[REC]

Spain | 2007 | Directed by Jaume Balaguero & Paco Plaza

Logline: A television reporter and her cameraman are trapped inside an apartment building along with two firemen, two policemen … and a bloodthirsty virulent disease that is spreading amongst the residents.

A low-budget horror that twists the zombie conventions on its head and delivers a tour-de-force of shock tactics amidst the pseudo-realism of a mock-documentary, [REC] (the in-camera abbreviation for “recording”) is part of a swag of fantastic Euro-horror that has emerged in recent years, and has won at least fifteen festival awards.

In fact Hollywood was so impressed by [REC] that it fast-tracked a remake, and thus Quarantine was out within a year. It must be noted also that Quarantine is a Tinseltown rarity: a remake that is as good, and on some levels even better, than the original, however I’m choosing to review the Spanish version simply because it is so … ferociously original.

Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) is the host of a television show called While You Sleep. She’s shooting a segment about Barcelona’s bravest and hopes to ride with them on an emergency. Duty calls and Angela and her cameraman, Pablo (Pablo Rosso, whose sneakers are all we ever see), join firemen Manu (Ferran Terraza) and Alex (David Vert) to an apartment building where apparently an hysterical woman is trapped.

Soon after arriving chaos erupts and the building is subsequently sealed off by authorities, who have put the decrepit housing into quarantine, due to the outbreak of some kind of contagion from within the building. Angela insists Pablo remain recording, despite protests from the two policemen present. There are two people dead and two critically injured, and the survivors are desperate to get the hell out.

The Blair Witch Project, [REC], Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity all utilise the concept of “found footage”; cinema verite recorded by one or more of the central characters to document some kind of supernatural or extra-terrestrial happening. In the case of Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity the contrivance goes further purporting the movie as actually real with little or no credit given to the filmmakers, but the characters recording know what they’re up for, whereas [REC] and Cloverfield presents their shaky-cam action as far more urgent and unprepared for.

All four movies end in tragic dilemma; yet all four achieve their desired effect superbly. However one must keep in mind that a major conceit must be accepted by audiences in order for these movies to work: the character(s) continue to shoot the events despite the level of danger and fear increasing tenfold. Anyone in their right mind would abandon the camera in order to successfully escape the threat of death.

[REC]’s rapid pace and very brisk length (only 70 minutes sans end credits) makes the urgency truly palpable. As the situation escalates, the horror becomes all pervasive. Angela and Pablo are forced up into the penthouse apartment, abandoned by its owner. Inside in the grimy darkness (but aided by the camera’s portable light) they discover all manner of weirdness. The owner, who had kidnapped a young girl from the Vatican, allegedly suffering from demonic possession, had recorded his attempts at curing the girl, only to lose control of the situation and have a horrific mutant virus on his hands.

[REC]’s last twelve or so minutes are arguably the movie’s most terrifying as Angela, an emotional and mental wreck, and Pablo, are confronted with the apartment owner’s grotesque efforts. The excellent performance of award-winner Manuela Velasco drives the movie right to the very nail-biting end.

TEASER TRAILER:

[REC] DVD is courtesy of Madman Entertainment, many thanks!