When I initially read Scott's review of Juame Balaguero's [Rec], I questioned some of his critical rationale, asking myself, “Yes… But is it scary?” I could not quite grasp the thought of a horror film being a failure on so many levels, if it succeeded in its one true intention – scaring the audience. I still have yet to see [Rec], but after watching Quarantine, I both understand and fully agree with Scott's motives for critiquing the film as he did.

Quarantine is a disaster of a film. It's a mess of a movie that has no intention of accomplishing anything other than scaring the audience through the means of having all manner of screaming ‘monsters' darting out at the camera from any dark corner that happens to be available. There's no story to be heard of. There's an idea… but no story. There's an attempt at explanation during the films final sequence… but still no story. How do you explain a series of events that have no natural sense of progression, you ask? Very poorly, would happen to be the correct answer.

Quarantine follows the trend that essentially started way back in 1999, when Eduardo Sanchez & Daniel Myrick's film The Blair Witch Project was released. Blair Witch polarized its audience, with as many people leaving the theatre either hating or not understanding the experience, as those that enjoyed it. The Blair Witch Project was an incredibly significant film, and as such has acted as a catalyst in spurning the current trend of first person POV films we've recently seen released, albeit nearly a decade after the fact.

The problem with Quarantine however, is that, unlike Blair Witch which used its technique to craft a story in the most effective way possible, John Erick Dowdle's film benefits in no way from its attempted use of a similar style. The first person technique is used only for its own sake, with the film making no attempt to add anything new to the horror genre. Not to mention that Quarantine is essentially a remake of a film, which (apparently), also made no attempt to add anything new to the genre. Quarantine is without question the poorest effort of any film I've seen which attempts to capitalize on the craze of characters filming their own story. The film is no better served to be filmed in this style than it would be if it were filmed in a traditional movie format. As a result, Dowdle's technique hinders the film as much as it helps it, leaving the film feeling like a missed opportunity, as there are a few moments in the film that hint at the potential for something almost worthwhile.

The film takes an unnecessary amount of time to get going, as the first twenty-odd minutes witness a young news reporter (Jennifer Carpenter, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, TV's “Dexter”) and her cameraman filming the day-to-day night life of their local Fire Department. This sequence is almost completely unnecessary within the film, as it establishes neither character nor story, instead being content simply showcasing the style of filmmaking which will be on display for the next 90 minutes. As the opportunity to establish character is neglected, everyone in the movie, including the films protagonist, lack any sort of depth… So when they ultimately die… Who Cares?

There is absolutely no substance within Quarantine. There are enough horror clichés, and things popping out of nowhere, that I'm sure many people will still find it scary. Personally, I felt the film instilled more unintentional laughter than any sort of shock or suspense. Quarantine is more unnecessary than its predecessor, [Rec], and as such, really shouldn't exist – it serves no purpose. People don't seem to understand why The Blair Witch Project was as successful as it was… Every aspect of the film built upon every other aspect, treating the audience to a story which was well defined as far as the legend was concerned, characters who were characterized well-enough to be somewhat sympathetic to the audience, and a filmmaking technique that made sense within the context of the film. Myrick and Sanchez also chose to develop suspense over simply throwing things at the camera.

I'm really at a loss for closing this review. I've cut into the film enough that you're aware by now, I'm certain, that I can't extend a positive review. It will certainly appeal to some, but anyone looking for anything more than a few jump-from-your-seat shocks will leave the theatre feeling terribly unsatisfied. There are far better films that have been crafted in the same style, and I'm certain there will be more. Unfortunately there is only so much you can do with such a limited style, and Quarantine is simply proof that this trend may have already been proverbially milked for all it may be worth.