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[REC]

9/10

Stars: Manuela Velasco, Ferran Terraza, Carlos Lasarte

Director: Jaume Balaguero, Paco Plaza

This Spanish horror film employs the same gimmick as Cloverfield and Diary of The Dead - a hand-held camera standing in for a recording (by a TV crew in this case) of the film's events. The TV guys, reporter Angela (Velasco) and her cameraman, are filming firemen through the events of one night.

Called to extract a screaming woman from an apartment block, they meet two cops on the scene, but are soon in trouble. The woman, deranged, bites one of the cops and, even as an intern who lives there fights to save him, the building is sealed off (you won't have time to wonder how the authorities know there's something dangerous in the building).

As those bitten erupt and seek other prey, it soon becomes obvious that that an infection akin to The Rage from the 28 Days films is spreading through the apartment block.

The hand-held camera will drive you nuts at first. but comes into its own when the film gets going, producing cumulative and continuous tension and terror, with some big shock-jumps which will have you falling out of your seat. And the perky Velasco is really good as the adrenalin-driven but panic-stricken reporter. You want her survive even though you suspect she won't.

The infectious bites themselves seem to take various lengths of time to take effect, but that helps propel the action forward at a frenetic pace, leading to a scary climax when the camera's night vision is turned on and the true source of the horror is revealed. An instant classic of its kind.

David Quinlan

Spain 2007. UK Distributor: Odeon Sky Filmworks. Colour by Image.
78 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 18.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 3, Drugs 0, Swearing 2.

Review date: 04 Apr 2008