(Undead) Girls On Film (Boys Too): [rec]2 Review

[rec] has proven to be one of the sleeper hits of recent years, probably the most visible of the recent influx of European horror movies to reach an audience outside of their native country. Of course, no small part of this is the American remake, retitled Quarantine and starring Dexter‘s Jennifer Carpenter. Now, the sequel to the Spanish zombie film has hit cinemas, and like it or not, [rec]2 is bringing you back into that apartment block to experience some more terror.

Set in the same apartment building as the first film, indeed mere seconds after [rec] finishes, this sequel follows a SWAT-like team of cops entering the building to contain the outbreak of the first film. They’re accompanied by Dr Owen (Jonathon Mellor), who seems to know a lot more about events in the building than his actions suggest. With Owen determined to find the source of the oubreak, it quickly becomes apparent that the raging bloodthirsty inhabitants of the apartment building are under the effects of more than just a pathogen, but something self-aware and far more sinister.

[rec] provided audiences with a first-person camera angle and some innovative photography, managing to come somewhere in between monster-fest Cloverfield and the creepy (if overdone) Paranormal Activity: audiences accompanied journalist Angela Vidal (returning here, played by Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman, allowing for a heightened sense of claustrophobia throughout the film. This is carried through into [rec]2 with cameras affixed to the helmets of the officers entering the building, which makes things far more claustrophobic in places. At other times, however, the usage of these cameras angles feels just a bit too gimmicky.

This isn’t the only point in the film when things feel somewhat artificial: with the SWAT team entering the building, the film gives itself every opportunity to devolve into a gore-fest of gunshots and splattering guts. But the team also lack the knowledge of what has gone on in the building before, and Owen takes his time explaining it, meaning that the gunshots are few and far between. It keeps the film from degenerating into a Resident Evil clone, but it also makes for some boring scenes of exposition (admittedly, these scenesare thankfully brief and necessary for viewers who haven’t seen [rec], but also take a lot of the mystery out of watching the film and figuring out what is going on.)

[rec]2 takes on a strangely video-game-like quality by the mid-point of the film. It’s not a bad thing, but there are significant points where areas are re-visited, only this time with the discovery of a “secret” in the area. It suitably plays with the film’s concepts of knowledge and ignorance, but also provides some frustrating scenes that build the tension in a much more artificial manner than we saw in [rec], which proved that the directors are capable of doing better.

Nonetheless, the film has its shining moments: little inconsistencies aside, the film is gritty and realistic, even with the more fantastic elements of mythology that this film creates, giving the zombies a pseudo-scientific-and-religious explanation. Effects and make-up are well-realised throughout, and although performances are brilliant across the board, Mellor and Velasco bring particularly complex and nuanced characters to life.

While [rec] worked very well as a standalone film, [rec]2 is very much a franchise-builder and a third film has already been confirmed (similarly, a sequel to Quarantine has also been announced, although it looks like both series will move in very different directions.) Unlike many second films, [rec]2 improves upon the original and keeps things fresh, taking all the right steps to echo the first film while carving out something wholly new. A vastly enjoyable film, you don’t even need to see the first film to appreciate it, but I’m also hoping that the inevitable future films in the franchise set out on a new path and do something a little more different.

Zombie Rating: A-

[rec]2 is in cinemas now.