Quarantine: A Tense Zombie Experience, But a Relic of a Bygone Era
In the early 2000s, found footage horror films were all the rage. Movies like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield used this technique to tell innovative stories, and Quarantine, a 2008 film, is no exception. It follows a news crew's perspective as they respond to a call at an apartment building, only to find themselves trapped with a zombie outbreak. While the film is tense and engaging, it's also a relic of a bygone era in pop culture.
One thing that immediately stands out is the film's use of found footage. By putting the audience in the shoes of the news crew, Quarantine makes the old-school survival story feel new and different. However, the film's plot is a bit convoluted, and the origin of the infection is revealed too early, robbing the movie of some of its horror. Despite this, the film made $41 million in theaters, which is impressive given its low production budget.
What many people don't realize is that Quarantine is a remake of the Spanish-language film REC. The original film is darker and has better pacing, making it one of the best found footage films of all time. It went on to have three sequels, branching out into an elaborate mythology that included a Vatican conspiracy. In contrast, Quarantine only had one sequel, Quarantine 2: Terminal, which was set on an airplane and didn't fare as well.
In my opinion, Quarantine is a tense and engaging zombie experience, but it's a relic of a bygone era in pop culture. The use of found footage is innovative, but the film's plot is a bit convoluted. If you take a step back and think about it, Quarantine is an example of when Hollywood felt the need to remake foreign films, rather than allowing them to be released in the US. Zombie films have been around for over 60 years, and it takes a lot to stand out, but a first-person outbreak with no place to run is certainly something different.
If you're interested in watching Quarantine, it's available on Video on Demand via YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV.
