[REC] (2007) Horror Movie Poster

[REC] (2007)

MovieFound Footage Zombie Horror Supernatural Horror

Released: November 23, 2007

Runtime: 78 min

R

Spain

Spanish

Television reporter Ángela Vidal and her cameraman, Pablo, are filming a quiet night shift at a Barcelona fire station. When the firefighters are called to an apartment building where an elderly woman is behaving strangely, Ángela and Pablo tag along. Then the woman bites a police officer, and the authorities seal the building with everyone inside. Directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, [REC] is filmed entirely through Pablo's camera. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival, was remade in the US as Quarantine, and launched a series of sequels. It is regularly named one of the scariest films ever made, and its final scene is legendary.

8.4/10

Horror Jungle Rating

IMDb

7.4/10

IMDb Rating

90%

Rotten Tomatoes

Watch Trailer Where to Watch

QUICK HORROR SNAPSHOT

Creepiness & Uncanny

10/10

Monster / Killer Threat

9/10

Atmosphere & Dread

9/10

Re-watch Value

7/10

Gore & Violence

7/10

Jump Scares

9/10

Psychological Terror

8/10

Overall Scare Factor

9/10

Tension & Suspense

10/10

Official Trailer

Where to watch

Updated November 12, 2026

Tubi

TubiUS

Free

Fandango at Home

Fandango at HomeUS

Rent/Buy

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime VideoUK

Available

Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime VideoUS

Rent/Buy

SHOULD YOU WATCH IT?

Worth Watching?One of the best found-footage horror films.

Yes

Watch Alone?The final ten minutes are terrifying.

Maybe

Watch in the Dark?The night-vision ending is made for the dark.

Yes

Good for Date Night?Short, intense and full of screams.

Yes

Watch With Parents?Mostly violence and panic, little else.

Maybe

Beginner Friendly?Very intense jump scares.

Maybe

Family Friendly?Rated R for bloody horror violence and language.

No

Slow Burn?The horror starts within minutes.

No

Headphones Recommended?The screams and noises in the dark are terrifying.

Yes

18+

Age RecommendationContains strong horror content, violence, and disturbing themes.

16+

Spoiler Free Review

Ángela (Manuela Velasco) wants an exciting story for her show, While You're Sleeping. She gets far more than she wanted when she and Pablo follow firefighters into an apartment building that is soon sealed by the authorities. Inside, residents begin turning violent.

At just 78 minutes, [REC] wastes no time. The camera puts you right in the middle of the chaos: running up stairwells, hiding in flats, peering into dark rooms. The shaky footage feels real, and the building becomes a trap.

Manuela Velasco is excellent, moving from cheerful presenter to terrified survivor. The scares are relentless, and the film saves its most frightening idea for the very end.

The shaky camera and constant screaming will not suit everyone. But [REC] is a lean, brilliant horror film, and its final scene is one of the scariest ever filmed.

What Works

Relentless, effective scares.

A short, tight running time.

A convincing, immersive found-footage style.

One of horror's most terrifying endings.

What Doesn't Work

Shaky camera work.

Constant screaming can be exhausting.

Little character development.

FINAL VERDICT:

[REC] is a lean, terrifying found-footage classic with an unforgettable ending. Watch it alone, in the dark, all the way to the attic.

Be Careful, Spoilers Ahead

Plot Summary (Spoilers)

Television reporter Ángela Vidal and her cameraman Pablo are filming a night shift at a Barcelona fire station for the programme While You're Sleeping. They join firefighters Álex and Manu on a call to an apartment building where an elderly woman is behaving strangely. Inside her flat, the woman attacks and bites a police officer.

The authorities seal the building, trapping residents, firefighters and police inside. More people begin turning violent and attacking others. A health official in protective clothing arrives and explains that the infection resembles rabies, and may have started with a resident's dog.

