Karaoke Horror – Rabies (film review)

Everything about this 2011 movie from Israel is crisp. The camera work is lean and clean, capturing everything in gorgeous colour and clarity. The acting is competent, believable and they all look great. The script is clever and has plenty of twists and turns.

So why does the Rabies fail at so many levels? It’s film karaoke, folks. The perfect backing track is there. Everyone knows the words like they wrote them. Everyone can sing/act/pretend in a note-perfect way through the whole song. But no-one is Quentin! Or Madsen! Or Uma! Or Liu!

I don’t know if the directors (Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado) shot scenes once, twice or a hundred times, but there is plenty to love about the look of the film. Just like you love the look of a hot young redhead singing a great version of Janis Joplin on American Idol, or a striking metrosexual singing Bowie with guts and passion.

But where is the USP? What really stands out about this movie? To be honest, just that it is an almost perfect copycat horror-thriller.

Rating: 2 stars

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