Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Kevin Costner stars as John, a newly divorced father who moves into a rural South Carolina home with his adolescent daughter, Louisa and young son, Sam. But when Louisa begins to behave in a bizarre and increasingly violent manner, John must uncover the truth behind her transformation. Is the former owner's shocking secret to blame? And how far will a father go to protect his daughter from an ancient evil determined to take her over?

This is the directorial debut of one of the writers of the popular Spanish horror film [REC], which happens to be one of my favorite horror films of recent memory. I’m also a big fan of Costner, despite his step out of the limelight these past years. This film is incredibly effective as a moody horror piece and reminds me of some of the great tension pieces of the early eighties. You won’t find a lot of special effects and gore here, just small reveals and nail biting tension that will make most jump out of their seat. Definitely one to catch if you’re a fan of the genre, or just being scared.

Anchor Bay delivers a solid HD presentation here. I don’t recall this one hitting theaters but the production doesn’t look like it was skimped on. The photography is gorgeous and the lush backdrops really make for some great eye candy on Blu-ray. The darker sequences reveal great shadow detail and black levels are outstanding. Fine object detail is also impressive. The real treat is the 5.1 uncompressed PCM soundtrack though. This is a very aggressive mix with great use of the surround soundstage with tons of ambiance and subtle sonic cues. This makes this creepy film even creepier and provides plenty of chills on its own.

Extras include a feature commentary with the director, some deleted scenes and a look at the production. Some trailers are also included.

It is too bad this one didn’t get any real time in the theaters. It reminds me of M. Night Shyamalan’s earlier works in its ability to have you on edge. The Blu-ray provides a great presentation making this an easy recommendation for fans of the genre.