[REC] 4: Apocalypse

The fourth & final instalment in the REC franchise, REC 4: Apocalypse concludes the horror that began in 2007 with REC, which still remains one of the scariest horror flicks ever made, was followed by an inferior yet effective sequel in 2009 before hitting an absolute low with a needless third entry that was more a spin-off than a sequel and replaced the nerve-racking tension of the first two films with elements of comedy to serve as a parody of the series.

With REC 4, the tense & claustrophobic atmosphere of the first two films makes its return & so does the ever-adorable Manuela Velasco. Set right after the events of REC 2, the story of REC 4: Apocalypse follows Ángela Vidal who after being rescued from the doomed building is taken to a ship, that's miles off the shore, for further examination. However, things are set in motion when a test subject escapes from the lab and ends up infecting the ship crew.

Co-written & directed by Jaume Balagueró, REC 4 discards the found footage style that was so expertly employed in the first film and replaces it with conventional photography but with that, the effectiveness of those chaotic, frenzy camera-work also diminishes. It still uses the shaky cam technique but it fails to recreate the same chilling vibe of the original. The story isn't compelling enough for a final chapter and what Balagueró has done with Ángela's arc is just absurd.

Despite picking up the story from where it left off in the second chapter, REC 4 spends too much time in setting up its premise by introducing characters no one gives a damn about, and even when the terror begins, it's all poorly executed. The scares are cheap & ineffective and the film as a whole feels more like a generic action flick than a visceral horror. It's good to have Manuela Velasco back but her character undergoes a sudden transition which never works in the film's favour.

On an overall scale, REC 4: Apocalypse is definitely a step up when compared to the turd that was REC 3: Genesis, is similar in look & tone to the first two chapters of the franchise and although by no means it is a fulfilling conclusion of the series, there is no denying that it could've been much worse. Failing to completely tie up all the loose ends, leaving a few questions unanswered and utterly devoid of any scares, REC 4 may not be a total disaster but it's still finishes as a forgettable finale.

REC 4 opens as army doctor Guzmán (Paco Manzanedo) and soldier Lucas (Críspulo Cabezas) rescue TV reporter Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) from the apartment block where the original movie took place. The trio are put on a quarantine ship where scientists conduct experiments into creating an antivirus. However, the true nature of the infection means that it isn't long before the survivors are running for their lives from drooling, crazed, flesh-hungry 'zombies'.

Part 3 of the REC series had quite a lot of detractors, but I enjoyed it for its refreshing change in approach, which saw the introduction of a touch of humour and a lot more splatter. REC 4: Apocalypse is a return to the dark, claustrophobic atmosphere of the first two films (but thankfully, with minimal found footage style camera-work); as such, it will be seen as a welcome case of 'back to basics' by many, but to me it felt very predictable, and, as a result, less satisfying. I also found the gore lacking and was surprised by how few scares there were.

Oh well, at least director Jaume Balagueró had his heroine strip to a tight white vest and got her good and sweaty for the finalé (sometimes, it's the simple things in life).

5.5 out of 10, generously rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

While the first REC was a very atmospheric, genuinely scary movie with some new genre elements added, especially in the way the action was captured, by now the REC series has slipped into the cliché trap.

This time around it's zombies on a boat. The director tries to emanate the claustrophobic feeling of a setting like the isolated camp in The Thing, but falls short.

The production is quite good for a horror movie, especially the acting stands out, but one can not help but feeling this is a cash machine franchise that has been milked too far by now. It's still a far better production than most straight to video horror flicks, but by now REC is not the captivating (low budget) horror sensation of the first movie, it's slightly better than run of the mill zombie movies.

Not essential and only if you are a big fan of the series.

I really lost hope after i saw Rec 3 !!! A wedding !! a Bride who does a karate Moves :P

But thank god Rec is Back to the Story of "Ángela Vidal" and they connected the story to the first two movies ,,, amazing turn of events ..

The plot this time literally elevated to a new level ... Ohh and the ending is just another thing.

The scenes is so thrilling this time,, Jumped out of my seat a couple of times ;)

I still have no idea if there's another movie Rec 5 ;) but if there is ,they better make it connected and around the same story..

The Set is Genius.,. full of surprises and curves which were useful to make more frightening.. it's really amazed me though how you can do so much in such a small Set or location ..

So it must be also said the cinematography and the visual effects are Applaudable.

The television reporter Ángela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) awakes in a ship and finds that she is locked in her cabin in quarantine. She escapes and stumbles with Guzmán (Paco Manzanedo), who rescued her from the apartment building in Spain. They discover that Dr. Ginard (Paco Obregón) and Dr. Ricarte (Héctor Colomé) are researching a cure for the lethal infection in the ship. Guzmán goes to the wheelhouse and he is introduced to Captain Ortega (Mariano Venancio) that is in his last voyage and radio operator and hacker Nic (Ismael Fritschi) that is trying to retrieve the footages in Ángela's camera. There is a blackout in the vessel and Dr. Ricarte discovers that someone released their guinea pig, an infected monkey where they would test an antidote. The monkey attacks the cook and most of the crew is infected by their lunch. Meanwhile Nic retrieves the footage from the camera and Dr. Ricarte sees the girl Tristana Medeiros transferring the worm-like virus to Angela that claims that is not infected. However Dr. Ricarte believes that Ángela is the hostage and patient zero and wants to extract the parasite from her belly to test the antidote. In the middle of the chaos on board, will the attempt work?

"(REC)4: Apocalipsis" is a decent conclusion of this franchise. The story returns to the genre of the first movie with Angela and the survivor from the wedding in the deceptive third movie and fortunately forgets the religious approach from the second movie. The problem now is a virus transmitted by a worm-like parasite that seeks the strongest hostage. The plot does not have surprise, is gore and entertains. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): Not Available