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The Films
[REC] (4/5)
[REC] 2 (3/5)
[REC] 3: Genesis (3/5)
[REC] 4: Apocalypse (2/5)
A fluff piece for a local news channel turns into a nightmare when plucky reporter Angela (Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman get stuck inside an apartment building after a mysterious infection breaks out. That’s how the [REC] franchise begins, with a deceptively simple premise that spawned three sequels and even a remake of the first film. The success is well deserved as directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza create a nail-bitingly tense situation and continue to make it worse and worse for our heroes. The pacing of the film is also second to none with a brief period of rest before the rollercoaster of horror really takes off.
[REC] 2 revisits the same setting of the first film mere minutes after its conclusion with a highly trained SWAT team and a group of mischievous teenagers entering the accursed building. This film takes what we’ve learned from the insane finale of the original in order to ramp up the scares and the action. It’s a worthy sequel to the franchise and leaves the audience wanting more.
[REC] 3: Genesis -this time with Plaza alone at the director’s helm- surprisingly breaks from the found footage genre entirely. It also channels the energy of the series towards the madcap. This time, a wedding party gets invaded by the virus from the first two films. Newlyweds Koldo and Clara (Diego Martín and Leticia Dolera) get separated by the chaos and have to fight their way back to each other. The humor injected into this film, though corny, was a pleasant surprise as was the gorgeous cinematography. This is my favorite of the series.
Finally, [REC] 4: Apocalypse brings Angela back for the -at the time of this review- final film of the franchise. A group of scientists have grabbed Angela, her SWAT team rescuer, and a few others from the outbreaks of the contagion to study them aboard a ship at sea in complete isolation from the mainland. Of course, all hell breaks loose.
For whatever reason, each film in the [REC] franchise gets longer than the one preceding it and that really hurts the pacing of part 4. I enjoyed the setup of this one as well as the setting, but the last lap to the ending really drags. It doesn’t help that the most interesting aspects of the first two films aren’t explored at all. Balagueró’s solo [REC] film just feels like a misfire.
Audio/Video (4/5)
Shout! Factory finally brings the [REC] franchise to Region A Blu-ray and the wait has not been in vain for fans of the series. All four of the films in this set look and sound great. The picture of the first two films is very sharp even when everything gets crazy. Sound design for the first two films is extremely important and that aspect is well-preserved here. [REC] 3: Genesis is the film that stands out the most visually as Paco Plaza and crew made the most of their locations and deliriously colorful lighting schemes.
Extras (4/5)
Even though each subsequent sequel has less extras than the first disc, there are no barebones discs in the [REC] set. Strangely enough, only the first REC has an audio commentary with directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza. Their commentary is very detailed, and they have tons of cools tidbits about the film’s production to reveal. The first and second films each have at least a couple of hours of content each to go through including thoroughly detailed “making of” docs and set visits.
[REC] 3: Genesis has a nearly 2 hour long behind-the-scenes feature and a gag reel (which is always appreciated by yours truly). Only [REC] 4: Apocalypse doesn’t have any deleted or extended scenes on it. The 2014 film only has a brief set visit on it, hosted by Manuela Velasco. All of the films have their own image galleries and collections of various trailers and TV spots.
Overall
I’m sure I’m not the first one to say this but the found footage genre is either dead or dying. We’re a long way from The Blair Witch Project, which is coming up on its 20th anniversary. There were a few innovative films like 2015’s Nightlight, where the narrative is told from the POV of a frickin’ flashlight, and a video chat from hell in Unfriended in 2014.
This contentious genre is still getting occasional theatrical releases but the numbers aren’t great. In 2016, the bland Blair Witch reboot/sequel went nowhere and in 2017, a decent effort like Phoenix Forgotten lived up to its title. Or maybe found footage is undead and we’ll never get rid of it. Netflix and other streaming services are scooping up these films and dumping them on audiences. I’m not complaining! Found footage fans will always scavenge for the gems.
The first [REC] film felt so fresh and exciting when it came out. It has a one-upmanship as each of the setpieces play out. [REC] delivers the goods by both letting you use your imagination and pulling the rug out from under you over and over again during the running time. [REC] 2 expands the mythology of the first film and turns it on its head. Next, [REC] 3 takes things in a different direction, even poking fun at the found footage genre. Unfortunately, [REC] 4 tried to carry things in a Resident Evil-style direction and that’s where it went wrong.
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