If you’ve spent the last few years begging for a decent found footage horror movie that doesn’t look like it was put together in a garage with Adobe, there’s good news. All four REC movies are now streaming for free on Tubi. No subscription. No hidden fees.
Originally released in 2007, the Spanish horror film, which has been redubbed in English, wasn’t a huge theatrical hit in the U.S. because it never got a theatrical release. Of course that didn’t stop REC, short for “record,” from earning cult status and traumatizing horror fans who went out to look for it at video stores. Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, REC is a very unique experience as the film keeps things tight and terrifying by following reporter Ángela Vidal (played by Manuela Velasco) and her cameraman Pablo as they film a routine late-night ride-along with Barcelona firefighters.
The firefighters get called to an apartment building where things go south very quickly. We’re talking quarantine, blood-curdling screams, and some of the most genuinely terrifying infected zombie hybrids ever put to screen. And because the whole thing is shot handheld, like the Blair Witch Project, it feels like you’re right there, locked inside with the crew. Like someone in a Google review said, “This movie picks you up by the neck and drops you in the middle of the excitement.” And they weren’t wrong. You’ll probably start checking your own apartment for rabid residents after watching REC.
What makes REC different from today’s soulless CGI-filled jump scare factories is its commitment to practical effects and natural performances. The actors are disturbingly authentic. One reviewer on IMDB noted that “not one seemed fake or out of place,” and that the film feels like “a news article” or a “documentary”, not a movie. And critics on Rotten Tomatoes agree. The original sits at a proud 90% with critics calling it “an effective delivery mechanism for sparse, economic horror.”
The success of REC spawned three sequels. There’s REC 2 (2009), which picks up right where the first one leaves off. REC 3: Genesis (2012) is either your favorite or least favorite, depending on how you feel about brides with chainsaws. And REC 4: Apocalypse (2014) throws Angela back into the mix and sets the chaos on a boat. There’s also the 2008 American remake, Quarantine, starring Jennifer Carpenter, which isn’t terrible but doesn’t quite live up to the original film.
So, if you’re looking for a really good found footage horror film where everything actually feels really real, stream REC on Tubi. It’s free.
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