REC 2-TIFF REVIEW

Co-directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza unleashed their highly anticipated follow up to their cult sleeper hit, Rec upon eager fans at this year’s midnight screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and the end result ended in cheers, applause and many shaken viewers catching their breath.

Taking the Halloween 2 route, Rec 2 begins right where the previous film abruptly left off with Angela, the doomed TV reporter getting dragged against her will in the darkness. The film then promptly cuts to a virus specialist and a SWAT team armed with guns and cameras attached to their helmets entering the quarantined building where the rabies-infested people have taken over. Although, the SWAT team soon discovers that the virus specialist is not what he appears to be and that they are dealing with something far worse than they had been prepared for.

Finally, a horror sequel that lives up to the hype! Co-directors Balaguero and Plaza take on the gruelling task of re-inventing the much-praised horror they created with Rec with their cleverly-crafted sequel that ties up loose ends, plot holes, and unanswered questions that fans have been wondering about since the previous instalment’s startling and ambiguous ending.

Rec 2 takes viewers back to the familiar blood-drenched hallways, corridors and isolated rooms that had terrified audiences and the tension is surprisingly much more intense than it was before for the attacks are exceedingly relentless this time round. (Viewers will cheer when seeing an attack with a firecracker!)

The film eschews the same rampant hostility from the first film and pulls far more punches with its amazing set pieces, proficient use of new single shot camera techniques, and intensified action sequences which include another night vision scene that surpasses the fear-inducing sequence that ended the last instalment.

Just like most horror sequels, the characters riddled throughout the film are one-note and are just introduced into the film simply to “pad the numbers” with its already high body count. However, the sequel is able to stun its viewers by providing many surprises along the way that include cameos from dearly departed characters and a twist ending sure to shock and please most audience members.

Rec 2 is clearly a sequel made strictly for the fans of the criminally under-rated, Rec. The cinema-verite style employed with beautiful shots of gore, picture perfect CG effects and effective boo scares made this the best horror sequel to come out in years. Hopefully, the buzz on last year’s American remake Quarantine will make general viewers everywhere want to see this sequel before the inevitable Quarantine 2 comes out next year.  Check out this adrenaline pumping film that will surely not disappoint!

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