Rabid (2019)

Rose and her best friend Chelsea, a model, work for abusive fashion designer Gunther. Rose dreams of being a designer but Gunther thinks her work is pedestrian.

Due to her insecurity about the scars on her face (which are barely noticeable), Rose usually skips fashion events. But when Brad asks her to go with him to a party, she accepts. She’s having a great time until she overhears two of Gunther’s models calling her scar face and laughing about how Chelsea convinced Brad to take her tonight. 

Feeling the fool, Rose bolts from the club, gets on her moped and is hit by a car. She wakes up in the hospital with horrific facial injuries. The doctors tell her repairing the injuries could take years, is expensive and she will never look the same. Since heartless Gunther let her go after her accident, Rose has no job and no insurance to pay for the procedures.

When she sees an ad for the Burrows Clinic offering an experimental procedure at no cost, she and Chelsea make an appointment to meet with the doctors. Rose decides to move forward since it is her only hope.  The experimental procedure is flawless and the reconstruction is amazing.  But she reports having odd dreams about biting people and consuming blood, which is  upsetting since she’s a vegetarian.

At one point there is a public health crisis where people are advised to stay home due to a rabies outbreak. But Gunther has a show to do and fashion waits for no one. Who cares if the public is at risk, he needs to show his ugly fashions.  

Since Rose is now beautiful, she’s back on Gunther’s team and is helping with the show. When Chelsea arrives disheveled and stating she was bitten while riding the subway, no one is concerned. Other models seem ill and once again, no one is concerned. People fall down on stage and there is barely registered concern. Since rabies is not fashionable, everyone pretends the health crisis doesn’t exist.  We all know this isn’t going to go well.

This is a remake of a 1970s movie. 

Dialogue from fashion industry insiders

You know you’re pretty now, right? You don’t have to be nice.

Fashion never stops for anybody or anything.

Rose and her hideous scars which make her a fashion outcast

I don’t think I trust the Burrows clinic’s operating staff

The orange faced, be-wigged goon on the left is not a clinic
patient, but renowned fashion designed Gunther