We take a break from our regularly-scheduled zombie programming to…uh, talk about some other zombie programming! In case you missed it, the first teaser for Rob Jabbaz’s adaptation of the Crossed comics (created by Garth Ennis) dropped today, and, as a fan of Jabbaz and about as much a fan as it’s possible to be of the extremely patchy Crossed series, I have some thoughts.
First off, I think this is a really solid announcement of what Jabbaz has in store for us with this adaptation – the first real moment we see being a man about to splat a child’s head with a mallet feels very in-line with the gruesome, gross-out tone many of the comics take on, and the glimpses of setpieces we get look appropriately nasty.
There are a few shots that look like direct references to certain comic panels and characters, and it seems like the movie will cover the first major arc, which was written by Ennis – one of the strongest in the series’ run, at least in my opinion (since you’re all no doubt aching with curiosity, I think the best is Wish You Were Here, but that might just be the Scot in me talking). My main concern with an adaptation of this series was that it was going to be hopelessly neutered to make it more palatable to a mainstream audience, but this teaser seems to be going out of its way to nod towards some of the arc’s most iconically horrid moments and put those concerns to rest.
But my concern here is Jabbaz. Not that he can’t do it – but that he’s already done it too well. There’s almost no doubt that Jabbaz landed this directing job after the strength of his debut, The Sadness – and look, The Sadness is an absoloute banger of a movie, a truly horrible but beautifully put-together splatter nightmare that manages to carve out a nuanced story amongst the carnage. And ever since I saw it, I’ve found myself wondering – is it just too similar to the Crossed stories for this adaptation not to come with automatic comparison? The Sadness is a near-legendary entry into the modern extreme horror canon, and that leaves Jabbaz with a huge mark to live up to. I’m still interested in seeing where he takes the Crossed, but topping his debut is going to be the biggest challenge here, without a doubt.
I know these comics are pretty damn niche because of how horrible they are, but, if you’ve read them, I’m curious to know what you thought of this trailer, and of Jabbaz’s direction of this movie versus the similarities to The Sadness. Let me know in the comments below!
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By Lou MacGregor
(header image via Bloody Disgusting)
