[REC] 2 is a worthy sequel to the one of the best horror films of recent times. Picking up exactly where [REC] left off, an official from the Ministry of Health, and three members of a GEO (SWAT) team, are sent into the quarantined building to verify the infection has been contained.
When they encounter the infected residents, and the health official, Dr. Owen, is able to fight them off with a rosary and a religious mantra, it quickly becomes apparent that the infection is actually a manifestation of demonic evil, and Dr Owen is a priest sent by the Vatican to recover a blood sample from the source of the infection, the Medeiros girl.
As Owen and the team search for the girl, the second act takes a left turn, as three thrill seeking teenagers follow the father of a quarantined girl into the building. Trapped inside they quickly become grist to the mill, providing a level of histrionics only a teenage girl can bring.
Act three brings the story full circle, as the journalist from [REC] makes a dramatic reappearance. Her story brings a satisfying, if icky, conclusion to events.
From the opening sequence Balagueró and Plaza manage to maintain the frenetic pace of the original. The three acts, with three very different points of view, open out the story enough to keep it fresh and interesting.
They also manage to ramp up the first person camera thing, that was so important to the original. The GEO team wear helmet cams, the thrill seeking teenagers camcorders. We cut between their multiple points of view, putting us right in the middle of the action, without ever losing that dynamic first person quality.
With two more films in the pipeline. [REC] Genesis and [REC] Apocalypse, the franchise looks set to stay. With luck they will be able to take the story in a new direction, without losing the frantic, constant climax, feel of these two.
A genuine scary horror film, definitely worth your time.
Directors: Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza
Writers: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza & Manu Díez
Production Year: 2009
Rating: 18
Running Time: 85 minutes
Darrin // Nightingale 