Instant Queue Diaries- Episode Nine: Quarantine

Another one of those nights.

Can’t sleep. Bored. Hungry. What is a grown man to do?

Watch a movie. That’s what.

On the surface, “Quarantine” feels like a rip off of other successful films that have used low budget cameras over the past decade like “The Blair Witch Project” and “Cloverfield,” but there’s a big difference. The actors are solid and the story never makes you feel lost.

The whole concept of “Quarantine” is what makes it so much fun and a departure from all the crap that’s out right now. Imagine if you will if humans could contract the Rabies’ virus and the virus in effect could affect a person within minutes. You’d basically have an almost zombie-like creature focused on destroying everything in its path. Pretty crazy stuff if ya ask me. While this is a lot to stomach, especially for those who could care less about horror flicks, everything seems to flow naturally and there’s never a feeling that the situation the characters have gotten themselves in is inorganic. The result is a fast-paced flick that never stops delivering thrills and manages to keep you guessing throughout.

If you liked Jennifer Carpenter in “Dexter,” you’ll feel at home with her performance here, as she’s cute, classy and fun as reporter Angela Vidal. On her toes throughout the film, you’re almost forced to channel her emotions. The first person camera shots do an excellent job of bringing you into her world and all the bizarre things she encounters. When firemen are hitting on her, you’ll laugh and when she’s running for her life, you’ll have problems controlling your bowels. The rest of the cast is solid as well, providing the film with enough laughs and action to keep you occupied. No one stands out as horrible either, a huge upgrade from the films stemming from this low-budget filmed, but Hollywood actor-supplied horror genre.

However, it is because of all of these elements that “Quarantine” is worth a watch. It also did more than keep me up during my late night endeavors. It made me want to watch another movie afterward. Kind of got me in the mood for something scary, but smart.

In the end, that’s exactly what it is.

Unfortunate for me, I wasn’t able to find something that was able to do the same thing for me that this film did. “Paranormal Activity” looks to be in the same vein, perhaps I’ll check that out soon.