Plot: What’s it about?
Otis Broth (Bostin Christopher) is a middle aged, overweight pizza delivery driver, who also happens to be a sadistic, perverted madman who kills young women. Otis might not be a social butterfly, but in the world of torture and murder, he comes out of his shell and then some. His basement is a dungeon of death, equipped with cameras and before the end comes, he forces his victims to dance with him in a sick re-enactment of his prom night. His latest victim is Riley (Ashley Johnson), whose family decides to bring in the FBI to help track her down. When Riley is able to escape Otis’ violent torture chamber, her family decides not to get justice through the law, but to take matters into their own hands. But when Otis clashes with this suburban household, which side will prove to be more sadistic?
Otis wants to be a dark satire of horror cinema and suburban life, but doesn’t have the brains or balls to commit. So instead of a sharp satire, we’re left with a derivative, cliche ridden movie that has minor satire elements. If you’re going to satirize, then you do so and don’t look back, but the writers of Otis were unable to keep that satiric pace. So when they ran out of ideas, they borrow and recycle, which doesn’t work within a satire. I didn’t mind the sections where the satire was in place, as it was about controlled cinema, but then it would backslide and lean on blood or sex, with no satiric content. Otis isn’t a bad movie, but it half bad and the other half isn’t that great, to be honest. I commend the filmmakers for the effort to do a smart, dark satire, but the end result isn’t good and as such, I can’t recommend Otis.
Video: How does it look?
Otis is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a new release, so I was a little surprised at how mediocre this transfer was. I suppose the soft, worn visuals could have been intentional, but since the tone of the movie isn’t old school, I don’t know why such a choice would have been made. In any event, the image is soft and worn, as I said. Some scenes show a little more clarity, but for the most part, this is not a feast for the eyes. The colors look good and contrast is passable, but the softness impacts black levels somewhat. I can’t say if the soft visuals were part of the intended visual design, but the transfer on the whole is mediocre at best and bound to disappoint most viewers.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a solid Dolby Digital 5.1 option, but it is by no means memorable. The surrounds kick in here and there, but this is a front channel experience in most scenes. The mix is active however, with good movement and separation in the front, so there is life here, even if the surrounds don’t see much action. The dialogue is clear and clean, sound effects are effective, and the music sounds fine. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I hope director Tony Krantz and writer Erik Jendresen were being sarcastic or were drunk, as their self serving audio comments are hilarious. The two seem to think Otis is a classic out of the gates, a genre masterpiece that will be studied and mirrored for decades to come. Of course, anyone who has seen Otis knows this is as far fetched as it gets, so let’s hope the two were having some fun at their own expense and not serious about their claims. This disc also includes an additional scene, an alternate end sequence, a promotional featurette, and the film’s trailer.
