Review by Peter Syslo
QUARANTINE (2008) is a remake of the Spanish film, REC. At first, I was a bit skeptical of this film because the whole idea of an American remake, of a foreign film, just didn't sit well with me. Maybe I am a minority, but I would like to see the original, foreign version of these films released directly in the U.S. - like they did with THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE WOLF and HIGH TENSION. I know its a tough thing, because some people won't watch a film if they have to read subtitles – sad fact, but that is how some people think. Also, foreign films don't have the marketing appeal unless they are pre-approved and pre-chosen Oscar winners – another sad fact, but that is how some people give the illusion that they are “thinking”. What it boils down to is that I would have liked to have seen REC - but, QUARANTINE wasn't bad. It didn't quite “grab” me and it is nothing new, but... it wasn't bad.
QUARATINE is directed by John Erick Dowdle and is written by Drew and John Erick Dowdle. The film stars Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Steve Harris, and Dana Ramirez.
The film is about a reporter (Carpenter), who is doing a news story about the local fire department. She is shadowing them throughout the night and all of a sudden, the bells ring and they go out on a call. The firemen arrive at an apartment building, where the tenants have reported a woman screaming. The firemen (led by Jay Hernandez) and two police officers investigate the matter; they are attacked by the screaming, sickly-looking woman. The reporter and her cameraman are recording all of these events as they happen. A fireman and police officer are “downed” by the attack and soon they start to attack the others, in a violent and crazy way. A veterinarian, who lives in the building, comes to the conclusion that the victims are infected with some form of rabies. To make matters worse, the CDC has surrounded the building, officially quarantining it (they do not let anyone exit). So, the tension heightens as the reporter and cameraman, the firemen, and the tenants try to find a way out of the horrible predicament – while chronicling the whole night on video.
To start things off, Jennifer Carpenter (Emily Rose in THE EXORCISM OF EMILY ROSE, the sister, Deb, on “Dexter”) was the best thing about this film. She is one of the best young actresses in Hollywood and she always comes across as being very genuine and likeable. I felt that her reactions to the events were very appropriate and very realistic for the subject matter. She wasn't the “all-tough” heroine saying, “Let's cure their virus-asses”. She reacted like a real person/woman would, by breaking-down, crying, screaming, and running for her life. Like I said, she made this film better and she basically saved it.
Aside from Carpenter's presence in the film, there are a few other positives. I liked the basic predicament/premise, although it was reminiscent of the end of 28 DAYS LATER (when they get to the army compound). The threat of infection from being inside the building and the threat of being shot while trying to exit the building, made for a very tough situation. It is kind of predictable and a little hopeless, but it worked pretty well. Regarding the effects, they were pretty good – they weren't overly gory but they did convey the strong threat of the infected and they did create a few “startle” moments in the film. The infected weren't quite zombies but they suffered the same bodily damage and would keep coming back for more. One of my favorite effects was when an infected fireman rose up and started walking on his completely broken (bone was protruding) ankle – it is one of those little moments that makes you cringe, a little bit (because of the ankle). As with the some of the storyline, the concept of the infected was a lot like the concept of the infected in 28 DAYS LATER, only the ones in QUARATINE were not dead.
Gnawing through the flesh: Jennifer Carpenter was the best part of the film – it is worth it to see her performance. The basic premise/storyline was decent (though it was far from original) and the effects were pretty good. My main criticism of the film was that I felt like I have seen it all before; it was a well-assembled film, but it felt like a combination of 28 DAYS LATER/28 WEEKS LATER, the RESIDENT EVIL films, THE DESCENT, CLOVERFIELD, THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, I AM LEGEND, and any and every zombie film. Also, the cinematography became a little annoying, at times. The whole film is shot in the “handheld” style of BLAIR WITCH, CLOVERFIELD, and DIARY OF THE DEAD. I usually enjoy that style, but when it comes down to fast-paced action, it is tough to tell what the hell is going on in the scene. In QUARATINE, it did have the added, scary benefit of just showing glimpses of the infected but I felt a little disoriented. In a few spots, I wasn't sure if they were upstairs or downstairs – is all started to look the same and it was a little confusing. However, the overall film wasn't all that bad and I actually liked the way that it ended. So, if you want to watch a decent mainstream horror flick, QUARANTINE isn't a bad choice. It is very familiar feeling, has a few good scares, and it is well-constructed. I give it a 6/10.