‘Quarantine’ a killer hit

Vickie Johnson

When I went to go see “Quarantine,” I didn’t know whether I was on a scary roller coaster or watching a horror movie.

There must have been at least ten moments in the movie where the audience either jumped or screamed excessively. I am pretty sure that I got a good scream out myself. I can’t deny that, as an audience member, there were moments in the film where I was scared out of my mind.

Most of us have all seen a scary movie in our lifetime. Whether it be something as classic as “Psycho” or something as well-known as “Nightmare on Elm Street,” that classic horror movie scream is a must have for all scary movies. I am pretty sure that you heard more screams from the audience rather than from the actual movie.

The classic suspense and occasional heart stopping moments are placed throughout the movie with characters popping in and out of dark corners. It is at those moments where the audience screamed – and yes, I admit yet again, I did too.

The storyline began like any usual scary movie: In a happy-go-lucky manner. The main character, Angela Vidal (Jennifer Carpenter), is a reporter shadowing some fire fighters in Los Angeles. However, as the movie progressed, the audience was able to see how the main characters changed as they are forced to stay in a diseased building that is being quarantined and nobody seems to know why.

The residents of the apartment complex are stuck in the building frantically looking for a means to escape.

The movie is filmed as if the audience is holding the camera. The whole time, Angela is being filmed by her cameraman. It makes it seem as though the audience is actually in the contaminated building.

I thought that the movie was actually really similar to “28 Days Later.”

Surprisingly, the acting was fairly descent. Carpenter pulls off the dramatic over paranoid damsel and has gotten the horror scream down to a “T,” – you might recognize her from being in “The Exorcism of Emily Rose.” She convinces the audience that she is scared out of her mind, and that is exactly what makes the audience freak out.

In one instance in the movie, all the characters are in one room waiting to see what they can do to get out. At that moment in the movie, I really felt anxious for the characters. I was frantically waiting to see what their next moves were going to be.

I think if you like a good jumper movie, you will definitely enjoy “Quarantine.” It does contain the clichés of screams, gore, and yes, you guessed it, death. However, it is pretty entertaining. For some reason those stereotypical aspects of horror movies never get old for me, and I still get terrified every single time I watch them.

Vanessa Johnson can be reached at [email protected]