Plot: What’s it about?
While on a vacation in Italy, we meet American couple, Louise (Mackenzie Davis) and her husband Ben Dalton (Scoot McNairy) as well as their daughter Agnes (Alix West Lefler). Paddy (James McAvoy) is quick to offer his hospitality along with his wife Ciara (Aisling Franciosi) and their silent son Ant (Dan Hough). They have dinner together on their trip and get to know each other quite well. With very little time passing, Paddy invites them to come stay at their home for a nice change of scenery. The gratefully accept and things seem ok at least at first. They mention that their son Ant was born with a smaller tongue which would explain why he doesn’t speak. They’re also seeing how Paddy treats Ant when he doesn’t do a dance rendition the way his father would like. We see plenty of that aggression come out of Paddy. The story certainly takes its time to let the tension escalate. Agnes has an attachment to her stuffed animal and has anxiety issues. This comes into play when the couple manage to escape without notice one night, only to return to retrieve the stuffed animal. There are plenty of tense exchanges as Louise must remind the other couple not to correct their daughter. Paddy also teases Louise about being a vegetarian as well. It’s the last half that starts to form an identity of its own and throws some more curveballs at us and pads the running time. We learn just what exactly it is that this couple does and how they hope to achieve it.
All the actors shine here, but it’s McAvoy who’s clearly having a great time. I would suggest to most coming into this film to keep expectations in line and to not compare it to the original if you’ve seen it. It works in its own way. I am all for not being an exact carbon copy as it’s nice to have both versions to choose from. The climax follows a lot of familiar beats, but still carries some tension. Any time I see a character hanging for their life from a high building, I get knots in my stomach. Then there’s the more familiar stuff with nearly blinding someone and kicking and knocking through doors, but I say so what? Sometimes you just must go with such things and not nitpick too much. The remake aims to be more of a crowd pleaser, and I feel it achieves its goal.
Video: How’s it look?
There’s a scene very early on in the film where the couples are eating at a resort which is supposed to be in Italy. It might be one of the most picturesque scenes in a film and I find it hard to believe that there’s a place that breathtaking on this planet. Obviously, I’m wrong. Still, for some of the sweeping visuals early on, the film takes place – by and large – on a farm in the English countryside. It’s colorful, detail is immaculate and flesh tones are spot on. The Blu-ray’s 2.39:1 AVC HD encode looks the part from beginning to end showcasing anything and everything we’ve come to expect from a new-to-the-format release. In short, it’s a great-looking picture.
Audio: How’s it sound?
This is a bit odd in that Universal’s titles usually don’t contain Dolby TrueHD tracks, but…here we are. Truthfully, it really doesn’t/shouldn’t matter as all the usual caveats are at work. We’ve got amazing vocals from the group, James McAvoy does quite a bit of yelling in this film), while the front stage offers up more than its fair share of action. And if there’s a movie out there that contains “Eternal Flame” by The Bangles, “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex and “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles then I’d really like to view that movie as well. Kidding aside, it’s a pretty interesting soundtrack with plenty of action in the fronts and rears. Viewers shall not be disppointed.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Director James Watkins offers up a pretty decent track that tells us of his desire to remake the Danish film that inspired this, the casting (particularly of McAvoy) and details about the shoot. It’s a decent track.
- Nuclear Families – We learn what drew James McAvoy and the rest of the cast to this film, discover what methods they used to embody their roles, and listen as they provide insight into the subtle intricacies surrounding the film’s two families.
- A Horrifying Crescendo – Director James Watkins and cast members take us down a dark corridor of psychology as they discuss the navigation of social spaces, dwelling in discomfort, and the grounded horror elements which escalated the story to its formidable final act.
- The Farmhouse of Horrors – Is there a farmhouse out there that’s not creepy? We learn how this location was reimagined into a place of nightmares as cast and crew walk you through the different production design and camera elements that added to the eeriness of the film.
The Bottom Line
This is a tense movie. When the characters evoke a visceral response from viewers (or me, at least) I’d have to say that something was done right. I’m somewhat afraid to see the original version, but having not seen it I can say say that this one satisfies. The Blu-ray both looks and sounds great which makes for a nice overall package.
