When I was studying my A-Level’s one of the subjects I was doing was Media Studies, during the first year I was studying genre, with a specific focus on horror. What makes a horror film, how to construct an effective horror experience, and how to analyse the themes present in a horror film and identify what the film is in response to. Whilst a number of the films we watched I can’t stand anymore because of the way we were required to watch it and analyse it, there’s one film that left the entire class so terrified that we simply couldn’t go through that ordeal again, with over half the class leaving the room because it was all just too much. That film has since become one of my all-time favourite horror films, and it’s a Spanish found footage film by the name of [REC].
Whilst filming a segment for a daytime TV show, Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) shadow a team of firefighters for the night. The team travels to an apartment complex in response to an emergency call where an elderly resident is trapped in her home, however once the crew gain access to the apartment in question, the resident responds with hostility, biting and seriously wounding two people.
As panic begins to set in amongst the other residents of the complex the building is quarantined by the authorities, meaning nobody can enter or leave. As those bitten become hostile and the infection spreads, Angela, Pablo, and the remaining residents must try and survive against increasingly overwhelming odds.
Whilst filming a segment for a daytime TV show, Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) shadow a team of firefighters for the night. The team travels to an apartment complex in response to an emergency call where an elderly resident is trapped in her home, however once the crew gain access to the apartment in question, the resident responds with hostility, biting and seriously wounding two people.
As panic begins to set in amongst the other residents of the complex the building is quarantined by the authorities, meaning nobody can enter or leave. As those bitten become hostile and the infection spreads, Angela, Pablo, and the remaining residents must try and survive against increasingly overwhelming odds.
There are few films that have terrified me quite to the extent that [REC] does and it all boils down to how the film is constructed. Like a rollercoaster, once that body drops down the stairwell (you’ll know what I mean if you’ve watched it) [REC] becomes a white-knuckle ride that never lets up until the credits roll. Around every corner is another scare that escalates itself from the one prior to it, the moment the hysteria begins to set in amongst the residents the complex becomes considerably more claustrophobic, and each passing second only makes you become more and more anxious.
There is perhaps only one moment of reprieve once the terror starts and that is where Angela interviews a few of the residents whilst they are hiding out in one of the apartment’s rooms. But even this continues to escalate the tension as we are presented with information that allows us to begin to piece together exactly what’s happening.
This all builds to one of the scariest finales I’ve ever experienced in a horror film, with Angela and Pablo trapped in a pitch-black apartment with the source of the infection.
But it’s not just this constant barrage of terror that makes [REC] such a great experience, it’s also how it justifies that age old argument against found footage films of “Why are they filming this and not running away?”. [REC] opens with Angela and Pablo introducing their TV segment and during this time it establishes their presence and purpose within the story. It’s also constructed very cleverly, including shots that haven't worked out so well, Angela needing to repeat lines multiple times so to get the best delivery, and stopping an interview midway to change sides because her hair keeps getting in her way. This all builds the credibility of these characters being professional journalists, so when shit hits the fan and they are told to stop filming their response is to continue filming because the world needs to see what’s happening. There are even times where Pablo stops filming because the events are simply too much for him to handle, but the camera is picked up again later either by another character or by Pablo once again feeling the duty to document these events. They are also physically unable to escape from the building the film takes place in, meaning they can’t just drop everything and leave. If you were trapped with no way out, wouldn’t you want to document what you experienced in the hope that someone somewhere might find the footage?
There is perhaps only one moment of reprieve once the terror starts and that is where Angela interviews a few of the residents whilst they are hiding out in one of the apartment’s rooms. But even this continues to escalate the tension as we are presented with information that allows us to begin to piece together exactly what’s happening.
This all builds to one of the scariest finales I’ve ever experienced in a horror film, with Angela and Pablo trapped in a pitch-black apartment with the source of the infection.
