Customer Reviews

Quarantine

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(36)
3 star:		(49)
2 star:		(25)
1 star:		(51)

 

 

Quarantine is a much better movie than its previews would lead you to believe. Previews make it look like people are trapped in an old building with zombies running amok in it. Maybe they came up from the sewers.

In fact it follows a reality TV reporter who is following an LA fire crew on calls. They go to a building when neighbors have reported screams coming from the apartment of an old lady. What follows is the outbreak of a savage, mind destroying disease where tenants and first responders find them sealed in with those already infected, by the CDC.

Like Cloverfield and Blair Witch, the film is shot from the single camera view of the reality reporter's camera man. Unlike those films the camera work is clean and does not distract the viewer. Watch the long shot when a call comes as the camera man has to follow the reporter down a hall, a flight of stairs and into a truck and realize it was all done in one take without cuts. The first 20 minutes of the film are the `reality show' walking around the fire house, talking to members of the fire crew and setting the stage by letting you meet the key players in the film. This is clearly the set up but it doesn't feel stilted. You don't feel like saying `get on with it" because you care about the characters. Carpenter, as the on air talent is likeable and believable, going from bubbly on air talent, to real reporter as things turn serious to scared human as she realizes just how deep in they are. And she takes the viewer with her.

Previews make this look like just another zombie film. There are certainly elements of that in Quarantine but for the genre it is so much better than much of the competition. They even have an explanation, scary in how reasonable it is, for what is happening. Is it "Sound of Music?" of course not. It is a horror film, but one in which the director has taken a lot of care to make the whole thing frighteningly possible.

I apologize for the pun above...I couldn't resist, mostly because it's true on both accounts. Firstly, a brief history lesson. Last year, a Spanish film called [rec] came out to much acclaim in Spain. It quickly traveled most of the Western world, building fans and kudos while systematically scaring the wits out of 99% of people who saw it. Since then, it's been out everywehre in the Western world in either theatres or on DVD.

Everywhere except the United States.

Here, we have Hollywood with the mentality of, "why bring over a perfectly terrifying film when we can remake it in our own language." Consequently, we still don't have [rec] here. But we do have Quarantine. Having seen [rec] and hearing that Quarantine was practically a frame-by-frame remake in some ways, I was curious to see how it'd hold up.

Things began well, with a nice set up that involved some good banter back and forth. The trip to the apartment complex and the realization that something horrible is happening works well. Sure, some scenes have been changed for added gore/shock value, but overall it was a good, if needless, remake. Unfortunately, what I like to call the "Marilyn Burns Effect" happens and ruins the last 1/3 of the movie. Horror aficionados will remember Marilyn as the actress in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While many hold this film in high regards (and rightly so), Marilyn spends the last 10-20 minutes of the movie running, arms flailing and screaming her head off. Today, reviewing that film, it comes across more humorous than scary.

And unfortunately, that's what happens in Quarantine. Towards the end, you just want to reach through the screen and slap the main character. I could go into a deep discussion of female hysteria in film, especially as it relates to needing a man to calm her down (usually with a slap to the face), but I won't. Needless to say, that stereotype continues in this film, complete with an unsuccessful talking down by her male camera person, and it turns into a self-parody.

I usually enjoy Jennifer Carpenter; I liked her in the Exorcism of Emily Rose and the few episodes I've seen of Dexter, but she just ruins any thrills in the last third of Quarantine. This probably won't surprise anyone, but Quarantine felt like a "hipper," "more stylized" version of [rec], minus the themes introduced at the end and without any creativity. Don't get me wrong, Quarantine isn't a horrible film. It does have a couple decent scares. The problem is that whatever it can do, [rec] can do better. The fear in [rec] is palpable simply because it is simplistic in its presentation. It's a much scarier film. [rec] is, in fact, on my short list of films that have scared me. Quarantine just doesn't cut it. My recommendation is let your wallet do the talking and skip Quarantine for the much superior and terrifying [rec].

A Los Angeles reporter (Jennifer Carpenter) and her trusty cameraman do an on-site interview w/ the fire department that goes from routine banter to terrifying fight for survival. Carpenter is especially well-suited for her role as perky TV personalty-turned shattered victim of chaotic disaster. She carries a large chunk of the movie. The camerawork goes from controlled to frantic to insane! The horror builds slowly, allowing us to have some fun and get to know the characters (a bit) before plunging us into increasing anarchy. There are some memorable, heart-freezing moments in QUARANTINE that stick w/ me, like the old lady, the little girl, and that firefighter w/ the broken leg! Brrrr! Enjoy...

