Trailer Tuesday: Quarantine

Coming out this October is Quarantine, a horror thriller based on the (apparently) terrifying Spanish film REC. (Watch the REC trailer here).

Of course, mainstream American cinema audiences – just like South Africans – can’t handle foreign language movies, so despite the fact that the highly acclaimed REC debuted in its home country just 5 months ago, on 23 November 2007, and has yet to be released States side, it’s already received remake treatment.


In Quarantine, Jennifer Carpenter (The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Dexter) plays an ambitious young television journalist who, accompanied by her cameraman, follows a crew of firemen on a routine rescue mission to a Los Angeles apartment block. Inside the building, the crew discover that residents have been infected with a highly contagious virus. Now trapped, the firemen and reporters have to survive as best they can, while keeping the camera rolling.

Granted the film’s concept isn’t that original - 28 Days Later and Resident Evil have already done the rabid zombie thing. Neither is Quarantine's use of handheld camera footage - Blair Witch and Cloverfield anyone? However, with these types of films it’s all about immersive thrills. And from what I’ve seen so far, both REC and Quarantine deliver!

Personally I’d love to see REC, the Spanish original, but seeing as we’re unlikely to ever have that film released locally, I guess I’ll have to settle for its American cousin. No idea though when Quarantine will be released in South Africa.