Anoraks Assemble

REC is a 2007 Spanish found-footage horror film, co-written and directed by Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza.

The film follows reporter Angela, and her cameraman Pablo, who are covering the nightshift at a Spanish fire station as part of a TV series called, “While You’re Sleeping”.

During the night, Angela and Pablo accompany the fire crew on a call to an apartment building, and very quickly it becomes evident that bigger forces are at work. Angela and Pablo end up trapped inside the building with the fire crew and some very frightened residents.

And then it turns nasty, and I mean nasty.

The very first time I watched REC, 15 minutes or so in I was convinced it was not my thing and I was going to hate it.

How wrong I was!

From the shocking moment Firefighter Alex is thrown over the staircase, the tension is cranked up until, by the end, it is almost unbearable to watch. The running time is only 78 minutes, so once it starts, it just does not let up.

Also, the enclosed setting creates a wonderful feeling of paranoia and claustrophobia, which makes the film a nerve-shredding experience from start to finish.

The acting here is perfectly fine. I think the nature of the film means that nobody really stands out, although, in saying that, the minor characters do make an impact, to the extent that we do care about them and we worry as to what is going to happen.

I cannot really put into words how much I love this film. It is probably my favourite horror film of recent years, definitely the greatest ‘found-footage’ film, and one of the best horror films of all-time.

If you haven’t yet seen REC then what on earth are you waiting for?