A must see, it kept me on the edge of my chair. I liked it so much i bought the blue ray. I dont now why it has so many bad or regular reviews. The movie is pretty good. I recommend it.

I was really scared by this movie. But, I should tell you that I do scare easily. I really enjoyed the story, where a few sick people then turn crazed and start killing or affecting others in a building. Then, the building is quarantine and no one can leave it now. So, you have the unaffected people trap inside and are now trying to get out. Who knew that could turn out to be an amazing scary movie.

Then, at the end of the movie it didn't make much sense to how the problem started, but I wasn't too brother by it. Later on, I watched Quarantine 2 and that explained the story more and that movie scared me too.

Watch all the way up til the end. It's really scary! It's also a very well put together movie. Jennifer carpenter starts losing it towards the end

The first 10 minutes of the movie is mostly character development... But then... Fasten your seat belts... it becomes a non-stop scream fest... with a suspenseful ending... To all the REC fanboys... Quarantine needed to be made for the American audience and rightfully so... REC is a good movie... but Quarantine makes some improvements that a U.S. audience would look for...
If you are a fan of horror movies with a realistic suspenseful sub-plot... then this is definitely one for your catalog... You won't be disappointed...

This is a copy of 'rec' the great spanish horror film. This version is decent but not quite as good. Still these are not zombies in this one but infected crazies more like 'the crazies' both versions or '28 days later'. This isn't a one star movie at all though. It's scary enough and the idea of being trapped with insane killers who can infect you is bad enough for a few nightmares. Some folks may not like the hand held camera aspect of it that 'blair witch' pioneered. but it works in this movie. The blu ray looks great too.
However someone needs to release 'rec' and 'rec' 2 in this country on blu ray because they are awesome.

The haters are trying to deny you a very entertaining horror flick! Buy it now and you wont be disappointed. I mean wow! Things get super crazy and it keeps building from start to finish and there's no down time. No let-up. No mercy. NO MERCY...

Then there's the guy in his underwear with a frakking hammer. You just cant beat that!

Before I type anything else I need to put that Quarantine is a remake of the Spanish film [rec] and as amazing as this movie is - [rec] was was an even better film. The American remake was directed by John Erick Dowdle and written by both he and his brother. While the two brothers don't have a long history in film what they have shown us so far says one - watch these two. I only hope that in the future their next movie is able to match Quarantine in quality. I've heard a people complain that the remake is bad because it wasn't as good as the original film. In all honestly I have no idea where to begin to disagree with that point of view because in all honesty it still is a great film.

OK. There is another complaint and I'll address that right about now. Quarantine suffers from that wonderful movie going experience known simply as "The Shakey Cam." We are following a news reporter who was shafted with doing a public piece on firefighters and are watching the entire film unfold point of view style through the eyes of the cameraman who is assigned to film her story. After a ridiculous interview process (that almost seems too long) the alarm goes off and our reporters go out on the call.

While a fire seems like a great way for the story to progress we arrive at the scene and find absolutely nothing. After establishing that there is in fact no fire to be put out it's suddenly made clear that there is no way out of the building. While they were searching for the reason they were called in the entire building has been sealed off by "the government" without giving a single reason whatsoever.

Suddenly they find that one of the inhabitants of the condo building they are in is sick. Not just sick but apparently delusional as they attack our news crew as well as the firefighters that they are with. It quickly becomes clear that what everyone has been locked inside with is an infection that resembles the walking (or in this case) running dead. After they realize partially what is happening the first thought is of course to try to both survive and escape as no one believes that they can be infected. The clear thought that happens in every infection movie. Escaping where the infection is won't infect others it'll keep those there at ground zero safe.

I am usually the first person to argue against a remake as the vast majority fall far short of the original. This is a case where the movie is made to truly emulate the original and not try to take too many liberties. While I've stated it is not as good as [rec] if you are someone who hates subtitles or just in general want to see a decent horror film and don't have the ability to track down the movie it's based off this is a must pickup. For any who are so stuck on the original that they cannot accept the remake? I know I'll get slack on this but just remember I agree with you