Rec 4: Apocalypse (2014)

The fourth (and final?) instalment in the [*Rec] series follows on from the previous movies in the series, bringing back Angela Vidal (Manuela Velasco) and placing her on a boat, far from any sizable population. What could possibly go wrong? A lot, as it happens, especially when scientists are trying to find a cure for the disease that caused so much bloodshed and loss of life in the other movies. There is, perhaps inevitably, a fatal mistake made, leading to an outbreak on the ship that throws poor Angela right back in to the centre of a terrifying ordeal.

After taking a step back from [*Rec] 3 Genesis, director Jaume Balaguero returns to, apparently, tie everything up with one last outing. He also helped to write the script with Manu Diez, which means I can heap most of the blame upon his shoulders for how disappointing this is. The characters aren't great, with the exception of Angela and a crew member named Nic (Ismael Fritschi), there's nothing new brought to the table, and the final reel is just something that you end up wanting over and done with. It's full of activity, but none of it is all that interesting.

That lack of anything new is the most disappointing aspect of this instalment, considering the interesting development of events that were displayed in [*Rec] 2. This movie had a chance to explore some other ideas, even if Balaguero didn't want to explain every little detail, but instead it just repeats moments that we've seen so many times before as the infection takes hold and people try to stay safe in a confined space.

Velasco is as good as she was in the first two movies, which just adds to the disappointment of this not being a good enough farewell for her character, and Fritschi makes the most of his likable character. Paco Manzanedo and Crispulo Cabezas do alright, playing a couple of soldiers who wake up on the boat after involvement in the mission to extract Angela (AKA [*Rec] 2), and Hector Colome is perfectly fine in the role of doctor/potential villain. That's about it though, nobody else makes a good impression, which leads to a number of scenes dragging the movie down whenever none of these characters are onscreen.

A disappointing horror movie is one thing. We genre fans often have a 1:1 ration when it comes to the good and the bad, and that's on a good day. But a disappointing series finale is somehow a bit worse. This isn't even a terrible film, when all things are considered. It's just not a patch on any of the films that came before it. What's worse is that it doesn't even seem to try.

5/10

http://www.amazon.com/REC-4-Apocalypse-Manuela-Velasco/dp/B00R7FQRYE/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1419688876&sr=1-1&keywords=rec+4

Fragile (2005)

Jaume Balaguero is a considerable talent in the horror genre. Just check out his filmography if you don't believe me. And here he is, working once again with writer Jordi Galceran, to provide more thrills and chills for fright fans, with a tale that takes place in a hospital for children that's due to be closed down.

Calista Flockhart stars as a nurse, Amy Nicholls, who comes to work in the hospital for its last few days of operation. The children left in the hospital seem to share a collective fear of some presence in the hospital, something that may be connected to the abandoned second floor, and Amy starts to share their apprehension, to say the least, as she finds out more about her new workplace from a young girl named Maggie (Yasmin Murphy).

From the very first scenes to the final shot of the movie, Fragile is a film concerned with keeping viewers creeped out. There are moments to make you wince, and there are one or two gore gags, but the focus is always on genuine scares that mount up to create an atmosphere of real dread.

With a title relating to a number of different elements within the movie, it's hard not to jokingly refer to the lead role as the one that Flockhart was born to play (considering how often her fragile physical appearance has been the subject of celebrity gossip mags in previous years) but I'll try to restrain myself. Yet, it's equally hard not to want to scatter extra praise on her performance in an attempt to compensate for those who will write her off as "Ally McBeal". She's excellent here, and really IS perfect for the role. Richard Roxburgh, Elena Anaya, Colin McFarlane and Gemma Jones are all also very good, while young Murphy holds her own alongside her adult co-stars.

The script, co-written by Balaguero and Galceran, stumbles here and there (especially during one particularly awkward scene between Flockhart and Roxburgh), but those mis-steps are easily forgotten as the tension ratchets up and up, and everything slots into place for a finale that could go in any direction.

Reminiscent of great modern ghost stories such as The Devil's Backbone, The Orphanage, and A Tale Of Two Sisters, this is an impressively straightforward horror that should be a high priority for any fan after something genuinely creepy. Balaguero may have disappointed me slightly with Darkness, but he's made up for it many times over in the intervening years. This is another reason to look forward to everything he does.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Fragile-Fangoria-Frightfest-Calista-Flockhart/dp/B003T04NC4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413710281&sr=8-2&keywords=fragile

Darkness (2002)

Darkness is a flawed horror movie with good intentions that features some great ideas buried amongst plenty of weaker moments that will feel all too familiar to modern horror fans.

Anna Paquin stars as Regina, a young woman who starts to feel unsettled not long after she moves into a new home with her parents (Lena Olin and Iain Glen) and younger brother (Stephan Enquist). The darkness seems to contain something menacing, a strain is being put upon the family and someone may be in very real danger. Regina suspects that it may be her younger brother who is most at risk, but will she be able to uncover the truth and stop whatever dark destiny seems to be heading their way?

Directed by Jaume Balaguero, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Fernando de Felipe (additional dialogue provided by Miguel Tejada-Flores), Darkness certainly has potential. There are one or two moments that are highly effective, but it's never too long until something comes along that reminds you of just how derivative the majority of the movie is. There's not anything especially wrong with being derivative if things are then blended into something fresh or just so well accomplished that the end result is more than the sum of its parts, but this film doesn't manage that. It tries, and that saves it from being rated any lower, but ultimately fails.

The cast don't help as much as they could, with Paquin, Olin, Glen and Enquist all being just a bit too bland in their roles. Paquin fares the best, as her fans will find unsurprising, but none of the others onscreen are terrible. They're just not particularly memorable. Giancarlo Giannini, on the other hand, may only be a supporting cast member but he does his best with what little screentime he has. Fele Martinez is another cast member who fails to make much of an impression, but I thought I should mention him anyway as he plays another one of the main characters. Badly.

There's a good movie hidden away at the heart of Darkness (no Joseph Conrad-inspired pun intended), and there are times when it almost shows just how good it could be, but then it's all covered up again by cliche and predictability.

5/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkness-DVD-Anna-Paquin/dp/B0009M9F2I/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1374771166&sr=8-3&keywords=darkness