REC (2007)

REC is a claustrophobic piece of found footage which forcefully locks the audience, our characters, and pathogenic monsters into the same space.

The opening of the film successfully lulls the viewer into a false sense of security, as they may find themselves nodding off with the main characters, waiting for something to happen. Appropriately, two of our characters are shooting a news segment called “While You’re Asleep” chronicling a night in a firehouse. There is initial intrigue when a call comes in but this changes when our characters are quarantined in a building, trapping them inside with individuals who are infected, contagious and violent.

What the camerawork lacks in technical polish it gains in credulity. The circumstances are chaotic and the setting is cramped; the rough handheld camera makes the viewer feel every bit as trapped as our characters. It’s worth noting this required some deftness; shaky camera movements can sometimes result in a poor image or subjects out of view or focus. REC carefully captures important details while intentionally limiting camera proficiency in other ways.

Ángela, played by Manuela Velasco, sells her character with vocal charm and vivaciousness early in the film. She starts her night as a normal journalist; when thrust into an extraordinary situation, she feels obligated to act as a documentor; finally, when the infected begin wreaking havoc, she becomes another victim running for her life.

The last-minute inclusion of a religious explanation imbued our final monster with unique terror. The shots of news clippings and old photographs create fascinating supernatural lore for the infection, giving demonic possession a component of contagion. The accompanying voice recording of muttered context on demonology elevates the atmosphere as a preamble before the final confrontation.

By the end, Ángela is terrified, trapped in the dark, and being stalked by a hideously emaciated creature wielding a hammer. The screams let loose by Velasco are piercing and her wailing is delivered with conviction. The sequence is hair-raising, as the camera is stricken again and again before Ángela is dragged away.

With our characters closed-in, cornered, and counting the minutes, it’s safe to say that found footage fans are likely to respond enthusiastically to the events recorded in REC.