The Sadness

In the midst of a ruthless pandemic outbreak, we find ourselves immersed in the intense, unruly world of "The Sadness." Directed by Rob Jabbaz, this 2021 film assaults viewers with a jarringly realistic and unflinching portrayal of societal collapse, delving into the fractured lives of two harried protagonists. Samantha and Kimberly are an enigmatic young couple attempting to survive in a world where communication has become increasingly tenuous. While society teeters on the brink of chaos, the infected members of society unleash uncontrollable and inhumane outbursts of violence against other people. The authorities are ineffective, impotent in the face of growing disorder and violence. As fear and paranoia grip the hearts of those who remain uninfected, social norms disintegrate with rapid speed. Everywhere they look, they're met with a world bereft of order and coordination. Everything changes when Kimberly is brutally raped in a public restroom by an unruly horde of infected individuals. Struck numb by this fateful encounter, Samantha becomes crippled by an existential dread. Obsessed with exacting justice from the culprits who brutally assaulted her partner, a maelstrom of distorted priorities rapidly engulfs Samantha. No longer driven by a burning need to protect and shield Kimberly, Samantha becomes coarsened and cold-bloodedly calculating in her pursuits, determined on extracting what retribution she can, whatever heinous measures she must undertake. Meanwhile, Kimberly watches in dismay as Samantha gradually transforms into a vengeance-driven monolith. Driven by the turbulent relationship she now shares with her tormented lover, Kimberly is deeply conflicted between protecting herself from the unfolding chaos and trying to rescue the woman she once loved. Amidst this turbulent backdrop of violence and desperation, the once-stable bond between Samantha and Kimberly shatters under the strain, casting them as isolated, rootless specters on the fringes of a dying society. Kimberly soon stumbles upon an unholy sanctuary that seems to be sheltering people like them. Run by a reclusive, disillusioned figure named Matthew, the dingy space harbors fugitives and individuals from disparate walks of life all drawn together by a deep-scorned disdain of the vicious landscape outside. Kimberly finds a semblance of comfort within this dark home, her bruised emotions slowly soothed by newfound connections and tangible support from Matthew and his uneasy flock. As "The Sadness" hurtles toward its painful conclusion, Samantha becomes even more maniacally dedicated to her single-minded pursuit of those accountable for Kimberly's ordeal. Unbridled by a lingering sense of love or compassion, the monstrous and isolated sameness of hers solidifies, making an empathetic redemption increasingly implausible. No longer caring about the person Kimberly once was, this mutated version loses perception of moral boundaries. The night descends upon Matthew's sanctuary in an ominous, bloody coup, finally putting to rest the macabre and exhausted dreams of a devastated humanity. All societal shields have collapsed; all normalcy destroyed in this nightmarish scenario where violence prospers, and remorse knows no bounds.