Film Review: [REC] 2

The first [REC] film was absolutely brilliant. Horrific, tense and with a killer ending, it was a true original (and obviously got remade into a shot for shot American remake Quarantine, which made the fatal mistake of casting known actors, and being utterly pointless, of course).

So it was with some trepidation I watched the sequel (quite late, I know) - how many sequels to horror films even start to capture what made the original good, let alone ones that are set immediately after the first, continuing the story out for another film?

Well [REC] 2 is the exception to that rule. It hits the ground running and does not let up at all during its super trim 85 minute running time.

We join the action with another SWAT team entering the quarantined apartment building featured in the original, to find what has been left, being joined by a doctor (who soon reveals himself to be a priest as well). The terror is still ongoing, and the doctor needs a blood sample to try and develop and antidote, but there's a lot more to the zombie-like creatures than anyone knows.

Also in the complex are a fireman, some teenagers, who climbed in from the sewers and the father of the infected girl Jennifer, from the original film. Now, in most films where they have some 'crazy' teenagers introduced to the plot for a second film, that's normally enough to have me reaching for the remote, but somehow Juame Balguero and Paco Plaza (Writers and directors, both returning from the first film) manage to make that work too. It's actually amazing how they manage it.

Much like the first, the tension is there throughout, and there is some terrific jump out of your skin moments, and a interesting twist at the end. Although that twist is kind of a double edged sword, it's all very well done but it leaves the door wide open for a third film (which, in fact there will be in 2012, but with a prequel being released this year) and there's no way they can make it work again is there? I'd rather it have been a closed ending, making it one of the greatest double bills of horror films in years.

****
Excellent, scary, tense stuff, one of the best horror sequels I've seen in a long time. But...setting up a third film is madness. I hope I eat my words, but I'd rather have just ended things here.