Directed by Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza.
Written by Jaume Balagueró, Manu Díez, Paco Plaza.
Starring Jonathan Mellor, Manuela Velasco, Óscar Zafra, Ariel Casas, Alejandro Casaseca, Pablo Rosso, Pep Molina, Andrea Ros, Àlex Batllori, Pau Poch, Juli Fàbregas
One of my favorite horror films over the past few years was REC (and it's US counterpart Quarantine). I was instantly drawn into the premise, story and execution. It was original, engrossing and scary. Now, the original's directors, Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, return with REC 2 and they do everything with it a sequel should: stay true to the original, expand on the storyline and up the ante in chills and thrills. REC 2 succeeds in most every way, as long as the reveals and surprises don't detract from your enjoyment. That, and a few missteps, are all that keep this from being an instant classic. Either way, it ends up being a hell of a fun ride.
REC 2 begins 15 minutes after the conclusion of the original with a squad of S.W.A.T. officers arriving on scene tasked with escorting a health official into the contaminated apartment building. Armed with helmet-cams and orders to record everything they see, once inside they quickly realize they've been duped; the health official is a priest and the infection may be much more than they ever could have expected. They quickly make their way to the penthouse apartment and begin revealing much of the mysteries surrounding the virus and its effects. The events begin to take a more supernatural turn and the S.W.A.T. team encounters another group who has sneaked into the building. The second group consists of a fireman, a tenant and three teens each entering for their own reasons. Havoc and horror ensues and the numbers of the living dwindle rather quickly, until four of the survivors make their way back up to the penthouse for a rather devilish and surprising conclusion.
Without giving too much away, the source of the virus ends up being more supernatural in origin than previously inferred. The shift in tone may be too jarring for some, but I found it rewarding and was intrigued by the possibilities and implications. It definitely changed the playing field and provided the infected with more than just feral attitudes. I am curious if a second viewing of the original now changes anything. As the third act approaches the filmmakers make a pretty bold move by reintroducing a character from the original that, at first, produces a "how did that happen" moment. Fortunately by the end, it is all made clear how they survived their previous encounters. The ending was delightful, scary, full of twists and sets up for a third movie quite effectively. REC 2 is fast paced and very focused in its story. There are no subplots to bog it down and little time is spent on trivialities; it's all to-the-point.
There are a few nitpicks that can be thrown at this film but they don't distract from the outcome; that is, unless you have a distaste for the supernatural explanations. The first thing is where did all these extra infected come from? They may be from the original, but some seemed new. The introduction of the second group is rather jarring, it really does stop the forward motion dead in its tracks. The script has a tendency to over explain everything; there's a surprising amount of exposition.
In the end, I thoroughly enjoyed REC 2. This film is likely to end of on my list of favorites for 2010.
8.5 out of 10
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