[REC] Review (2007)

Synopsis

Late-night TV host Angela and her cinematographer are following the fire service on a call to an apartment building, but the Spanish police seal off the building after an old woman is infected by a virus which gives her inhuman strength.

My Thoughts

I love [REC], and while I have quite a few favorite found footage horror films, [REC] will always be my number one, as it’s just so good, and [REC] isn’t just very good in terms of found footage horror, it’s very good in terms of the horror genre as a whole.

What [REC] does brilliantly, which is what any good found footage film should do, it makes you feel like you’re actually there, stuck in this apartment building with them.

The film throws some jump scares, and it does them right, and instead of using cheap tricks, they build real fear keeping you on edge for what’s coming next without it ever feeling lazy or predictable.

So much effort is put into making everything feel real, and the actors weren’t always told what was going to happen apparently, so their reactions are genuine.

The actors were never given the script in its entirety so none of them knew of their character’s fates, sometimes not until the day they were actually filming their scenes. This meant that the actors were – more often than not – stressed, nervous and apprehensive on the day of filming, ideal qualities for the film itself.

Manuela Velasco, who plays TV presenter Ángela, is fantastic, maybe because she actually was a TV presenter, so everything she does feels natural, and she’s actually likeable and just normal, which makes her way easier to root for.

The rest of the cast is just as good as well, and they actually react like real people instead of horror movie characters and some of the scenes actually happen how you imagine it would in real life in the same scenario with regards to some of the character choices.

[REC] has a lot of great moments, and not just scary ones, and the beginning is done really well with those first few minutes of normal life helping make everything that comes after hit even harder, and sets the stage for the moment when everything goes to hell, cranking up the tension and never letting go.

Another thing that makes [REC] work so well is the sound, or rather, the lack of it, and most horror movies use loud music to tell you when to be scared, but this one just lets the tension build naturally, and it earns it scares.

A lot of zombie or infection movies throw their monsters at you constantly, to the point where it can become predictable very quickly, but [REC] takes its time.

For most of the movie, you don’t even realize it’s a zombie/infection movie, and then, half way though, some poor bastard gets absolutely mauled, and suddenly you realize, “Oh shit, this is a zombie movie.”

And the film never goes on for too long, at just over 75 minutes long, the pacing is brilliant and near perfect, and the film has no filler, no dragging things out, just pure, tight horror that hooks you in from the start.

Made and shot in real locations. No sets were built to make this movie.

[REC] is just a brilliant example of found footage horror done superbly.

Good Points

Relentless Tension – Once things go wrong, the movie never lets up and with its tight pacing, you never get bored.

Smart Use of Jump Scares – They’re well-timed and genuinely terrifying, not just loud noises for cheap thrills.

Realistic Performances – The actors feel like real people and not just dumb horror characters, and you can relate to some of the decisions made in the film.

Bad Points

Shaky Cam Might Be Too Much – Some people might find the constant movement hard to watch.

Is It Worth Watching?

Of course.

[REC] is one of the best found footage horror films out there, and it’s fast, intense, and has some good jump scares.

[REC] On IMDB

Where To Watch

Tubi (Free)
Apple TV
Amazon Video

Director and Cast

Director – Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza.

Main Cast – Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Ferrán Terraza, Jorge-Yaman Serrano, Vicente Gil, Carlos Vicente, Carlos Lasarte, María Lanau, Claudia Silva