“Quarantine 2: Terminal” is one of the best films that my pursuit of B-Movies has ever drawn me to.
The state of shock and surprise I find myself in prevents me from making a cleverly drawn out remark to introduce what I’ve been treated to and never in my life would I have expected it to come in the form of the direct-to-video sequel of a film that I despise.
Released in 2008, moviegoers were treated to “Quarantine,” a remake of the critically acclaimed Spanish film “REC,” which helped in kicking off the found footage trend. Unlike better films of its ilk however, “Quarantine” was sheerly mediocre.
Where “REC” was a creepy, gritty, and realistic horror film that relied heavily on the threat of the infected within a tense atmosphere, “Quarantine” was a Hollywood film with a clean look that used the found footage style to rely on cheap jump scares. Whether it was the need to work on an independent budget or the complete lack of any studio support, “Quarantine 2: Terminal” somehow rise above the weak quality of its predecessor by falling onto the factors that actually made its source material, “REC,” good.
The film continues from the immediate ending of “Quarantine” after beginning its story parallel to its events and follows flight stewardess Jenny, as she tries to keep order amongst her passengers aboard a flight to Las Vegas gone wrong. “Terminal” forgoes the found footage style of its predecessor in favor of a more traditional narrative. Gone is the character narration of everything through the use of a hand held camera and it was at this point that I had to instantly let go of any preconceived expectations that I had towards this film, going in.
When one of Jenny’s passengers somehow becomes infected by the virus revealed in the previous film, it causes a gradually building outbreak amongst the group once the plane lands. Jenny and the passengers find themselves quarantined by the government to the maintenance area of the gate that their plane is docked in, forcing them to find some way to sneak out of the building without being found and shot by the soldiers keeping them in.
“Terminal’s” independent feel makes all the difference. The sense unpredictable tension and grit that made “REC” such a great film are all in full effect here. The sense of sterility and overblown budget of “Quarantine” are completely missing, providing the audience with moderately sympathetic characters that are decently acted and a strong unwavering feeling of suspense that prevents the film from being entirely predictable, without the cheap and gimmicky camera effects of the original.
If you’re looking for something different to pop in during the coming Halloween season, give “Quarantine 2” a shot. Nothing can prepare you for the surprise of an effective A-grade horror film that lies within an admittedly B-movie package.
4 Shatners out of 4
Bottom line: “Quarantine 2: Terminal” just may be one of my biggest surprises of my life. It joins the pantheon of unexpected pleasures of films like “Dog Soldiers” as a movie lined up in the crosshairs only to find something that was genuinely good.
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