Rabid

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Rabid

R

Released Apr 8, 1977

1h 31m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

46%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Surgery leaves a Montreal motorcyclist (Marilyn Chambers) with a bloodsucking appendage in her armpit.

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Critics Consensus

Its gruesome scares may nauseate more than thrill, but Rabid bites into its story with distinct sophistication and thought-provoking themes.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Here is an extremely violent, sometimes nauseating, picture about a young woman affected with rabies, running around Montreal infecting others.

Mar 26, 2009

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Time Out

None of the other recent apocalypse movies has shown so much political or cinematic sophistication.

Jun 24, 2006

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Almar Haflidason

BBC.com

Ultimately Rabid boils down to zombified sluts and shock moments but it's an irresistible combination that Cronenberg handles well.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 1, 2000

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…stands the test of time as a cautionary tale with added absurdity…

Rated: 3/5

Jun 14, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Erratic as a thriller but interesting as a testing ground for Cronenberg’s themes and techniques.

Rated: 2.5/4

May 31, 2023

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Horror fans came to laugh at it, and left pretty damned impressed.

Rated: A-

Nov 29, 2022

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Cody S.

Overall, I liked it, but it was just too slow. I’ve watched movies from this time period that do the slow build to perfection. Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and Jaws come to mind. This one didn’t do that for me. The effects were “fun” at best, and the premise itself seems a little silly to me. While I did appreciate that it was unique, a blood sucking appendage from her armpit and her attractiveness lures dudes in, does just seem stupid to me. “Good” at best kind of movie, but definitely far from horrible.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

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Horror fan 4

A great leading performance and special effects are what drive this classic horror movie. Tim Treakle

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/25

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thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas de terror são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/25

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Nick O

It’s such a shame Marilyn Chambers didn’t do more horror movies, cause nobody does creepy and sexy at the same time as good as Marilyn in this 70’s Cronenberg body-horror classic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/24/25

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Daniel C. M

Very nice effects; raw and visceral direction by Cronenberg alongside the cinematography, which spares none; great and unique story that mixes vampires and zombies. Though, ironically as it may be, the script feels pedestrian and the acting is below-average AT BEST, which contributes to a unnecessarily slow pacing, despite it's short runtime.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

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Jonathan O

The original of Rabid is the 70's of pandemic with zombie look alike is really gory, disturbing, frighting and thrilling film and David Cronenberg did really fantastic work of body horror.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/04/24

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David Cronenberg

Director

Marilyn Chambers

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Synopsis

Surgery leaves a Montreal motorcyclist (Marilyn Chambers) with a bloodsucking appendage in her armpit.

Director: David Cronenberg
Producer: Don Carmody, John Dunning
Screenwriter: David Cronenberg
Distributor: New World Pictures
Production Co: Canadian Film Development Corporation (CFDC)
Rating: R
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 1977, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2017
Runtime: 1h 31m

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