(dir. Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza)
 |
| Filmax International |
*First time viewing
Scare Factor: 3/5 [REC]
is a worthy addition to the zombie/outbreak sub-genre, and offers plenty of
jump scares, gore, and genuinely starling moments. It’s nothing revolutionary,
but there’s nothing to dislike about it, and it’s certainly good for a few late
night chills.
While filming a TV documentary on a local fire
station, a host and her cameraman are quarantined inside an apartment building
that’s become overrun with infected tenets.
I actually saw the American-remake Quarantine before I saw this, and it’s
impossible not to compare the two. Despite the critical consensus that that the
Spanish-language film is significantly superior to its American counterpart, I
found them to display the same level of quality. Both films are good and
they’re nearly identical. If you enjoyed Quarantine,
you’ll enjoy [REC] though you won’t
find much in the way of surprises, even with the slight change in the source of
the outbreak which hinges moreso on Spanish culture. But what you will find are
convincingly strong performances, particularly from lead Manuela Velasco, whose
opportunism is endearing but also proves to be her downfall.
Regardless of whether the American remake was
necessary (I can confirm it wasn’t after watching [REC]), the fact remains the story of both films is engaging,
tension-filled, and succeeds primarily through their brisk pace and simple
concept. Neither the concept nor format are particularly novel, but the
found-footage is well-executed, particularly during the film’s climax, and the
characters are given a logical reason to keep filming. The pieces of mythology
included near the film give the film a wider scope that distinguishes it from
other outbreak movies, though from what I’ve heard about the sequels, it may be
best to let the story end with [REC].
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