‘Quarantine’ follows a much rampant redux revolution in the US which seems to have finally run out of ideas and has decided to dig it’s claws into more internationally successful ideas. This time it’s the turn of Spanish real-time horror ‘[Rec]’.
Local TV reporter Angela Vidal along with her cameraman whilst on location at a Los Angeles Fire Station find theirselves tangled up in a 911 call involving a small apartment building that ends up becoming quarantined with a number of residents, fireman and police officers inside. Only to discover that they’re no alone. The entire movie is shot through the eyes of the camera and presented in real-time. And much like ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Cloverfield’ indicates to audiences that this videotape is what was discovered when the quarantine was finally lifted.
The english-speaking revamp was always going to have a tough time in living up to the high standards set by its predecessor. But The Brothers Dowdle have managed to make something of it without too much copycatting. That being said there is an extreme similarity in regards to sets, set-ups and sequences that are clearly lifted straight from ‘[Rec]’ but there’s also plenty of new ideas and dialogue to keep things slightly contradistinct.
The real advantage the Dowdle’s (John Erick and Drew) had whilst making this movie is the fact that ‘[Rec]’ is a superior horror movie and therefore keeping close enough to it allows audiences unfamiliar with the original to enjoy it’s thrills and originality.
I do have certain gripes about the movie, however, and that mostly revolves around actress Jennifer Carpenter, who plays the prattishly annoying Angela. I can’t say I’m much of a fan at all to be honest but especially in this movie her performance was not only irritating but bordering on the ‘you’re giving me a freakin headache’ realm. I can think of at least 20 actresses that I feel would have been more engaging and believable in the role. It needed to be an engaging performance as she spends 90% of the movie on camera in her split role as hard-ass reporter and petrified tit. Sadly she fell short by some way.
But there’s some great sequences, nice effects and plenty of gore and nastiness to keep even the hardened horror-sceptic gently pleased.
OVERALL SUMMARY
On the whole ‘Quarantine’ is probably an ‘unnecessary’ remake but in a day and age where kids have been sucked into abbreviating everything would they sit still long enough to be bothered reading whilst at the movies? The ending for me was less intense and ultimately weaker on the scare-factor than the original. And Jennifer Carpenter…shut up!