The survivors try to find a way out, but every exit is blocked. As the infection spreads, Ángela and Pablo are chased up to the penthouse. There they find religious objects and a tape recording. The flat belonged to a man working for the Vatican, who had been studying a Portuguese girl, Tristana Medeiros, believed to be possessed. Her condition had turned into a contagious infection, and she had been locked away.

In the pitch-dark attic, Pablo switches the camera to night vision. An emaciated figure, Tristana, appears and kills Pablo. Ángela drops the camera and is dragged screaming into the darkness as the footage ends.

Ending Explained

What is the infection? It resembles rabies, but its true origin is demonic possession. The Vatican was trying to isolate the cause in Tristana Medeiros.

Who is the figure in the attic? Tristana Medeiros, the possessed girl who was the source of the outbreak, now grown and emaciated.

Does Ángela die? She is dragged away into the darkness. The sequel, [REC] 2, reveals what happened to her.

Why was the building sealed? The authorities knew about the infection and tried to contain it, leaving everyone inside to their fate.

What does the ending mean? It changes the film from a medical outbreak to something supernatural, blending science and religion.

Hidden Meaning & Symbolism

The camera: Ángela keeps filming even as everything falls apart.
Authority: The government seals the building and abandons the people inside.
Faith and science: A medical outbreak turns out to have religious roots.
Media: A TV show looking for excitement finds horror.

Scariest Moments

1

The First Bite: The old woman attacks a police officer.

2

The Stairwell: Infected residents fall from above.

3

The Little Girl: An infected child attacks in the flat.

4

The Attic: Tristana appears in night vision.

Parents Guide / Trigger Warnings

Jump Scares

Severe

Constant sudden attacks.

Flashing Lights

Moderate

Flickering lights and camera flashes.

Child Death / Peril

Moderate

An infected child attacks.

Graphic Gore

Moderate

Bloody bites and wounds.

Animal Death

Mild

A sick dog is mentioned as the possible source.

Substance Abuse

None

No substance abuse.

Nudity

None

No nudity.

Sexual Content

None

No sexual content.

Suicide / Self Harm

None

No suicide or self-harm.

Trigger Warning Notes:

Contains violent attacks, bloody bites, infected children, quarantine panic and intense terror.

Trivia

It premiered out of competition at the 2007 Venice Film Festival.
It was made for about $2 million and grossed $32.5 million.
It was remade in the US as Quarantine (2008), followed by Quarantine 2: Terminal (2011).
It spawned three sequels: [REC] 2 (2009), [REC] 3: Genesis (2012) and [REC] 4: Apocalypse (2014).
Javier Botet, known for playing tall, thin creatures, plays Tristana Medeiros.
The title is short for "record", the word shown on a camera when filming.

FAQS (Frequently Asked Questions)

What is the figure at the end of [REC]?

Tristana Medeiros, the possessed girl who started the outbreak.

Is [REC] a zombie film?

Sort of. The infected behave like zombies, but the cause is demonic possession.

What happens to Ángela?

She is dragged into the darkness. Her fate is revealed in [REC] 2.

Is [REC] scary?

Yes. It is regularly named one of the scariest found-footage films ever made.

What is Quarantine?

The 2008 American remake of [REC].

How many [REC] films are there?

Four: [REC], [REC] 2, [REC] 3: Genesis and [REC] 4: Apocalypse.

What language is [REC] in?

Spanish.

Who directed [REC]?

Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza.

Where can I watch [REC]?

It is free on Tubi in the US and streams on Amazon Prime Video in the UK.

Movie Information

Original Title

[REC]

Release Date

November 23, 2007

Runtime

78 min

Country

Spain

Language

Spanish

Status

Released

Director

Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza

Writer

Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza, Luiso Berdejo

Main Cast

Manuela Velasco, Pablo Rosso, Ferrán Terraza, David Vert, Jorge-Yamam Serrano, Javier Botet

Production Company

Castelao Productions

Distributor

Filmax

IMDb Page

Also Known As

Rec