’s attention with their MTV contest entry, Tarantino’s Basterds (2009). Their decision to remake Rabid could be the project needed to push the Soska Sisters towards larger public recognition.
Rabid is a suitable entry into the science-fiction/horror genre that occasionally slants towards the promise of offering something more. And while the film’s science-fiction/horror elements don’t disappoint, the promise of something more doesn’t quite pull through.
The Soska Sisters are keen to preserve Cronenberg’s mood and style. It’s a formidable effort that works better as an homage to Cronenberg than it does as a proper re-imagining of the film. Whatever new-life is pumped into the film is thwarted—albeit through good intent—with nods and winks extended to moments from other Cronenberg movies. The most notable inclusions are the references to Dead Ringers, the gynecological horror featuring identical twin brothers, a film that undoubtedly has a significant influence on the filmmakers. It’s an effective ploy that is likely to play better with audiences already devoted to Cronenberg.
The story centers on Rose (Laura Vandervoort) a meek, soul-committed vegan struggling to hold her own in the toxic world of fashion. After a near-fatal accident scars her face, Rose undergoes an experimental method of cosmetic surgery. On the surface, Rose comes out of the surgery improved in every aspect, from the physical to the emotional - except for a nagging appetite for raw flesh. Rose works her way through the hospital population of staff and clients, creating more flesh-eaters along the way.
Rabid doesn’t stray far from its original source. It remains an effective horror film that offers up a welcomed amount of thrills and doesn’t side-step the carnage. But even as an homage, the film style and pacing are more in keeping with the lurid Italian Giallo cinema than with anything Cronenberg has made. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it’s not quite Cronenberg. Then again, in ‘77 not even Cronenberg was Cronenberg yet.
Rabid. Directed by Jen Soska and Sylvia Soska. Starring Laura Vandervoort, Benjamin Hollingsworth and Ted Atherton. Opens across Canada, Friday, January 31.