Found-Footage February: Rec
To close off “Found-Footage February,” I wanted to cover 2007’s REC, a personal fave of the subgenre. I highly recommend renting or buying the physical version of the film since streaming has the terrible English dub. Unfortunately, I discovered that the hard way while prepping for the rewatch. Grab your microphone and cameraman as we join a group of firefighters at an apartment building in Madrid.
REC is co-directed and co-written by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, where Luiso Berdejo serves as the third co-writer. The Spanish found-footage horror film first screened in Spain in 2007 before being released internationally in 2008. Due to having a box office gross of over $32 million, REC became a franchise totaling four films and received an American remake entitled Quarantine in 2008, which also got a sequel.
Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco), a news reporter, and her cameraman Pablo (Pablo Rosso) do a night shoot at a Barcelona fire station for her news show While You’re Sleeping. The filming gets interrupted when the firefighters leave to answer a call at an apartment building. Ángela and Pablo accompany firefighters Álex (David Vert) and Manu (Ferrán Terraza), where they discover an infected older woman who attacks them and bites a police officer. Following the attack, the entire building becomes sealed off by police and military, trapping them inside as other residents become infected.
What makes REC stand apart from other found-footage films for me is its direction. I greatly enjoy the unpredictable nature of REC. Initially, it appears to be a simple riff on rabies, but it enters into some fascinating new territory as the film goes on. The film keeps you on the edge of your seat as you join the crew exploring the apartment complex and trying to figure out what’s going on. The film never abandons the news aesthetic as well. It commits to it and makes it feel more immersive.
Manuela Velasco’s performance as Ángela stands out out out of the entire cast. There’s a reason why she comes back for parts 2 and 4. What stands out is her resilience and persistence to figure out the truth and survive the ordeal. Velasco captures her vulnerability and elevates Ángela within the found footage subgenre. A lesser actress could have played her as a very one-note character, but Velasco’s talent helps distinguish her and make her the franchise’s central character.
Then comes the role of Pablo Rosso as a cinematographer. Rosso plays the dual role as the cinematographer and the character of cameraman Pablo. It’s an exciting choice that strengthens the film’s technical and believability levels. By having the cinematographer play the cameraman, you have the experience behind the camera and know where to point the camera for the best shots. Also, with the film comprising many long takes, that experience helps make the movie more believable and dynamic. It’s a nice little touch that adds some flavor to the movie.
I also enjoy how the film plays around with genre conventions. Initially assumed to be rabies, REC decides to make the virus originate from demonic possession. As a result, it provides a fascinating twist on both the virus and demonic possession subgenres. Combining them becomes horrific since traditional medicine cannot cure it and creates a sense of hopelessness. Initially, I was not expecting a supernatural element to the movie, but it works. It also helps the film stand out and creates a strong base for the sequels to follow.
Finally, I wanted to talk about the special effects. It’s challenging to look at them, but you also want to study them to learn more about the virus. This may be the first time I talk about SFX, but the SFX work in this film is incredible. David Ambit’s work sells the virus narrative by making the infected disgusting in the best way possible. Similarly, Javier Botet’s role as Niña Medeiros is an SFX highlight. Botet, a horror icon best known for playing monsters, nails the tall and ragged infected Niña, the original person possessed and catalyst for the outbreak. Even though she appears at the end, the design and acting alone really sell it and end the film on a high note.
REC stands as one of the films which helped revitalize the found-footage subgenre. Also, it is one of the strongest in the subgenre as well. I highly recommend checking it out due to its scares’ effectiveness, strong story, and twists on zombies and viruses.
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