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Movies / On DVD / Quarantine
Quarantine

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Quarantine (2008)

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Reviews Counted:76

Fresh:45

Rotten:31

Average Rating:5.7/10

Consensus: Quarantine uses effective atmosphere and consistent scares to stand above the crop of recent horror films.

Australian Rating: MA15+ [See Full Rating] Strong horror violence

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Australian Theatrical Release:
Nov 27, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $31,691,811

Synopsis: A faithful adaptation of the 2007 Spanish film REC, QUARANTINE chronicles the outbreak of a rabies-like disease in a Los Angeles apartment building and the struggle of the unaffected residents to... A faithful adaptation of the 2007 Spanish film REC, QUARANTINE chronicles the outbreak of a rabies-like disease in a Los Angeles apartment building and the struggle of the unaffected residents to stay alive after the authorities trap them inside in an effort to contain it. Equal parts BLAIR WITCH PROJECT and 28 DAYS LATER, the film is presented through the eye of a video camera, putting the audience in the middle of the action and creating a heightened level of intensity and realism. Television reporter Angela (Jennifer Carpenter) and her cameraman, Scott (Steve Harris), are covering the goings-on at a firehouse for a program about night shift workers. As she clowns around with two flirty firemen (Jonathan Schaech and Jay Hernandez), an alarm sounds, and a truck is dispatched--with Angela and Scott on board---to an apartment building where an old woman has seemingly lost her mind. The woman bites one of the firemen and is soon killed, but when more tenants turn up with the same disorder, it's clear that a chain reaction is occurring. Unfortunately for Angela and the rest of the uninfected residents, the authorities have quarantined the building---but she and Scott continue to document the tragic and terrifying events inside the building as those inside are one by one transformed into bloodthirsty monsters. Director John Eric Dowdle, whose film THE POUGHKEEPSIE TAPES also used a pseudo-documentary approach in detailing the crimes of a serial killer, creates a sustained level of chaos and fear that will have all but the most seasoned horror fan cowering in the corner. Though the shaky camerawork may be difficult to take for those prone to motion sickness, it--along with a complete absence of music--gives the film a startling realism and immediacy to accompany its stomach-churning descent into full-on hopelessness and dread. [More]

Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Greg Germann

Starring: Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Greg Germann, Steve Harris, Dania Ramirez, Rade Sherbedgia, Johnathon Schaech

Director: John Erick Dowdle

Director: John Erick Dowdle
Screenwriter: John Erick Dowdle, Drew Dowdle
Producer: Doug Davison, Roy Lee, Sergio Aguero
Studio: Sony Pictures Entertainment

[See More Credits]

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Reviews for Quarantine

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61 - 76 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4
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No, the script isn't anything special and the novelty long ago wore off in this style of movie making. But the execution in this film from John Erick Dowdle is amazing, the camera work and cutting perfect.

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
10/10/08
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

Claustrophobic, jittery at times, and electric in pace, Quarantine is a stripped-down bloody thrill ride that -- while certainly not catering to everyone's tastes -- should satisfy gore-hounds looking to step up their theatrical horror cuisine.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/10/08
Jeremy Wheeler
Jeremy Wheeler
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Quarantine is a modestly inventive, sporadically exciting thriller that nonetheless proves too faithful to its central conceit for its own good.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/10/08
Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This derivative horror flick can be confined along with its numerous inspirations.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
10/10/08
Frank Scheck
Frank Scheck
Hollywood Reporter

Quarantine director John Erick Dowdle and co-writing brother Drew wisely stick close to the told-from-the-cameraman's point-of-view template of the terrific original.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
10/10/08
Clark Collis
Clark Collis
Entertainment Weekly

Effective scares make up for some dodgy storytelling in this horror vérité about a TV crew trapped in an apartment building teeming with plague victims.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
10/10/08
Alex Markerson
Alex Markerson
E! Online

Quarantine isn't an awful film--just an unnecessary one. It may well be the most pointless remake since Gus Van Sant's Psycho

Full Review Source: Mike Bracken's Horror Films | comment 1 Comment
10/10/08
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken
Mike Bracken's Horror Films

a solid, suspense-filled 90 minutes

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/10/08
Bill Gibron
Bill Gibron
Filmcritic.com

Quarantine is a hugely satisfying film, if you're the sort of person who likes hanging around on the edge of your seat.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
10/10/08
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

If you are looking for a film that will scare the wits out of you, even briefly, you can't wrong from seeing this one.

Full Review Source: BlackFilm.com | comment Comment
10/10/08
Wilson Morales
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com

...feels as if someone had videotaped their trip through a haunted house run by the local Jaycees.

Full Review Source: LarsenOnFilm | comment 1 Comment
10/10/08
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm

Horror movie fans can enjoy the visceral experience. The core purpose %u2013 to make people jump out of their seats %u2013 is executed with intense precision.

Full Review Source: Film School Rejects | comment Comment
10/10/08
Kevin Carr
Kevin Carr
Film School Rejects

Carpenter and Harris are able to pull off the whole charade with impressive energy and convincing bursts of sheer terror during some very long, uncut takes.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Weekly | comment 1 Comment
10/10/08
Staci Layne Wilson
Staci Layne Wilson
Sci-Fi Weekly

...this is what the Resident Evil sequels should have been.

Full Review Source: LYTRules.com | comment Comment
10/10/08
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
LYTRules.com

Quarantine is the unavoidable American replica, only this version has ingested a bottle of idiot pills and washed it all down with a full glass of directorial incompetence.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
10/09/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

Actress Jennifer Carpenter of Exorcism of Emily Rose fame surely deserves some kind of award for giving the most hysterical over-the-top performance in a horror movie since Marilyn Burns in the original 1974 Texas Chain Saw Massacre.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment 19 Comments
09/16/08
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page
 
 
61 - 76 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4
all

Latest News for Quarantine

February 16, 2009: RT on DVD: High School Musical 3 or Midnight Meat Train?
It's a good week for mediocre films (Body of Lies, Changeling, Quarantine and Flash of Genius, which all walk a fine line between Fresh and Rotten) and an even better one if... More...

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February 08, 2009: An eye-popping both metaphorical and literal genocidal rat race scare scenario made especially haunting when it kicks in, with its post-9/11 domestic terror lurking around every corner, hyper-paranoid sensibility. Opens in new window
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November 21, 2008: UK Critics Consensus: Does Ridley Scott’s Body Of Lies Ring True? Is Blindness Blinding Or Bland?
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