Blu-ray Movie Reviews

After the apparent suicide of a key player at a major investment firm, up-and-coming financier Jane Porter (Sarah Butler, 2010’s remake of I Spit on Your Grave) is racked by grief but also struck by the strange behavior of her bosses. They seem to be increasingly interested in some recent high-level investments, but also in who might know about them. Were more sinister forces at work? And if so, will she be the next employee to meet a sudden end? Tensions mount with the after-hours arrival of the company crisis manager (D.B. Sweeney, looking like Chris Cooper), whose friendly interrogation grows more insistent. The building is locked down for the night with almost no one else inside; Sarah finds herself on the run for her life but is soon trapped inside the elevator, and a twisty game of cat-and-mouse ensues.

I was secretly hoping for a Die Hard sort of vibe from Free Fall, but it quickly took on a guilty-pleasure made-for-late-night-cable-TV-movie look and feel, which isn’t so bad. As such modestly budgeted thrillers go, it’s actually pretty engaging from start to finish, with high stakes and an escalating sense of danger. And I learned a lot about elevators.

While the production values might not be on par with A-list Hollywood fare, in general the video quality is strong. The textures of the assorted office attire, the various pores and wrinkles on the different characters’ faces, Butler’s makeup: All are plainly evident, but the 2.4:1 picture lacks that last bit of sparkle for a top rating. Many shots also have a distinct video look to them.

The confined space of the elevator shaft is a prime location for interesting surround sound, and this DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track (incorrectly noted on the box as Dolby TrueHD) is up to the task. There are some thoughtful cues spaced around the soundfield in the busier moments, as when the bad guys first shut down the elevator, in addition to some bold, dynamic gunshots, well-sustained echoes, and respectable bass. Music is mixed across all speakers, but it’s often just vague atmospheric fill rather than a discrete, definable placement of instruments.

The disc’s sole extra is “Free Fall: Behind the Scenes,” but it is a surprisingly in-depth 25-minute program that goes way beyond the typical talking heads of such featurettes to discuss the nuts and bolts of the pro- duction with both above-the-line and below-the-line talent. At the very least, Free Fall is worth a rental.

Blu-Ray
Studio: Anchor Bay, 2014
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audio Format: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Length: 90 mins.
MPAA Rating: R
Director: Malek Akkad
Starring: D.B. Sweeney, Sarah Butler, Malcolm McDowell