Quarantine (2008)

With all the complaints I heard about this film, I expected a trainwreck, which it was not. The drag at the beginning I feel strengthens the films integrity, not only introducing the characters but establishing that this is 'real' and not an edited work of fiction. Im sure the biggest complaint involves the pacing and structure, which admittedly slows to a crawl at points, but keep in mind the film is called Quarantine, not Rabid People Kill Everyone. The majority of the film and terror focuses on the aspect of being locked off from society and marginalized for fear of contagion. Taken from this perspective, the addition of the diseased only adds to the suspense and thrill. There are many smart moments where the film maintains its visage, with the camera being dropped, the mic going out, and the blood smears on the lense, which again add strength to the 'hyper-realism' aspect of the film. The diseased themselves are absolutely terrifying, and many of the scares are completely unexpected, created strictly through visuals and camera work, not cheap sound effects. Add to that competent, believeable acting and you have a winner in my opinion. Smart, scary, believeable, all words I would use to describe the film. A newscrew are trapped in a condemned building full of bloodthirsty tenants when they tag along with a group of firefighters for a new story.

Rating: 8/10.
Gore: 8/10.