But it’s not just this constant barrage of terror that makes [REC] such a great experience, it’s also how it justifies that age old argument against found footage films of “Why are they filming this and not running away?”. [REC] opens with Angela and Pablo introducing their TV segment and during this time it establishes their presence and purpose within the story. It’s also constructed very cleverly, including shots that haven't worked out so well, Angela needing to repeat lines multiple times so to get the best delivery, and stopping an interview midway to change sides because her hair keeps getting in her way. This all builds the credibility of these characters being professional journalists, so when shit hits the fan and they are told to stop filming their response is to continue filming because the world needs to see what’s happening. There are even times where Pablo stops filming because the events are simply too much for him to handle, but the camera is picked up again later either by another character or by Pablo once again feeling the duty to document these events. They are also physically unable to escape from the building the film takes place in, meaning they can’t just drop everything and leave. If you were trapped with no way out, wouldn’t you want to document what you experienced in the hope that someone somewhere might find the footage?
The only conceivable problem I can see people having with [REC] is that the characters are one dimensional with absolutely no depth, and the film has a habit of setting up potential avenues for it to explore but not delivering on all of them. The first issue regarding the characters I don’t actually feel is as big an issue as people make it out to be, because the short time frame the film takes place in and the frenzied nature of it all means that these people are just trying to survive, not get to know each other. It makes logical sense for there not to be deep character arcs for these people, because why would they be unloading their lives onto strangers they're locked in a building with?
The other issue of the film sometimes dropping potential avenues for it to explore can include things like an escape route in the cellar that was mentioned, and the religious themes present in the finale; but the fact that we don’t get answers to these questions makes [REC] even scarier because our characters simply couldn’t survive long enough to get the answers themselves. Not that it really effects this film, but [REC] 2 does address a lot of these unanswered questions organically without feeling forced, so it’s worth checking it out if you’re really that hung up on those details.
Finally, I’ll also address Quarantine. For those put off by foreign language films and subtitles, [REC] does have a Hollywood remake called Quarantine; despite being a shot for shot recreation of the original film, Quarantine lacks the same raw terror that [REC] has in spades. It’s subtle changes like different lighting, changes in line delivery, and minor dimensional differences to the apartment complex make Quarantine a significantly less scary film. If you really cannot stand foreign films then Quarantine will suffice, but similar to drinking an off-brand cola in comparison to something like Coca-Cola...you’ll notice the difference between the two immediately.
[REC] is certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you’re after a truly terrifying horror experience then I can think of little better. Turn off the lights and turn up the volume with this film and you will be transported into a realm of inescapable panic and fear quite unlike anything else I have ever witnessed. It’s one of the great pioneers of the found footage genre, and one of the best horror films of the twenty-first century. Like all great rollercoasters, [REC] is something that should not be missed by anyone brave enough to give it a go. You certainly won’t be disappointed.
The other issue of the film sometimes dropping potential avenues for it to explore can include things like an escape route in the cellar that was mentioned, and the religious themes present in the finale; but the fact that we don’t get answers to these questions makes [REC] even scarier because our characters simply couldn’t survive long enough to get the answers themselves. Not that it really effects this film, but [REC] 2 does address a lot of these unanswered questions organically without feeling forced, so it’s worth checking it out if you’re really that hung up on those details.
Finally, I’ll also address Quarantine. For those put off by foreign language films and subtitles, [REC] does have a Hollywood remake called Quarantine; despite being a shot for shot recreation of the original film, Quarantine lacks the same raw terror that [REC] has in spades. It’s subtle changes like different lighting, changes in line delivery, and minor dimensional differences to the apartment complex make Quarantine a significantly less scary film. If you really cannot stand foreign films then Quarantine will suffice, but similar to drinking an off-brand cola in comparison to something like Coca-Cola...you’ll notice the difference between the two immediately.
[REC] is certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you’re after a truly terrifying horror experience then I can think of little better. Turn off the lights and turn up the volume with this film and you will be transported into a realm of inescapable panic and fear quite unlike anything else I have ever witnessed. It’s one of the great pioneers of the found footage genre, and one of the best horror films of the twenty-first century. Like all great rollercoasters, [REC] is something that should not be missed by anyone brave enough to give it a go. You certainly won’t be disappointed.