With the recent trend of first person, handheld camera perspective movies becoming more popular, [REC] is truly the only movie to use this somewhat distracting medium to its fullest advantage. Told from the viewpoint of a “COPS” style camera team the movie hits all the right mark in the right places and presents us with an interesting and unique take on what could be classified as a sort of zombie or rabies outbreak in an apartment building. Where movies like Cloverfield or Diary of the Dead used the handheld camera as a gimmick to get noticed by audiences and Internet dwellers or as a method to cover up their budgetary shortcomings [REC] is a believable, well acted thriller that presents the viewer with some of the most intense moments and uncomfortable images of recent memory. A hit in its native country Spain, a remake is slated for US shores even before [REC] gets a mainstream domestic release. If you like smart horror movies that will leave you with a jittery feeling long after it is over, track down one of the festivals that [REC] is playing at and see this as soon as you can.

The performances range from the stereotypical yet believable to the very real. Other than the news girl’s “We have to film this to tell the outside world what is happening” constant shrieking, her transition from newshound out for a story to terrified victim is entirely real. The cameraman’s effective calm throughout the movie is very true to life, as he is “safe” behind the cover of the camera, the atrocities he witnesses made all the more easy to handle as viewed through his lens. Just look at examples of real life camera men in the midst of a warzone, at the front lines just to get the story when all around them seasoned battle veterans are diving for cover. It is examples like this that make the characters very real and not walking caricatures. The scares come fast and out of nowhere in this one. From the initial set up the attacks are impressive if a bit frantic.

In fact, there is a general sense of doom prevalent throughout the whole movie which starts immediately and just continues to grow until we reach one of the most disturbing and terrifying climaxes in recent memory. The infection, which seems to start off as a type of rabies outbreak takes on a much more sinister threat with the later reveal of probable demonic possession. It leads to many more questions than answers, but does explain many incidents of character’s behavior in the movie, from the old woman suddenly appearing after she was shot and killed earlier in the movie to why the little girl had this illness for so long before it sprang into action. In fact the rate of infection and contamination seems to speed up as the movie goes on, which makes perfect sense if this infection is a type of sentient intelligence, looking to further its existence and make as many people suffer as it can. Also, take special note of the infected people’s eyes, because if the eyes are the windows to the soul that would explain why the few times you can actually see the creature’s eyes that they are either completely dead looking or enshrouded in darkness. And once again, that ending while not only extremely unexpected is extremely effective. It compounds the terror of the characters and just leads them into yet more horror that they can not comprehend. It is a very effective reveal, and the twist comes out of nowhere. The final five minutes are the most disturbing and tense ever committed to film.

With the one camera perspective, it’s natural for a lot to occur off screen. The problem with this movie is that it is so chaotic at times that it’s hard to keep track of what is happening to whom. Many times secondary characters will disappear off screen, their fates unknown only to reemerge as a shrieking banshee flailing and attacking our protagonists. You find yourself asking “Who was that?” which can be a bit distracting during an action set piece. And being filmed with a single camera, there is a lot of shaky distortion, which while adding to the experience, can be very disorientating. At least there is no Cloverfield-esque faux static and camera jumps to deal with.

[REC] is amazing. This is one of the best movies of its release year of 2007, not only in foreign markets but worldwide. I was actually checking under the bed after I watched this. It might have one of the basest stories, but this movie shows how amazing even the simplest story can be when handled with talent and flair. A running theme in this review is the word “tense.” And that is just what [REC] is, a tense experience. There are moments in this movie that hit you like a hammer, from the terrifying scares to the seemingly simple plot points that become more important as the movie continues. One of the best movies I have seen, this is a film that not only lives up to any hype it may receive but completely surpasses it.

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