MadS

As he drives to meet his girlfriend while high on a mysterious drug, a guy picks up an injured stranger - and a night of terror begins.

Fresh entry in the zombie genre, with two innovations in the story telling that raise it out of the ordinary. First, it's a long-take, making the action immediate and pitching the horror against a pleasant summer evening in a pleasant French suburb - the kind of place you'd want to be, except ... zombies! If you're into this style, check out Those Who Walk Away (2022) - not as smooth in its direction, but the long-take really makes you feel the location.

Second innovation (at least for me) is that the story is told from the point of view of victims on the turn, with the usual weird neck cracking and hissing even as the characters move among their friends. Also their stories are told in relay, which is a similar technique to the strange witchcraft horror You Won't Be Alone (2022).

The direction and editing are good, with just a couple of moments to make me aware of the camera, but maybe could have picked up the pace sooner after the trigger event. Music is stylish. And performances are good, especially the original girlfriend, who delivers the one laugh-out-loud line during a scooter chase.

Overall: Not perfect, not profound - but hits the spot.