Horror at SXSW: '[REC] 3: Genesis' Asks, How Far Can You Break
From Franchise Staples?   Mar 11, 2012  The [REC] franchise
offers diminishing returns in the scare department, but that's
okay. That's typical of most horror franchises, but it's
particularly true of Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza's found
footage series documenting a violent viral outbreak in Spain.
Granted, when the first film is as inventive and nerve-rattling
as [REC], any sequel is bound to be less effective, but part of
the series' dwindling frights comes from an active effort to
keep changing the game. And the third film in the
series, properly titled [REC] 3: Genesis, changes the game in
such fundamental ways it brings up an interesting question: How
far can a franchise deviate from the conceit that originally
defined it?  The first film was a single-camera found footage
movie (before that niche was all the rage) that used its style
to tap into increasing levels of paranoia, claustrophobia and
sheer terror. The second did exactly what a se