thesar-2 It's not just an unlucky day when a hockey-masked killer shows up for work.I usually don't do too much research before seeing movies and following, writing my reviews; I like to go in as cold as possible and have the review all from my experience. But, while looking for something else, I stumbled upon the fact: this was Israel's first horror movie. Wow. First swing and the rookie hit a grand slam.I did know this was a slasher movie going in and the movie sure starts that way. Lately, I've noticed, most (intelligent) filmmakers who want to carry on my favorite horror subgenre: the Slasher and even more specifically, the Slasher-in-the-Woods, have been adding enormous twists and subplots to spice up the decades old formula. This Rabies film has to be taking that fresh start to the extreme max.As stated, this movie starts off with the Slasher-in-the-Woods tropes but quickly evolves into probably more than half a dozen subplots and characters all over the same wooded area and all with their own issues. Really bad issues. It would be one thing just to label each as stereotypical characters and simply state their conflicts and motives, but these two filmmakers, simultaneous directors and writers: Aharon Keshales, Navot Papushado, adhere to my favorite movie experience: Show, Don't Tell.I felt each and every person's plight and drive to achieve their goal. I also felt very little innocence here…in any of them. That, within itself, isn't usually a good thing – when there's barely a good character in film to root for, but I still felt for them and wanted, well, for some of them to reach their goals.To state the two movies this truly reminded me of would be too much of a spoiler, but I enormously recommend any horror fan, Slasher-lover or not, to see this. Heck, any movie fan that can tolerate some extreme gore at times due to the overall fantastic storytelling, make-up and acting.***Final thoughts: This is the spoiler-zone, so stop reading if you hate spoilers as much as I do. You've been warned. The two movies I saw here most in my mind was Very Bad Things and definitely, a 100% serious Tucker and Dale vs Evil. If you liked those movies, namely the latter, you'll probably like the dead-serious take on them here.

Robert W. Rabies is the first Israeli film I've ever seen and it did not disappoint. While it wasn't your typical slasher gorefest that is actually it's charm. The concept is actually unique and well executed. The serial killer in an ironic turn isn't the the one they need to watch out for but rather their own fear and hatred spreading like...well like Rabies. Where it falls short is that the characters are a little empty and the performances perhaps a little wooden at times. They create stereotypical characters (perhaps on purpose as a nod to American slasher flicks) but they don't let them delve any deeper. Despite the unique concept it was a little strange to have a serial killer on the loose and literally have no purpose to the story. The pacing might be a little slow as well. But don't let the few shortcomings deter you if you enjoy foreign films. This horror flick is definitely different than the run of the mill stuff out there!! 7/10

jazzyclarinet what a cool move!!! i have never seen a horror film before and this was the best movie i have ever seen! i only saw it because i had just seen "the secrets" a movie with Ania Bukstein in it and wanted to see more of her work. I love the way the story twists and turns, you never know what is going to happen next! The humour makes it fun to watch and helps you relate to the characters. people say the title rabies it a rubbish name because it does not say what the movie is. the title in Hebrew "kalevet" can also be linked to rage, fury and madness suiting the film perfectly. its just lost in translation. i think everybody should see this movie, its a treasure and well worth watching! something that annoyed me is that the English subtitles didn't match the Hebrew in some places! but thats it :)

moviewizguy RABIES is the first Israeli slasher film ever made, and it starts off as your typical slasher flick: A group of teens are driving on a shortcut through the woods. However, even this early in the film, it starts to veer off in a different direction when we are introduced to other characters, which includes the killer himself, two cops, a ranger and his dog, and siblings. As expected, an incident occurs that sets off a chain reaction that ultimately makes RABIES one of the weirdest and most original slasher flicks I've ever seen. All the ingredients of a slasher film are here, but they go against the conventions of a slasher film. Think of it like this: RABIES is the product of what the Coen brothers would do if they ever decided to do a slasher film. Saying anything more would ruin the experience, so I'll just leave it at that.RABIES separates itself from other slasher flicks in many ways, including the fact that the entire film takes place in daylight and that most of the characters are fleshed out. Even the teens seem like real people, not dumb victims who make idiotic decisions to get them killed off. The film also has surprising levels of comedy and drama that's mixed with the horror, which is influenced by Korean horror films in the past few years. It also has something to say about the nature of human beings, so not only is RABIES an atypical slasher flick, but there's also an underlying commentary running through the film.Because of how RABIES bend the slasher genre, I can see that it might not work for everyone. Some die hard slasher fans may be disappointed seeing that it doesn't follow a lot of the slasher conventions while others may open up their arms willingly to what the film has to offer. Although it doesn't revolutionize the slasher genre, I found it to be entertaining and weird overall, and I appreciate the originality put into it. I'd also keep my eyes on directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado and on their next film, which is a murder mystery. Hopefully, this film will also open a lot of doors to what Israel can offer to the rest of the world in the future. And lastly, there's already talks of an American remake so watch this ASAP.