One of those fascinating horror movies that never gets too weird to lose its footing but also stays completely unpredictable.

A stalker kicks off an ever-escalating carnival of carnage. (Cleverer than it sounds.)

A brother and sister who run away from home find sanctuary in a deserted nature reserve. When the sister falls into the trap of a psychopathic killer, the brother sets out on a race against time to find help. In a twist of fate the rescue of the sister becomes inadvertently intertwined with the lives of a group of young tennis players, a ranger and his dog, as well as a team of policemen. Rabies is an interestingly odd throwback to backwoods slashers and a pretty decent, entertaining, very first horror film from Israel. The film was never really scary because I've seen so many films of its kind, nor did it try to be. It's tense, fast paced, bloody and a good time for the most part. It just wasn't above average to make it memorable or worth your time. The performances were average, no one really stood out, and no one was lousy, just ok. The characters made smart and dumb decisions but were forgettable and almost cardboard cut outs, but were likable. Writers and Directors Aharon Keshales and Navot Papushado did a pretty good effort with this horror film, especially for first timers. The unpredictability of the story was a breathe of fresh air for a movie like this. Yet at the same time it could of been much better if they took it a notch further with higher stakes. They are definitely decent filmmakers that have potential, so I'm curious to see what they bring us next. Overall, it's not your normal backwoods slasher and has enough carnage in it to satisfy fans, but it's nothing all that memorable. It's a decent effort and Israel's first spin on the genre which was neat, just nothing you need to see right away. Netflix rental. 5.9 out of 10