Why Quarantine looks more 'staged'?
That was my impression. But I can't exactly identify why. I think it was some faint details from effects, make up, clothing, scenery, video quality, hairstyling.
Anyone agree?
Yes. Somehow the original feels more authentic - it is better at conveying the notion that you see an unedited version of a documentary rather than a movie.
Rec is more authentic for several reasons:
- the locations are all real, no sets were built;
- the actors didn't know each other, which made their behavior more authentic ... they really were total strangers;
- the actors were never given the full script so they wouldn't know what was going to happen to their character. So the actors really were nervous and stressed;
- in one of the scenes, when the fireman falls from the stairs in the middle of the lobby, the director didn't tell any of the actors that was going to happen so the jump scare you see there is 100% authentic.
- The last scene was really filmed with an infrared camera. The two actors (Angela and her cameraman) were in total darkness.
- also, since they used a real building and real apartments, the actors didn't know the layout of the "set".
TL;DR - Rec is more authentic because most of the reactions and behavior you see in it is real and not acting.