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Quarantine (2008)

Director: John Erick Dowdle

Time Out rating

Average user rating

49 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

An American remake of the Spanish horror movie ‘[Rec]’ that adopts the same basic recipe, but removes any hint of flavour or texture, reducing cutting-edge Catalan cuisine to bland, bite-sized McNuggets. Director John Erick Dowdle and his brother/co-writer Drew cut their teeth on ‘The Poughkeepsie Tapes’, a ‘Blair Witch’-style mock-documentary based on the ‘found’ video recordings of a serial killer. Yet their calamitous take on the real-time shaky-cam terror of ‘ [Rec]’ – filmed on studio sets rather than a real apartment block – feels false and flat.

The hyperventilating Jennifer Carpenter, so credible in ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’, is hopelessly miscast as rookie TV reporter Angela Vidal, who joins a fire-fighting team on a routine call-out, then finds herself trapped inside a quarantined building with her cameraman Scott (Steve Harris) and some very frightened residents. A distressed old lady bites one of the fire-fighters, all hell breaks loose, and suddenly the place is sealed off by troops in contamination suits. ‘Quarantine’ then replaces the relentless nerve-shredding terror of ‘[Rec]’ with headless-chicken hysteria.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 1996, Nov 20-26, 2008

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User reviews of this film

filmrater said...

Posted on Mar 02 2010 01:52 The film was great. Most people who don't like it have poor taste and expect to actually be 'scared' while watching it. Well the truth is that people who aren't scared are not scared for a reason. The reason being their overexposure to violence and the like. They aren't scared because they are conditioned to blood and violence. There are parts to laugh, and there are parts to be scared, and that falls into real life. In real life, people don't shit their pants when they see someone that is ill. In real life, people laugh from time to time. This is the first movie I've seen where the lead actress seemed like she was terrified. The levels of fear throughout the film were very good.
5stars.

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Steve P said...

Posted on Feb 07 2010 14:58 This film had me by turns either laughing out louds ro feeling nauseous and even violated. The plot mostly stacks up if you discount the general twerpishness of the characters - although there were one or two points about the liberty of the individual vs the inststent demands of the state in the face or terror (the cop getting the tenants to stay together downstairs vs the tenant who wanted to hope-up in his own apartment). however, it soons descends into a moronic slash'em and bash'em with an inexplicable and vile ending that negates its previous attempts at presenting any valid metaphor for 21st C western society facing external 'unknowable' threats...

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Worst Horror Movie Ever said...

Posted on May 06 2009 03:52 This movie is so bad as a horror movie. There is no way this movie is anywhere close to Cloverfield. Characters are all so dumb. The reason one of the guy grabbed a hammer was so he could run with it, and some time afterward the hammer was gone/dropped. "Hey lets run around the building with bare hands, there is no need for weapon, the people outside are so peaceful." There are ten thousand objects that could be used as weapons for self-defense. This movie makes me want to slap some sense into every character.

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Rox said...

Posted on Apr 20 2009 02:29 Another thing: i LOVE the one that says 'apart from cloverfield and the saw collection', but do people understand we are talking about horror? if you like Woody or Fellini don't waste your time writing about things you don't know, we are not all the same and while i do admit there are some crappy horror around that's not the case of cloverfield and others who are made with genuine super edgy moment and good actors and special effects, please have the decency to admit when a movie is good even if is not your kind of genre!!

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Rox said...

Posted on Apr 20 2009 02:17 Would the people who slag this movie can just rent a bit of brain next time, my first language is Italian so..sorry about the mistake, i am 40 and had watched horror all my life from the Japanese horror to the Italian (Dario Argento, if you know about horror you know who he is) to the american and the original Spanish REC here remade as Quarantine, and i am telling you for a horror is a kick ass, Jennifer Carpenter is brilliant and hysterical as the original reporter in the Spanish version was. is a horror, reality Blair witch project type and with all the horror garbage around this is solid one, and if you don't get it next time go and watch some action/drama whatever, don't came and piss me off by slagging this brilliant horror, capisce?

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Eddie said...

Posted on Apr 18 2009 21:01 This movie was horrible. The plot was stupid, it was not scary at all, and the characters were all morons. You would have to look far and wide to put 15 people in the same apartment, who are so weak, stupid, and cowardice. PLEASE DO NOT WATCH THIS MOVIE. By renting or buying this movie, you just cause Hollywood to make more garbage. I wish I could go back in time and tell my self not to put this on my queue for Blockbuster.

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jaosn said...

Posted on Mar 14 2009 23:43 PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, do not watch this film, i have just pooped my self its sooo scary, my girlfriend is crying.....WITH LAUGHTER. WORST FILM EVER MADE. MAKES HOT SHOTS LOOK LIKE A CULT CLASSIC.

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dietspam said...

Posted on Feb 02 2009 20:05 This movie didn't make much sense. How did they know about the infected people? Who the hell was that ugly dude at the end with the hammer.

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Gamer4LifeX said...

Posted on Jan 26 2009 17:45 GGGAAARRRBBBAAAGGGEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Mr BP said...

Posted on Jan 19 2009 07:14 I thought it was a top film, really edgy, loads of jumps. It had my girlfriend almost in tears and I loved it.
As soon as I found out it was an American remake of a European movie I know the snobs would pan it.
I bet you Mark Kermode has poo pooed Quarantine with gusto. Typical high elitism. This is a top film. Enjoy it, it's scary stuff.

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Andyyyyyy said...

Posted on Jan 14 2009 19:53 Just watched this film, was ok but not one of the best films like thiss.. had some scary bits though,, shame about the endingg

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yo muma said...

Posted on Dec 15 2008 09:26 lolol people say its crap some people dont cant wait to go and see it :p

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Self-Regarder said...

Posted on Dec 04 2008 17:55 my word, some of these films are BAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDD - making some poor individuals walk out! whod have ever thought it?

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Kristian said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 23:10 Self-Regarder, I agree with Jason, the film was crap. So kindly stop taking the piss. The film was so bad that going to the dentist would've been more entertainment. As it is, I also had to walk out (hope i didn't walk out before the entertaining parts... actually, scratch that - i doubt the movie had ANY entertaining parts).

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Self-Regarder said...

Posted on Dec 03 2008 12:33 wow, jason, you ACTUALLY HAD to get up and walk out?! crazy, man!

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