Quarantine

So I went to see this today. First, the trailer, before my commentary:

This is a remake of REC, which I haven’t seen, so I can’t address the issue of whether the remake is as good as the original. I can only say this: it was so scary that I was crying with fear by the time I left the theater, damp with terror sweat and cramped from having my muscles clenched for an hour and a half.

Let it be said now, I like zombie movies. I like disease movies. I like movies that get your heart pounding and make you jump in the dark. I don’t like slasher flicks. Regular horror doesn’t work for me, most times. Some of my faves include Pitch Black, the Resident Evil movies, the Alien franchise, and 28 Days Later.

So I was really excited to see Quarantine. You’ve watched the trailer, right? Did it freak you out at all?

Here’s the thing. I know exactly why this movie scared me so bad. You ready?

Because it was plausible. In most horror movies, you have a certain remove. “That could never happen. It’s set in the future, the monsters came from the stars, or an alien spacecraft. It’s not our world.” So you can enjoy the pleasurable fear and cling to the person you’re with, and then walk out into the sunlight and forget. Not Quarantine. Not this time.

The setup was compelling. As I watched it, I kept thinking: This could happen. Somewhere, some hideous viral plague could be brewing in a tenement. And this is exactly what they would do if it started to spread. I can’t articulate the weight of the horror, watching such intense, painful images and knowing the carnage doesn’t lie outside your reality.

And that’s why after watching Quarantine, I’m back at home, still thinking about this movie.

Because it could happen.

Has anyone else seen it? Come shiver with me.