Rabid
After experimental surgery saves a crash victim’s life, her hunger for blood unleashes a grotesque contagion across Montreal.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- visceral
- disturbing
- paranoid
- late night horror marathon
- cult cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized Cronenberg’s tense, politically suggestive direction and memorable body-horror effects, while finding the storytelling uneven and the dialogue weak.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rose undergoes experimental surgery at the Keloid Clinic and develops a lethal biological organ beneath her armpit.
Rose’s need to drink blood and the infection of her victims transform vampire conventions into an epidemic mechanism.
Rose carries the infection from the clinic into Montreal as authorities respond with escalating emergency measures.
The Keloid plastic-surgery facility becomes the origin point for Rose’s transformation and the film’s escalating violence.
Films like Rabid, and why
Shivers
shared body horror, medical experimentation, sexualized monstrosity, and unsettling transformation
The Crazies
shared epidemic horror, visceral infection imagery, and social breakdown under quarantine
The Brood
shared science fiction horror, clinical environments, and grotesque bodily mutation
Martin
shared vampire mythology reframed through graphic biological horror and urban contagion
Movie Details
- Director
- David Cronenberg
- Release Date
- 1977-04-08
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (583)
Cast
- Marilyn Chambers
- Terri Hanauer
- Frank Moore
- Joe Silver
- Howard Ryshpan
- Patricia Gage
- Susan Roman
- Roger Periard
- Lynne Deragon
- Victor Désy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Night Flight Plus, Shudder Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Chilling
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Rabid about?
- After experimental surgery saves a crash victim’s life, her hunger for blood unleashes a grotesque contagion across Montreal.
- What is Rabid like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Rabid as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Rabid violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Rabid as graphic.
- What did critics think of Rabid?
- Critics broadly recognized Cronenberg’s tense, politically suggestive direction and memorable body-horror effects, while finding the storytelling uneven and the dialogue weak.
- Which films are like Rabid?
- Films with a similar feel include Shivers, The Crazies, The Brood, and Martin.
- How long is Rabid?
- Rabid runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Rabid?
- In United States, Rabid streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Night Flight Plus, Shudder Amazon Channel, Screambox Amazon Channel, Midnight Pulp, Shudder Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Chilling.
