[REC]3: Genesis
Year: 2012
Director: Paco Plaza
Starring: Leticia Dolera & Diego Martin
Runtime: 81 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 08/11/22
Director: Paco Plaza
Starring: Leticia Dolera & Diego Martin
Runtime: 81 mins
BBFC: 18
Published: 08/11/22
Creating a sequel to 2007’s [REC] was always going to be difficult. Due to the film being one of the scariest horrors of the twenty-first century, and being practically flawless in its execution, there was certainly a lot to live up to. [REC]2 did about as well as anybody could have hoped for a sequel, although it was clear that the formula that made [REC] so great couldn’t be so easily replicated without doing basically the exact same thing. [REC]2 focused more on story than scares, and as a result some left disappointed, but overall, it was a good film. So where could [REC]3 possibly go? It seems the answer to that is considerably more complex than anyone could have possibly imagined.
It's the wedding day of Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin), childhood sweethearts who are finally tying the knot. But when Koldo’s uncle (Emilio Mencheta) begins to feel unwell and people in hazmat suits begin appearing around the grounds of the wedding reception it’s clear that something is wrong. As the party guests become infected, Koldo and Clara are separated and must reunite to survive the night.
It's the wedding day of Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin), childhood sweethearts who are finally tying the knot. But when Koldo’s uncle (Emilio Mencheta) begins to feel unwell and people in hazmat suits begin appearing around the grounds of the wedding reception it’s clear that something is wrong. As the party guests become infected, Koldo and Clara are separated and must reunite to survive the night.
[REC]3: Genesis is a massive departure from the series roots. Whilst it starts out as a found footage film like the previous two entries, at roughly the twenty-minute mark once the infection begins to spread the film transitions from handheld cameras to a traditional film setup. The change is jarring to say the least, but it’s a brave move to ditch the found footage formula in a series that helped revitalise the genre in the late 00’s.
Does the genre shift help the film? I would argue no. When I first watched [REC]3 shortly after it came out, I was adamant that it was better than [REC]2 but re-watching the film now I’m not so sure that it works as well as I remember it did. Where [REC] and to an extent [REC]2 were extremely claustrophobic rollercoasters of unbridled terror, [REC]3 is much slower paced, less concerned about jump scares, and more concerned with showing off more gore, and touting some inventive camerawork to justify the departure from found footage.
The aforementioned cinematography is great. It’s not only extremely clean, but cinematographer Pablo Rosso goes absolutely nuts with finding the most unique way to the frame shots. The camera will often be suspended from various different surfaces, move in original ways, and often feels like a character itself. [REC]3 is a very pretty film for one that’s soaked in so much blood, and whilst I’m not a fan of the departure from the found footage style, at least director Paco Plaza makes the change interesting.
To add insult to injury the story doesn’t really support itself all that much. [REC]2 did a lot of heavy lifting trying to add context to everything that happened in the original film and did manage to weave an intriguing tale of religious corruption leading to demonic possession in the form of an infectious virus; but [REC]3 only associates itself with its predecessors in passing with the brief mention of a dog with rabies having bitten one of the party guests at the start of the film. Beyond this it doesn’t build on what we already know, providing no meaningful contributions to the [REC] story. In fact, it even goes against the rules established in the previous films very frequently regarding the infected.
I need to stress that [REC]3: Genesis is not a bad film, but it is a bad [REC] film. In moving away from found footage and leaning more into gory comedy, [REC]3 loses almost all the brand identity established by the previous two films. With inventive cinematography and some fun moments, [REC]3 is a good time, but it will likely only appeal to those with no existing investment in the series.
Does the genre shift help the film? I would argue no. When I first watched [REC]3 shortly after it came out, I was adamant that it was better than [REC]2 but re-watching the film now I’m not so sure that it works as well as I remember it did. Where [REC] and to an extent [REC]2 were extremely claustrophobic rollercoasters of unbridled terror, [REC]3 is much slower paced, less concerned about jump scares, and more concerned with showing off more gore, and touting some inventive camerawork to justify the departure from found footage.
The aforementioned cinematography is great. It’s not only extremely clean, but cinematographer Pablo Rosso goes absolutely nuts with finding the most unique way to the frame shots. The camera will often be suspended from various different surfaces, move in original ways, and often feels like a character itself. [REC]3 is a very pretty film for one that’s soaked in so much blood, and whilst I’m not a fan of the departure from the found footage style, at least director Paco Plaza makes the change interesting.
To add insult to injury the story doesn’t really support itself all that much. [REC]2 did a lot of heavy lifting trying to add context to everything that happened in the original film and did manage to weave an intriguing tale of religious corruption leading to demonic possession in the form of an infectious virus; but [REC]3 only associates itself with its predecessors in passing with the brief mention of a dog with rabies having bitten one of the party guests at the start of the film. Beyond this it doesn’t build on what we already know, providing no meaningful contributions to the [REC] story. In fact, it even goes against the rules established in the previous films very frequently regarding the infected.
I need to stress that [REC]3: Genesis is not a bad film, but it is a bad [REC] film. In moving away from found footage and leaning more into gory comedy, [REC]3 loses almost all the brand identity established by the previous two films. With inventive cinematography and some fun moments, [REC]3 is a good time, but it will likely only appeal to those with no existing investment in the series.