| Home > Horror Reviews > Indie Horror > REC (original) |
| Rated: 0.00/5 | Votes: 1 | Views: 148 |Submitted: 07/05/09 |
|
REC Review
By Heather Wixson REC is the Spanish-language horror thriller that most audiences will be familiar with as the movie that inspired QUARANTINE, which came out in late 2008. Truthfully, I was waiting on getting to see REC before I ever saw QUARANTINE because I really wanted to get a feel for the original before I dug into its US counterpart. Starring Spanish actors Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, and Pablo Rosso, REC follows a late-night TV anchor (Velasco) as she shadows her local fire department company. While filming her show, the firefighters (Terraza and Ross) respond to a call that someone is trapped in their home. When the fire department and the TV people show up, they definitely end up getting more of a “show” than they bargained for, as the resident trapped turns out to be sick with some type of aggression-inducing disease (think 28 DAYS LATER minus the monkeys) that causes her to attack a policeman by chewing out part of his neck. From there, the residents and those inside the building get the alarming news that they are under quarantine and are unable to leave the property. As those inside struggle to understand what is happening around them, they begin to realize that they have bigger problems: the sickness that the old woman suffered from is contagious through saliva and it’s only a matter of time before the entire building gets infected through brutal and gory attacks. REC is shot from the TV cameraman POV and while sometimes this can be a bit jarring (yes, CLOVERFIELD I am looking in your general direction), somehow REC manages to make it work, thanks to the cinematography by Rosso (who holds dual titles on REC). While some people might say that REC borrows off the style of THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, I think directors Juame Balaguero and Paco Plaza did a brilliant job in keeping the movie’s pace and intensity at almost a balls-out level (which is something I think TBWP struggled with a bit). Velasco is an engaging presence on screen and it’s hard to take your eyes off her. As REC begins, her character is the over-eager stumbling reporter that almost smiles too much for you to take her seriously as someone who works in actual news. By the end of the film, Velasco’s pleasant demeanor morphs into a fear-riddled survivor who finds the strength to fight off those infected for as long as she can. Overall, REC is a jaw-dropping piece of horror cinema that I strongly recommend to everyone. I caught myself holding my breath at certain points and was completely engaged the entire time. REC delivers the tense movie-going experience I wish more American films would. Even if you aren’t the “subtitles” type (and I know there are people out there like that), I would definitely say to not let that stop you as REC is a relentless journey through the deepest depths of horror. Rating: 4 ½ stars out 5 |
Search | Search the website
Use our search facility to trawl our wide range of content
Contest
Top Members
Username: ArsonCuff
Posts: 332
Username: misterhorror
Posts: 243
Username: terrortu
Posts: 228
Username: heatherwixson
Posts: 135
Username: DavidAsdkl
Posts: 71