Is REC based on a true story?

Answer 1

No, it's not based on a true story. It was inspired by a true story, which is different. "Inspired by a true story" is a meaningless phrase that was invented by Hollywood for the sole purpose of selling more movie tickets.

The people who frequent the movies categories are probably sick to death of hearing me say this, but...ALL stories are inspired by a true story. All writers get their ideas from things they see, hear, read about and experience in the real world.

When a book/movie is "based on a true story," it means that the moviemakers are trying to stick to the truth and show you what really happened. No such attempt is made in a movie that is "inspired by a true story." "Inspired by a true story" just means that the writers got the idea for a fictional story from something in real life, but aren't trying to portray the real life story accurately.

Almost every work of fiction ever made could be called "inspired by a true story." For example, Jane Austen based many of her characters on herself or people she knew. So, all of Jane Austen's books could accurately be called "inspired by a true story."

Wes Craven got the idea for the Freddy Krueger character from a creepy homeless man who frightened him when he was a child. The man wore a hat and sweater similar to Freddy's. So, A Nightmare on Elm Street could accurately be called inspired by a true story, even though none of the events that happen in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies ever happened in real life.

Thomas Harris got the idea for the Hannibal character from the real life serial killer Albert Fish. He also got the idea for the Buffalo Bill character from the real life serial killer Ed Gein. So all of the Hannibal Lecter novels could accurately be called inspired by a true story...even though none of the events that happen in the novels ever happened in real life.

The Leatherface character from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre was also inspired by the serial killer Ed Gein. But again, NONE of the events shown in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre EVER happened in real life.

Do you see what I'm saying? It's patently absurd to label something "inspired by a true story," when EVERY story is inspired by a true story. It's absurd, and it's deliberately misleading. When people hear "inspired by a true story," they assume that at least some of the events depicted in the story are true to life, when this is actually not the case.

Anyway, to answer your question: the movie REC (2007) was inspired by a real case of a rabies outbreak. That's "inspired by" NOT "based on."