The Terror Never Backs Down The Minute The 'REC' Button Is Turned On
If there is any type of "sub-genre" in the horror genre that I have not become overly fond of recently, it might be the "found footage" genre. That is in large part thanks to the first Paranormal Activity, which I still detest. But thank goodness for the European film [REC], which proves that if done right, the "found footage" film can make for an unflinching movie-watching experience.
Story:
[REC] follows the story of a news reporter named Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) who, along with her cameraman, become trapped in an apartment complex alongside its residents. Slowly, they all succumb to a horrific virus while it is being filmed on a camcorder for a long night.
Ups:
Where should I begin here? Well, I loved how once the horror starts, it just keeps going. Once we are trapped in the apartment, it doesn't cut back and forth between the terrorized apartments and the police outside trying to get them out. Once the film goes to the apartment, it stays there. To me, it gives the film a rather claustrophobic feel.
I was even shaking in my boots towards the ending. I don't want to give anything away because I think this should be widely seen, but when watching the ending and how the cause of the whole events in the film is revealed, I remember shivers were running down my spine. Plus, the film is about 80 minutes long, yet it definitely has the pace of a film of that length. So, if you are looking for a horror film to give you a quick fix, I would definitely recommend trying to hunt this one down. Also, the film was shot at a budget at about $2,000,000 and much like the last horror film I reviewed, The Fog, shows that you can create such powerful scares with such little resources.
Downs:
NIL.
Consensus:
Overall, [REC] is a fast-paced and tense film that is one of the best "found footage" movies to come out in recent memory. Much like how Gravity keeps you in space, this film goes to its main setting and never once takes you out, thus creating a mind-numbingly terrifying experience.
Would I Recommend It?:
If you like horror films, absolutely. But because this is a "found footage" film, there is a little shaky cam involved. That is just a heads up for anybody who has motion sickness. But if you don't have that problem, you of course should be fine.
Grade: A+
Ups:
Where should I begin here? Well, I loved how once the horror starts, it just keeps going. Once we are trapped in the apartment, it doesn't cut back and forth between the terrorized apartments and the police outside trying to get them out. Once the film goes to the apartment, it stays there. To me, it gives the film a rather claustrophobic feel.
I was even shaking in my boots towards the ending. I don't want to give anything away because I think this should be widely seen, but when watching the ending and how the cause of the whole events in the film is revealed, I remember shivers were running down my spine. Plus, the film is about 80 minutes long, yet it definitely has the pace of a film of that length. So, if you are looking for a horror film to give you a quick fix, I would definitely recommend trying to hunt this one down. Also, the film was shot at a budget at about $2,000,000 and much like the last horror film I reviewed, The Fog, shows that you can create such powerful scares with such little resources.
Downs:
NIL.
Consensus:
Overall, [REC] is a fast-paced and tense film that is one of the best "found footage" movies to come out in recent memory. Much like how Gravity keeps you in space, this film goes to its main setting and never once takes you out, thus creating a mind-numbingly terrifying experience.
Would I Recommend It?:
If you like horror films, absolutely. But because this is a "found footage" film, there is a little shaky cam involved. That is just a heads up for anybody who has motion sickness. But if you don't have that problem, you of course should be fine.
Grade: A+
No comments:
Post a Comment