REC (2007)

REC is a groundbreaking Spanish horror film directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, which blends found footage style with claustrophobic terror. Released in 2007, it reinvigorated the zombie subgenre with its raw intensity, real-time storytelling, and haunting realism.

Detailed Summary

Introduction: Routine Night Turned Nightmare

The movie begins with TV reporter Ángela Vidal (played by Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman Pablo filming a segment for their late-night show While You’re Sleeping. They’re following a team of firefighters on a typical shift, expecting a boring night of routine calls and maybe a cat rescue.

Things escalate quickly when a call comes in from an apartment building where an elderly woman is reportedly trapped and screaming. What starts as a simple check-in spirals into a horrifying night locked inside a building from hell.

The Infection Spreads

Inside the building, Ángela and the fire crew witness the elderly woman violently attack a policeman. Things deteriorate fast as other residents begin displaying similar violent, animalistic behavior. The authorities abruptly seal the building, enforcing a strict quarantine from the outside.

The tenants, now realizing something far more sinister is happening, become increasingly desperate and paranoid. Ángela and Pablo continue filming everything, giving the viewer a terrifying first-person perspective of the chaos and escalating panic.

Horror Unfolds Floor by Floor

The residents try to understand the nature of the disease while more fall victim to it. One infected child, Jennifer, turns violent. In a deeply unsettling scene, she bites her mother before disappearing into the building.

As fear and confusion spread, so do the infected. The building transforms into a labyrinth of death. Ángela and Pablo continue to document the increasingly bloody descent into madness, unsure whether they’ll ever make it out.

Final Revelation in the Penthouse

Eventually, Ángela and Pablo make their way to the sealed penthouse at the top of the building, the only floor they hadn’t explored. What they find is not just a survivor or a hiding place—but the origin of the horror.

The penthouse belonged to a reclusive Vatican agent who was investigating a young girl believed to be possessed. The demonic possession, according to the agent’s recordings and newspaper clippings, had mutated into a biological infection. The girl, known as Tristana Medeiros, was kept in the attic—experiments gone wrong turned her into the very first infected.

As the duo tries to escape, the lights go out. In night vision mode, Pablo captures their final moments as Tristana, now a terrifying, emaciated creature, stalks them in the dark. Pablo is killed. The movie ends with Ángela being dragged away screaming into the darkness.

Movie Ending

The final sequence is among the most iconic in found footage horror. In near-complete darkness, Pablo switches to night vision to see inside the penthouse, revealing grotesque religious artifacts, laboratory equipment, and tapes documenting the Vatican’s failed attempts to contain the possession-turned-virus.

Then, Tristana Medeiros, skeletal and almost inhuman, appears—hunting them by sound in the pitch black. Ángela and Pablo try to stay silent, but it’s futile. Tristana kills Pablo first, the camera falling to the ground.

The film’s final shot is now-famous: Ángela, alone and terrified, crawling toward the camera, whispering for help. Suddenly, she’s dragged violently into the shadows by an unseen force (presumably Tristana), and the camera keeps recording as it fades into silence.

There is no rescue, no twist, no catharsis. The terror is final, and the infection remains sealed inside—for now.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, REC does not have any post-credits scenes. The film ends abruptly and hauntingly, keeping its found footage illusion intact by not adding any extra content or closure afterward. The lack of a post-credits scene reinforces the bleak, realistic tone.

Type of Movie

REC is a found footage horror film with strong elements of zombie horror, psychological thriller, and supernatural terror. It’s a blend of realistic camera work and intense atmosphere, pushing claustrophobia and dread to the max.

Cast

• Manuela Velasco as Ángela Vidal
• Javier Botet as Tristana Medeiros
• Ferran Terraza as Manu, the firefighter
• Pablo Rosso as Pablo, the cameraman (voice and hands only)
• David Vert as Firefighter Álex
• Carlos Lasarte as the penthouse priest/scientist (archive materials)

Film Music and Composer

The film does not have a traditional music score. Instead, it relies heavily on diegetic sound, natural ambient noises, and silence to build tension. This choice enhances the realism and anxiety, placing viewers directly into the chaos.

Filming Locations

REC was filmed in Barcelona, Spain, primarily in a real apartment building. The use of a single location enhances the claustrophobic effect and realism, making viewers feel like they’re trapped inside with the characters.

Awards and Nominations

• Goya Award for Best New Actress – Manuela Velasco (Winner)
• Fant-Asia Film Festival – Best European Feature (Winner)
• Sitges Film Festival – Best Director, Audience Award, and Best Actress (Wins)

The film was widely praised for reinvigorating the zombie genre and inspired several remakes and sequels.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• The actors were not shown the full script, allowing for more genuine reactions to scenes, especially horror moments.
• The penthouse sequence with Javier Botet (Tristana) was filmed in total darkness, with only the camera’s night vision providing light.
• The filmmakers created a full virus origin mythology, which was explored in later films.
• Manuela Velasco had actual experience as a TV presenter, adding authenticity to her role.
• The final scene of Ángela being dragged into the dark was shot multiple times with no music or cue to enhance realism.

Inspirations and References

• Inspired by classic zombie films, especially The Blair Witch Project (1999) and 28 Days Later (2002).
• Also influenced by religious horror, notably The Exorcist.
• The idea of found footage was pushed further than most horror films by maintaining a real-time, single-location structure.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

The original script considered multiple outcomes, including:

• Ángela escaping but becoming infected in the final seconds.
• Authorities breaking in and being overrun by the infected.

These were scrapped in favor of a bleaker, closed-loop ending. Some footage of extended conversations with residents was also cut to maintain pacing.

Book Adaptations and Differences

There is no direct novel adaptation, but the film inspired spin-off novels and comics in Spain that further explored the lore, particularly the origin of Tristana Medeiros and the Vatican’s involvement.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• The first attack by the elderly woman on the police officer.
• Jennifer biting her mother—shocking and abrupt.
• The descent into the building’s basement and final revelation.
• Tristana Medeiros in night vision.

Iconic Quotes

• Ángela: “Are you getting this, Pablo?”
• Pablo: “Keep the light on her. Don’t stop filming.”
• Resident: “We’re not locked in… we’re quarantined.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• Tristana’s full backstory is hidden in background audio tapes in the penthouse.
• The number of infected mirrors the stations of the cross (a nod to the religious subtext).
• The building address is fictitious but modeled on actual quarantine procedures used in Spanish health crises.

Trivia

• The film was remade in the U.S. as Quarantine (2008), nearly shot-for-shot.
• Javier Botet, who plays Tristana, has Marfan syndrome, giving him an unnaturally tall and thin frame used to great effect in horror.
• The movie was shot in chronological order, rare for films, to preserve realism and continuity.
• The budget was modest, but the film earned over 30 times its production cost.
• It spawned three sequels and one prequel, forming a full franchise.

Why Watch?

Watch REC if you enjoy genuine tension, claustrophobic horror, and smart storytelling that rewards attention to detail. It’s a masterclass in how atmosphere and storytelling can create more fear than any jump scare or CGI monster.

Director’s Other Movies

• The Nameless (1999)
• Sleep Tight (2011)
• Verónica (2017)
• Quien a hierro mata (2019)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Quarantine (2008)
• The Blair Witch Project (1999)
• 28 Days Later (2002)
• [REC] 2 (2009)
• The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
• Noroi: The Curse (2005)
• As Above, So Below (2014)