Review by Kevin ·
Synopsis
Ángela Vidal, a TV reporter, and her cameraman Pablo tag along with a fire department crew on a night shift. What seemed like a routine call to an apartment building turns into a nightmare when they discover the residents are being infected with something that turns them into violent creatures. When authorities seal off the building from outside, they're trapped in a deadly quarantine.
Analysis
REC is a masterclass in narrative economy. In just 78 minutes, Balagueró and Plaza build a perfect escalation of horror. The decision to shoot it as a real TV news segment gives it an immediacy few films achieve. The building becomes a character in itself — every floor, every staircase, every locked door amplifies the claustrophobia. There's no incidental music, just the sounds of chaos, the screams, Ángela's ragged breathing. It's found footage in its purest form, without the genre's annoying tics.
Performances
Manuela Velasco as Ángela is exceptional — she starts as a professional journalist and ends up fighting for her life with an authenticity that makes you forget you're watching fiction. Her evolution feels so natural you feel trapped right alongside her. The supporting cast works perfectly: every neighbor in the building has their own personality, and their reactions to the chaos feel genuine.
Final Verdict
5 absolute skulls. It's the best found footage film after Blair Witch, and plenty would argue it surpasses it in intensity. The final 15 minutes in the attic, with the night-vision camera, are some of the scariest footage ever shot in the genre. Spain gave the world a horror masterpiece.
Final score
5/5 skulls
