‘MadS’ Review – A High-Octane Adventure That Turns A Birthday Celebration Into A Nightmare

MadS plunges viewers into a real-time nightmare that escalates with every pulse-pounding second. Directed by David Moreau, this relentless single-take thriller transforms a simple night out into a descent into pure chaos, following Romain (Milton Riche) as his life spirals out of control. What starts as a casual evening of partying quickly becomes a race against time, blurring the lines between a drug-fueled haze and a nightmarish reality.

At the center of this chaos is Romain, a seemingly ordinary teenager who’s just looking to celebrate his birthday with his girlfriend Anaïs (Laurie Pavy) and a few friends. But before the party even starts, things go horribly wrong. While driving to meet his dealer, Romain encounters a mysterious woman stumbling out of the woods, her body wrapped in hospital bandages. Without warning, she jumps into his car. Unable to speak, frantic, and clearly terrified, this stranger—let’s call her Patient Zero—turns Romain’s night into something out of a horror film. Things go from strange to nightmarish when she finds a screwdriver in his car and stabs herself to death right there in his passenger seat.

From here, MadS kicks into overdrive, transforming Romain’s already questionable birthday plans into a full-blown disaster. Panicked and high, he hides her body in his garage, thinking the worst is behind him. But the night has only just begun. Soon, he’s not just dealing with the horrifying image of a dead woman in his car, but also dodging armed agents, hallucinations, and what seems to be a full-scale city lockdown. It’s a nonstop race through a rapidly crumbling world, and Romain is trapped at the center of it.

What makes MadS truly stand out is its execution. The entire film unfolds in one continuous 90-minute take (or at least it seems to), making it feel as though the audience is another passenger in Romain’s car, strapped in for the ride. This format creates an intense, claustrophobic atmosphere that makes every twist feel immediate and unavoidable. There’s no cutting away, no pauses for relief, and no room to catch your breath. The camera follows Romain through each frantic decision, each terrifying encounter, amplifying the tension as the night descends into madness.

While Romain is our primary focus, the film cleverly shifts perspectives at key moments, expanding the story beyond his harrowing experience. After Romain meets up with Anaïs and their friends, the camera shifts to Anaïs, allowing us to witness the same world through her eyes. As the night progresses, we see the narrative pass to Julia (Lucille Guillaume), another friend, as the chaos spreads. This shifting perspective helps MadS avoid the pitfalls of repetition, giving the audience new angles to experience the unfolding horror. Each character brings their own personality and reactions to the chaos, making the story feel dynamic even as the tension mounts.

One of the film’s most intriguing aspects is its balance of psychological horror with action-thriller elements. The bandaged woman’s death is just the beginning of a series of increasingly bizarre and violent events, but what makes MadS different is how it tackles the internal struggle each character faces as they are seemingly consumed by an unexplained rage. It’s unclear if Romain is dealing with the effects of the drugs or if there’s something darker at play, and this ambiguity fuels the tension as he struggles to hold onto his sanity. The infection, or whatever is driving these characters to the brink, manifests differently in each of them, making the viewer wonder how much of what’s happening is real and how much is a product of their unraveling minds.

As the night spirals further into insanity, the world outside mirrors the characters’ inner turmoil. Armed agents are on the hunt, martial law seems to have been declared, and the once familiar city streets have become a war zone. Helicopters fill the skies, gunshots echo in the distance, and there’s a constant sense that something larger, more apocalyptic, is unfolding just out of sight. This backdrop adds an extra layer of dread, making MadS not just a story about one man’s night from hell, but a broader exploration of a society on the verge of collapse.

Director David Moreau’s decision to use the continuous-shot format isn’t just a gimmick—it’s integral to the film’s atmosphere. The handheld camera stays uncomfortably close to the characters, forcing the audience to experience every moment of panic, confusion, and desperation. The tension never breaks, and the sense of mounting dread is palpable. Every scene flows seamlessly into the next, making the film feel like a relentless, feverish dream that refuses to let go.

MadS is an adrenaline-fueled ride that throws you straight into chaos from the start. For 90 intense minutes, it pulls you through one heart-pounding moment after another, as tension mounts and reality slips away. With every second feeling like a countdown to the next disaster, it’s a wild, unpredictable experience that keeps you hooked until the very end.

MadS is currently available to stream on Shudder.