[REC] Review

Written by: Rabba   

"REC revolves around a television reporter, Ángela, and her cameraman, Pablo, who cover the night shift in one of Barcelona's local fire stations. The firehouse receives a call from an old lady trapped in her house. When they arrive, and the firemen and the police break down the door, the old lady suddenly attacks and bites one of the policemen, and it is revealed that an unknown but virulent disease is infecting people, causing them to turn in to infected cannibals. The police and military quarantines the building and the camera crew is trapped inside, constantly recording the mayhem that ensues

First off, as Meh has said, you know that a film will be kickass if it is set to be remade before the original itself has hit the big screen. This alone had me very intrigued, so I wasted no time to set out to view this 'masterpiece'.

[REC] is one of the trend setting documentary style films, much like The Blair Witch Project or more recently Diary of The Dead and Cloverfield. This seems to be a stepping stone into the new age of the horror genre where filmmakers are attempting to bridge the gap between fiction and non-fiction. I felt that in the case of this film, the filmmakers were quite successful. This was largely on the part of the cast who came across as plausible and I felt this helped assist in the viewers suppression of disbelief. Placing these believable characters in such a terrifying situation, I felt was great as it helped raise the bar in the scare department.

I personally felt that one of film's main gems, was the heavy terror factor of being confined to a quarantined apartment block with no escape (which no doubt is the sole reason for the U.S appeal to produce a remake).....giving the viewers that feel of certain doom. I cant think of many films in the horror genre that have been set within a quarantined space....and within a cityscape. The thought of the infection eventually spilling out onto the streets (especially once you have found out about the truth behind the infection...which I will not spoil) is down right terrifying in my opinion.

My only criticism has to be the camera work, which at times is overly shaky which in turn may have some viewers with a bit of a headache, by the time the end credits begin to roll. Other than that, I have no complaints!

To summarise, I felt that all actor performances were great, as was the horror make up effects. The tip of the iceberg though was definitely the film's climax where everything is nudged into place and we are shown the truth behind the infection. The ending alone definitely makes it big screen worthy as it would be much more terrifying and enjoyable with the pleasures of surround sound and a darkly lit auditorium.

I'd definitely recommend horror fans to give this one a watch....especially before the remake hits the big screen. If you loved Cloverfield or feel hyped for the upcoming Diary of The Dead, then this one is definitely for you!