Review of [REC] (2007) by Emmanuel T — 18 Jul 2012

Imagine yourself being a news reporter, who is highlighting the life of fire-men. It's a simple task. Piece of cake. You are being followed by a camera man who is your friend. The both of you are documenting what fire-men do at the station. This can mean cooking, working out, inspecting the firetruck, and even showing how dalmatians play a role at the fire-station. But you want to make things more interesting, because you feel that this isn't enough. So here comes your chance, the firemen (along with one police officer) are called in to inspect an elderly woman who seems to be sick, up to the point of screaming, causing her neighbors to complain. It's just a sick woman right? We'll see. You and your camera man follow the firemen to inspect what is happening with the woman. She seems to be a little, "nuts" by the way she's acting. And of course, you document this. A fireman attempts to calm her down, when suddenly. Here comes the scary part. She attacks him, grabbing on to him and tearing a part of his neck with her teeth! The first feeling that runs in you is fright, and now you just want to go home, so that's exactly what you attempt to do. Here comes the shocking part...you can't go home because the building in which your standing is has been quarantined. No one in the building knows why (firemen, and police officer included). Now you feel your heart rate beating at an odd speed. Finally, you are able to find out that the building has been quarantined because there is a virus in the building. But still you want to get out, yet you can't. At this point, you have had enough, and so you forcibly attempt to get yourself out of the building. But the building has been sealed by authorities. Some of them are holding guns, and you know that something is very wrong. Your thoughts are correct because, things are indeed wrong. Suddenly you hear screaming, it sounds as if it is coming from an animal. But it's not, it's coming from that same old woman. She runs up to the police officer attempting to attack him, but he fires his gun at her. Now let's just speed up the pace. Suddenly the people in the building are slowly becoming sick. Sick enough to attack anyone who stands in their way, they are acting as if they are wild animals. This is bad. As you and everyone else is trying to find a way out of the building, while surviving the virus, you and your camera man document everything to let people know what is happening. Oh yeah, this will most defiantly make you a hit reporter! That is if you make it out alive...

The entire film is being recorded by the camera man in the movie himself, who follows the news reporter, who is the main character. Viewers will barely see the camera man, but will somehow develop an understanding of his personality. In this film we are not just following the news reporter, but we are taking on the role of the camera man himself. It's as if we are living two characters, which is interesting. It's also a good thing that we are mostly concentrating on the two characters because all the other characters aren't very interesting. But don't worry, the film has enough excitement to distract us away from those characters. Once viewers watch this film, they will be trapped inside a ride of frights, thrills, and chills. This ride will last for 78 minutes, and the end of it may shock viewers. In fact it may even disappoint some viewers. But before getting on this ride, read the pamphlet:

Welcome to REC.

Reading is required to read the English subtitles (since this is in Spanish.) If you do not feel like reading them, then watch the movie "Quarantine (2008)" which is an English alternative to this ride.

For those who are sensitive to blood, and gore, do not get on.

Enjoy!