Quarantine 2

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Quarantine 2 nicely intersects with Quarantine, the original. Directors these days are masters of surprises. This sequel is far superior to its forbearer. Rather than relying on the stale premise of citizens trapped, nay, quarantined in an apartment building, Writer/Director John Pogue has chosen an airplane and a secluded airport terminal as the scenes for this macabre outbreak. Best of all, unlike Snakes on a Plane, viruses on an aircraft are really terrifying.

Trans Sky Airlines (TSA!) is a small outfit with quirky personnel. Jenny (Mercedes Mashon) and Paula (Bre Blair) are best friends and co-flight attendants. For curious onlookers that have always wondered what happens before they board an aircraft, these two flight attendants take us on a tour from beginning to end. Their journey starts by chatting, preparing coffee, turning on the lights, and by greeting Captain Forrest and co-pilot Wilsy. As the passengers board, there are a variety of likely suspects for the germ spreader. Perfectly for the plot, this particular flight to Kansas City, from Los Angeles, seats about twenty passengers and is not at capacity on this fateful night.

George (Mattie Liptak) is a thirteen year old standoffish brat being discarded by his parents. He is flying solo and refuses Jenny's sweetheart onslaught. Ralph (George Back) embarks sickly. He demands beers as the panacea to his sickness. It is unclear as to whether or not he brought the virus onboard or contracted it from another passenger's infected hamsters. Henry (Josh Cooke) is a doctoral student that picks up on Jenny's pheremonal response. They immediately strike up a conversation and this leads to Henry defending her policies even at his own peril. The first tease is fellow passenger Nial (Phillip DeVona) causing a kerfuffle by making cell phone calls midflight. The bravado filled Henry risks a fight by demanding he cease and desist calling until the flight is over.

While minor disturbances occur, including a DirecTV newsfeed about a mysterious illness causing a quarantine in Los Angeles (a reference to the simultaneity of both films) Ralph takes a turn for the worse and begins foaming at the mouth. His sickness is so severe that Captain Forrest makes a distress call and is ordered to make an immediate emergency landing. Ralph's adrenaline surges as he makes a blood-curdling mad dash for the cockpit. In the process he traps Jenny and bites off Paula's face. Henry rescues Jenny but is unable to recover Paula's lips or nose. Oh well, less competition among the flight attendants.

As soon as they touch the ground, the captain and his co-pilot ask for clearance to dock at a terminal. Their requests are rebuffed and they are ordered to remain on the runway. Rather than waiting longer and risking that Paula will bleed out, the captain pushes forward to the first terminal he sees. During the commotion there is plane-wide panic. The only airport worker anywhere nearby is Ed (Ignacio Serricchio), baggage claim specialist. He assists the passengers in their evacuation effort but the police arrive and quickly seal off all egresses. They are quarantined!

The action becomes intense when the passengers start panicking. They race to and from the plane and terminal trying to find medic Shilah's (Noree Victoria) medical kit. A team of passengers including Jenny, Henry and Preston (Lamar Stewart) search for the kit below in the cargo hold. What they find are rabid hamsters with an unquenchable bloodthirst. There are few lights as the power is turned off, and the passengers' communications with the outside world are restricted. When they say quarantine, they really mean quarantine.

The characters featured in Quarantine 2 are interesting. They mesh well together and play off one another perfectly. There are few special effects and this lends to the realistic nature of the setting and premise. This is a terrible outbreak that if undeterred could threaten the entire world. The passengers are forlorn, left to fend for their own survival. John Pogue was clever to arrange for the duality of the plane and the terminal area for variety and to prevent staleness. Quarantine 2 would make for an excellent horror film as a standalone picture. The only complaint I can muster is its association with the original which is painful to watch. Dear readers, if you are ready for Halloween horror season, look no further than Quarantine 2 for breakfast.