Although “[Rec]“ not only received positive reviews (FILMSTARTS gave it a solid 3 out of 5 stars), the Spanish found footage horror from Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró is now considered a true milestone in the genre. This is not only due to the previous success of “Blair Witch Project”, which the director and writing duo have benefited from here. Her staging talent for truly scary moments of suspense, which are a result of the clever sense of space, can still provide unfailing horror today!
After the success of “[Rec]” the franchise machine has started and not just a year later “[Rec]²”, but then also “[Rec]³ Arise” and “[Rec] 4: Apocalypse”. Part 3 and Part 4 expertly demonstrate that horror series can reinvent themselves or strive for a stylistic change of direction with each new entry, rather than always offering what the popular original once did.
Do you have “[Rec]³” and “[Rec] 4” yet? Then today, April 19, 2023, you get value for money on Tele 5. But watch out: To see the films truly uncut, part 3 (which has been given an FSK 18 rating) cannot be switched on until 11:50 pm on Tele 5, while part 4 (with FSK 16) airs as early as 10:00 pm. This hardly disrupts the chronology of the series, because “[Rec] 4” is directly related to the events of “[Rec]²” while “[Rec]³“ is a very loose sequel.
That is what “[Rec]³” and “[Rec] 4”
In the third part of the[Rec]series, the wedding of a couple in love (Leticia Dolera and Diego Martin) takes a rather unexpected and extremely gory turn. Because suddenly the area is invaded by zombies. A virus has been responsible for turning helpless humans into the undead. The fun party quickly turns into a brutal slaughter party, where everyone is out to save their own lives. But the virus is spreading fast…
In “[Rec] 4: Apocalypse” we again meet reporter Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco), the main character from part 1, who can no longer remember the recent events. Her reporting project has inadvertently led her to an apartment building infected with a zombie virus. Although she managed to escape with the help of a SWAT team, the danger has not passed yet. Vidal is taken onto a decommissioned oil tanker equipped with special quarantine measures (and heavily armed soldiers). There it is discovered that she carries the zombie infection in her body. There’s another outbreak…
Are the sequels worth it?
As we are used to from the horror genre, the sequels to a cult original are often uninteresting to the underground. Not so in the case of “[Rec]“. After the second part, which is surprisingly worthwhile, part 3 is also convincing again. You no longer rely on the vibrating camera, but after twenty minutes you get tightly composed photos. With that, the visual urgency is lost a bit, but director Paco Plaza (here traveling solo after the predecessors) shoots like a spear.
It’s shredded, eaten and dismembered that fans of juicy blood are clapping their hands – the FSK-18 rating is certainly warranted in this case. Even though Plaza doesn’t always know in which direction his splashy romance should really develop.”[Rec]³” is certainly a lot of fun and is a welcome change from the two predecessors.
In part 4, which is also above the genre average, not only Ángela Vidal returns, but also the shaky camera. There is no major progress in terms of content, but there is in terms of staging.”[Rec] 4: Apocalypse”. No wonder Jaume Balaguéro has made himself comfortable in the director’s chair – and as we know, he co-directed parts 1 and 2 with Paco Plaza.
The fourth gag is designed entirely for the quick shock. Nothing that sticks for long, but rather a skillful teardrop for in between, that makes you happy because it’s well made. No more, but certainly no less.