Blu-ray Review: Quarantine

Release Date: February 17th, 2009
Running Time: 89 minutes

The Film

When I saw The Exorcism of Emily Rose what terrified me the most was Jennifer Carpenter’s convincing performance. You could feel the anguish she was going through. I was equally impressed with her turn as the foul-mouthed detective sister of the title character in Dexter. The trailer for Quarantine seemed like another fitting vehicle for Jennifer, but unfortunately I missed it in theatres. Now, I wish that I had seen it on the big screen. Quarantine is an unrelenting, no-frills horror experience that should please genre purists in this time of countless reboots and sequels.

The film stars Jennifer Carpenter as a reporter named Angela Vidal. Together with her cameraman, Scott Percival (Steve Harris), they are covering the night shift of a Los Angeles fire station. Angela is entertained by firefighters Jake (Jay Hernandez) and Fletcher (Johnathon Schaech) as they show her around the station. She gets her kicks palling around the firefighters, sliding down the fire pole, and just flirting in general.

A call comes in from an apartment complex and Angela takes the opportunity to join the firefighters. They enter the complex and the manager, Yuri (Rade Serbedzija), explains that a woman was screaming horribly. Together with two police officers, they head to the woman’s apartment. They find her doused in blood and spitting up from the mouth. The woman attacks one of the cops, practically ripping his throat out, until she is finally restrained. When they try to leave the apartment to get medical help they realize they have been sealed in by the cops. The closest thing they have to a doctor is a veterinarian tenant named Lawrence (Greg Germann).

The authorities seal off all the windows and doors, interrupt cell phone signals, and draw their firearms on anyone trying to leave. Angela and the others gather all of the tenants in the lobby. They realize that they are being quarantined, and their suspicions are further aggravated when a TV newscast reports that everyone has been evacuated from the building. As the crazy woman’s symptoms begin to spread, hysteria sets in among the group. One by one the tenants are diseased or attacked as Angela and the remaining survivor struggle to find any way out of their containment.

Quarantine has a lot going for it. The premise is exceptionally eerie, and the plausibility adds another level of dread. Performances are strong on all fronts, especially Jennifer Carpenter who has now mastered the art of acting terrified. Gore hounds won’t be disappointed either as some serious red stuff is splashed all over, including a horrendous broken leg, and an awful jugular wound. The handheld style is reminiscent of Cloverfield but on an entirely different scale so it does not feel redundant. If there is one thing people may complain about it is the general lack of story or twists. You have to realize that this film is all about placing yourself in the experience. The premise is not very deep, but that does not make the film any less terrifying.

The Disc

The video is presented in a 1.85:1, 1080p High definition transfer. The digital video style is meant to make the image feel like a newscast. This coupled with constant low lighting and the shakiness of hand held camera work means the transfer is not be as sharp as others. Fine detail is not as prevalent mostly due to these stylistic choices. The black are dark, but shadow gradation is inconsistent, making it hard to discern details in the darkness. Colors are realistic behind the video look. Overall there are not many true technical errors, just limitations of the style. Despite not being the sharpest looking Blu-ray out there, the look feels very appropriate.

The audio is offered in English/Portuguese Dolby Digital TrueHD 5.1 Surround Sound and French/Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound with English/French/Spanish/Portuguese subtitles. The mix is robust and immersive. Excellent panning effects and creepy ambient sounds are used to perfectly create the terrifying atmosphere that horror films are known for. The directional effects make you feel like you are surrounded by danger. The atmospheric effects apply to the sounds outside of the apartment complex as well, making you fully understand what is out there even though you never really see it. My only minor complaint is that the volume of the dialogue can vary.

The Extras

Commentary is offered with Director John Erick Dowdle and Screenwriter Drew Dowdle. The track lacks energy and the two tend to fall into silence. Production information is tossed around here and there, but their delivery isn’t engaging enough to recommend this track.

“Locked In” is a 10-minute making-of featurette that has the usual EPK combination of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

“Dressing the Infected” is a 7-minute piece with effects guru Robert Hall discussing the makeup effects seen in the film.

Lastly, “Anatomy of a Stunt” is a 3-minute look at filming the balcony stunt.

Final Thoughts

Quarantine is an excellent exercise in contained terror that should appeal to any fan of the genre. Though the Blu-ray isn’t loaded with special features, the strength of the film itself warrants at least a rental, if not a purchase.