Despite tweaking the format, Quarantine successfully replicates the claustrophobic tension of [REC] and cranks up the sudden eruptions of frenzied violence, making it as much of a white-knuckle terror ride as it was the first time around.
Quarantine (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:76
Fresh:45
Rotten:31
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Quarantine uses effective atmosphere and consistent scares to stand above the crop of recent horror films.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for bloody violent and disturbing content, terror and language.
Runtime: 89 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Theatrical Release:Oct 10, 2008 Wide
Box Office: $31,691,811
Synopsis: A faithful adaptation of the 2007 Spanish film REC, QUARANTINE chronicles the outbreak of a rabies-like disease in a Los Angeles apartment building and the struggle of the unaffected residents to... A faithful adaptation of the 2007 Spanish film REC, QUARANTINE chronicles the outbreak of a rabies-like disease in a Los Angeles apartment building and the struggle of the unaffected residents to stay alive after the authorities trap them inside in an effort to contain it. Equal parts BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and 28 DAYS LATER, the film is presented through the eye of a video camera, putting the audience in the middle of the action and creating a heightened level of intensity and realism. Television reporter Angela (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman, Scott (Steve Harris), are covering the goings-on at a firehouse for a program about night shift workers. As she clowns around with two flirty firemen (Jonathan Schaech and Jay Hernandez), an alarm sounds, and a truck is dispatched--with Angela and Scott on board---to an apartment building where an old woman has seemingly lost her mind. The woman bites one of the firemen and is soon killed, but when more tenants turn up with the same disorder, it's clear that a chain reaction is occurring. Unfortunately for Angela and the rest of the uninfected residents, the authorities have quarantined the building---but she and Scott continue to document the tragic and terrifying events inside the building as those inside are one by one transformed into bloodthirsty monsters. Director John Eric Dowdle, whose film THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES also used a pseudo-documentary approach in detailing the crimes of a serial killer, creates a sustained level of chaos and fear that will have all but the most seasoned horror fan cowering in the corner. Though the shaky camerawork may be difficult to take for those prone to motion sickness, it--along with a complete absence of music--gives the film a startling realism and immediacy to accompany its stomach-churning descent into full-on hopelessness and dread. [More]
Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Greg Germann
Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Greg Germann, Steve Harris, Dania Ramirez, Rade Sherbedgia, Johnathon Schaech
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Director: John Erick Dowdle
Screenwriter: John Erick Dowdle, Drew Dowdle
Producer: Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Sergio Aguero
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment
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Release:
Feb 17, 2009
Reviews for Quarantine
The downside is that for the final half-hour the camera shakes so badly I started suffering from motion sickness.
I raved about the oddly-titled Spanish horror [Rec], saying it turned the terror up to 10. Now, as night follows day, it’s time for a Hollywood remake – and the result isn’t half bad.
If you didn’t catch REC fever first time round, let yourself get bitten by Quarantine. Such brilliance is an isolated incident in modern scary movies.
The Spanish did it all a little better but Carpenter rivals her European counterpart in hollering blue murder.
Quarantine is a well-acted, competent remake that doesn't betray the original, though it's somehow less scary and slightly longer than it needs to be.
Jennifer Carpenter is terrific as the news reporter who gets swallowed up in her own story, and leads an excellent cast, all of whom bring a veracity to this remake in the hands of the talented Dowdle brothers
Unlike so many other jerky camera horrors, and even zombie film shockers, Quarantine escalates the tension with a perfect sense of fearful exploitation. One of the best chillers of 08.
What's a smart, well-crafted horror movie like Quarantine doing in today's marketplace?
Quarantine is worth seeing for its solid first two acts, some terrific acting by some favorite character actors, and a several solid spook-show scares.
Despite the Cronenbergian themes, the film is relentless and singleminded: It just wants to scare you, and it succeeds.
Good Halloween-type fun for the fans of adult thrillers, 'Quarantine' is a cleverly done scare flickt aht will keep you wondering who's going to get it next.
My suggestion is to see the original first and then skip this one altogether...
Visually, this one mirrors Cloverfield right down to the dropped camera left to record what happens when the humans in the vicinity have been, uh, quarantined.
Even those who despise remakes will have to admit that director John Erick Dowdle’s furious retread is scary as hell.
...a movie that didn't need to be made and which no one needs to see.
As the first-person POV conceit goes, it's not the nocturnal nightmare of "Cloverfield," but it's more compelling than the dog-eared "Diary of the Dead." It's stylish, and the sound design is superb, but it eventually gets too dumb to be very scary.
Rarely more than competent and never inspired. But it more or less passes for a few cheap thrills if you're not too demanding.
Considering how worthless most horror remakes are, the fact that this "carbon copy quickie" actually works is fairly impressive.
Latest News for Quarantine
February 16, 2009:
RT on DVD: High School Musical 3 or Midnight Meat Train?
It's a good week for mediocre films (Body of Lies, Changeling, Quarantine and Flash of Genius, which all walk a fine line between Fresh and Rotten) and an even better one if... More...
February 08, 2009:
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February 08, 2009:
An eye-popping both metaphorical and literal genocidal rat race scare scenario made especially haunting when it kicks in, with its post-9/11 domestic terror lurking around every corner, hyper-paranoid sensibility. ![]()
More...
November 21, 2008:
UK Critics Consensus: Does Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies Ring True? Is Blindness Blinding Or Bland?
It's a varied pick of films in the UK cinemas this week; we have Sir Ridley Scott's latest collaboration with Russell Crowe, the CIA thriller, Body Of Lies. Julianne Moore and... More...
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