'[REC] 4: Apocalypse' Timeline

Zombies on a ship! As the title suggests [REC] 4: Apocalypse is the fourth installment in a leading-edge series of films that have reinvigorated both the found-footage and zombie subgenres. But what if you haven't seen the first three movies yet? Don't worry! We've got you covered with this timeline that will catch you up without spoiling any of the movies. Trust us, you'll want to go back and watch them all, but for now, here is what has happened in the series so far.

The original film, which was remade in English as Quarantine, followed TV reporter Angela Vidal (played by Manuela Velasco) as she accompanied a firefighting crew into an apartment building that was infested with zombies.

The nightmare begins sometime after midnight. The firefighters rush to answer an alarm, accompanid by Angela and her cameraman. Very soon, however, the horror manifests itself when an older woman bites an unsuspecting man. The residents want to flee the building, but the authorities outside order them to remain inside, and drape the building in protective sheeting, declaring that they are under quarantine due to a highly infectious disease, leaving Angela to wonder what, exactly, is happening.

No need to spoil the rest of the movie, although it's clear that friendly newswoman Angela is transformed dramatically by the experience.

The sequel, [REC] 2, picked up the story moments later, beginning with a heavily armed crew as they race to the scene. All they're told is that another crew was sent in two hours earlier, and contact has been lost for 70 minutes. With tensions high, the unit makes its way through the apartment building under the direction of an authority figure who is soon revealed to be… a priest!

The priest has been placed in charge of the mission, with orders to secure a blood sample from one of the attackers.

Things do not go well, as might be expected. Eventually, however, the priest confronts what appears to be the unholy source of the virus, leading to a horrific finale.

Following the sequel's pattern of twisting expectations, [REC] 3: Genesis begins outside in the daylight, as Clara (Leticia Dolera) and Koldo (Diego Martin) enjoy a traditional wedding, to be followed by a joyous reception with dozens of their friends and family members.

Soon, however, terror breaks out when beloved Uncle Pepe Victor, who had been acting as though he was drunk, falls off a second-floor balcony in the reception hall and takes a big bite out of his wife. The horror spreads quickly as one bitten guest after another goes on the attack, forcing the bride and groom to take refuge.

By this point, the found-footage perspective that was utilized in the first two films has been ditched. Soon therafter it shifts, rather delightfully, into a wacky mix of telenovela-style melodramatics, broad comedy and hard-core bloodshed as Clara and Koldo struggle to survive, using whatever weapons are at hand, up to and including a chainsaw.

[REC] 4: Apocalypse promises to bring Angela back to center stage, as she is evacuated from the infected apartment building to an offshore oil tanker, along with other survivors. But she is harboring a deadly secret that will force everyone on the ship to face their mortality.

Look for [REC] 4: Apocalypse in theaters on Friday, January 2. It will also be available to watch via various Video On Demand providers.