[REC] 2007

Ever since The Blair Witch Project, the faux horror documentary has had many imitators, culminating with the big-budget Cloverfield. Unfortunately all these imitators failed to do the one thing demanded of the new genre: scare the hell out of us. We're happy to report that [REC] makes up for prior transgressions with the story of perky TV reporter Angela, whose show "While You Sleep" covers the nocturnal activities of Barcelona firemen. When a report of a screaming woman in an apartment block comes in, Angela and her crew of two follow the dedicated team to the emergency. The brisk [REC] doesn't waste a moment with its claustrophobic setup and, once things start to go wrong, it builds to a kind of hysterically sustained tension rarely seen on the big screen. Festival audiences have been screaming at characters during the last five minutes "PLEASE DON'T GO THERE!". Get ready to poop your pants, NZ. — AT