[Rec]2

--Reviewed by Lindy Loo

Plotline: The plot is the direct continuation of [Rec]. It begins where the original left off and continues with a group of armed officers being sent in on a secret mission to recover something that I will not divulge here. A young group of teens sneaks in as well to get in on the action, only to quickly regret their decision.



Scariness factor: Love love love the infected in both [Rec] and [Rec]2. They move freakishly fast and are scary as fuck. The handheld camera method of filming the action also lends amazingly to the creepiness of the film. In one of the high-intensity zombie-attack scenes, for example, the sound goes out, and there is something startlingly creepy and disorienting about seeing a zombie attack and not being able to hear it. The director/creator really conceived a great thing in using the handheld camera trope. Leaps and bounds more successful than, say, Cloverfield.



Gross-Out Factor: Lots of blood and spewing of blood and head explosions of blood. If you're squeamish about blood, you'll likely want to steer clear.

Complaints: I'm not sure how enthused I was about the "twist" they decided to put on the origin of the infection. In some ways, I thought it was interesting and worked well, but in others, it kind of lent a weird supernatural dynamic to it that didn't bowl me over a whole ton.



High Points: [Rec] is definitely the better of the two films, but if you liked [Rec], you'll definitely like the sequel. It is intense and will leave you clutching your seat. The filming is awesome, the zombies are scary as hell, and the twist at the end isn't too bad, though you're likely to see it coming. The best part of the movies though is definitely the handheld camera-style. It is handled so cleverly and effectively that it makes the movie leaps and bounds scarier than it would otherwise be.

Overall: If you liked [Rec], the sequel definitely won't disappoint. And if you haven't seen [Rec], well, goddammit: get on it. 'Cause it's one of the best horror movies in recent years, without a doubt.

Grade: A-