Plot: What’s it about?
Sadie (Annalynne McCord) has experienced some darkness in her life, due mostly to problems related to chronic mental illness concerns. She can normally function well as long as she takes her medicine however and in recent years, has been able to put her life back together. She has been dating an older man Kevin (Billy Zane), who has ample financial means and loves to shower her with the kind of frills that wealth can provide. The two are about to go on a romantic weekend together, an excursion that Sadie hopes will culminate in a marriage proposal. But when she discovers lurid text messages between Kevin and her best friend Jennifer (Viva Bianca), her mind begins to crumble once again. She invites Jennifer to join the weekend party and soon enough, all three begin a weekend that none of them will ever forget. As blood is shed, bonds are betrayed, and secrets are laid bare, will anyone survive and if so, what level of suffering will they be forced to endure?
Scorned is marketed as a kind of Hostel for cheaters, so if you’re after a Lifetime Originals style tale of infidelity, redemption, or empowerment, this isn’t that movie. The basic premise might sound like one of those preachy, moral heavy stories, but Scorned takes some dark turns into the torture porn realm, When this woman learns she’s being cheated on, she does more than exercise and rebuild her self esteem, she goes off the deep end and goes all out for vengeance. I admit the writing in Scorned is rather thin, it all seems to be a thin skeleton of a plot to hang the violence and sex on, but that’s fine here. If you can overlook the weak writing, it can be fun to watch Annalynne McCord on a psychotic rampage. She throws herself into the role and even when the writing lets her down, she marches on and does her best. The scenes of torture are good in terms of visual effects and will probably shock some viewers, but more worldly audiences won’t be that aghast here. The madness in McCord’s performance is far more terrifying than the bloodshed, so watch for her performance, not the gore. Scorned is not a great movie by any means, but it has a saving grace in McCord’s enjoyable performance, so for the right viewers, it earns a recommendation.
Video: How’s it look?
Scorned is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen. While this movie’s visual design is rather plain, the transfer ensures it looks as good as possible here. The image is clean and ultra clear, which allows much detail to come through. This is what razor sharp visuals look like, so much depth and so polished. I do wish the visual design were more creative to put the transfer to better use, but still the movie looks excellent in all facets. Simply a stunning visual presentation.
Audio: How’s it sound?
A Dolby TrueHD 5.1 soundtrack is aboard and provides an effective treatment. The surrounds don’t get pushed all that much, but when they’re used, the sound design shines. This is mostly evident through atmospheric touches, such as wind rushes or rain or thunder claps, which keep the mood tense. You might not think those touches add much, but they enhance the film’s mood quite a bit. I found dialogue to be sharp and never muddled, so overall this is a more than solid soundtrack. Also includes English and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes no bonus materials.
