Paco Plaza
Paco Plaza is a critically acclaimed Spanish film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for co-creating the influential [REC] franchise, which debuted in 2007 and helped redefine found-footage horror with its intense, immersive style and claustrophobic suspense. Plaza directed and co-wrote the original [REC] alongside Jaume Balagueró and continued to shape the series through [REC] 2 and the solo installment [REC] 3: Genesis, earning international recognition and numerous awards. Plaza is respected not only for his genre-breaking horror films but also for his versatility across other projects like Verónica (2017) and recent anthology work on V/H/S/Halloween (2025). His impact on contemporary horror cinema, especially through [REC]’s visceral realism, has cemented his reputation as one of Spain’s most influential genre filmmakers.
Known for
- Drag Race España (2021)
- Marcians (2017)
- [REC]² (2009)
- Spanish Movie (2009)
- [REC]: Horror Without Pause (2022)
- Heirs of the Beast (2016)
- Clawing! A Journey Through the Spanish Horror (2014)
- Cinémas d'Horreur - Apocalypse, Virus, Zombies (2010)
- Jokes & Cigarettes (2023)
- Cult of Terror (2017)
- Suburbs (1996)
- La suite nupcial (2020)
- Berlanga!! (2021)
- Queridos monstruos (2014)
- Beyond Blood (2019)