The Scariest Found Footage Horror Movie Just Dropped Online for Free

One of the best found footage horror movies ever made is finally available to watch for free. The Spanish-language film REC didn’t hit theaters in the United States when it first came out, but over time it became a cult classic and one of the most loved films in the found footage genre.

Fans of horror who missed this movie back in 2007 can now watch it easily, as it’s streaming on Tubi for free. In fact, not just the first film, but all four REC movies are now available to stream on Tubi.

The first REC movie tells the story of Angela, a TV reporter working on a show called While You Sleep. She and her cameraman go to an apartment building to cover what seems like a normal emergency call. Things quickly take a terrifying turn as they end up trapped inside the building while a strange disease spreads, turning people into violent, zombie-like creatures.

Angela and her cameraman record everything as it happens, which is why the movie feels so real and intense. The film was directed by Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, who also helped write the script along with Luiso Berdejo.

Even though REC didn’t release in U.S. theaters, it was a big success internationally. According to reports, it made around $32.5 million at the box office on a small budget. The success of the movie even led to an American remake called Quarantine in 2008, starring Jennifer Carpenter from Dexter.

Rotten Tomatoes shows that REC was well-received by critics, holding a 90% score, which is pretty impressive for a horror movie. The website describes the film as one that “plunges viewers into the nightmarish hellscape of an apartment complex under siege”, showing that found footage films can still deliver effective and scary stories.

The directors spoke about their creative process in interviews, saying that TV inspired them more than movies when working on REC. They said in one interview, “Our main reference was TV; was not other films, or a tradition of previous features. I think the main influence for us was TV. What we wanted was to build a classic horror story, but, ahh, telling it in the way of a TV show.”

REC premiered in 2007 at the Venice International Film Festival and later appeared at other festivals like Sitges and Málaga before getting its general release in Spain. After its success, the movie got three sequels: REC 2 in 2009, REC 3: Genesis in 2012, and REC 4: Apocalypse in 2014. Sadly, the later films didn’t manage to win over audiences as much as the first one did.

The first film remains the standout. Reviewers have praised its tense atmosphere and realistic scares. Time Out even included it in their list of the Top 100 Best Horror Films, ranking it at number 60. According to Rotten Tomatoes, critics agree that it’s still one of the best found footage and zombie horror movies out there.

For anyone who likes scary movies and hasn’t seen REC, now’s the perfect time to give it a try, especially since you can stream it for free. Just be ready for some pretty intense moments.

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