Kū bēi (The Sadness). 2021. Written and directed by Rob Jabbaz

Film

Kū bēi (The Sadness). 2021. Taiwan. Written and directed by Rob Jabbaz. Courtesy of Shudder.

Kū bēi (The Sadness). 2021. Taiwan. Written and directed by Rob Jabbaz. With Berant Zhu, Regina, and Tzu-Chiang Wang. In Mandarin, Taiwanese Hokkien; English subtitles. 99 min.

Headlined “the most violent and depraved zombie movie ever made” on the cover of Rue Morgue magazine, The Sadness is a work of post-pandemic horror for our times. Inspired by the troubling reality of unprovoked violence in everyday settings that fills the daily news, the film reflects a period of profound social instability without the comforting cushion of the supernatural. With a background in animation largely produced in Taipei, Canadian director Rob Jabbaz, supported by a remarkably committed Asian cast, brings his North American sensibility to a film that intentionally takes “place in a Taiwan that was a little more like America.” On screen, no one is spared; from leads to extras, virtually everyone in The Sadness ends up drenched in blood.

This film accompanies Messaging the Monstrous: The Undead.
This film is part of Horror: Messaging the Monstrous.

Wed, Jul 27, 2022, 4:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 2

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 2
Tue, Jul 26, 2022, 7:00 p.m.

MoMA, Floor T2/T1, Theater 1

The Roy and Niuta Titus Theater 1

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