- Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
- Video Codec:
- Resolution: 1080p/24
- Audio Codec: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0 Stereo
- Subtitles: N/A
- Classification: 15
- Region: B (Region-Locked)
- Discs: 1
- Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment
- Blu-ray Release Date: March 7, 2011
- RRP: £19.99
[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004EMRZOY[/amazon-product]
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Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
Click thumbnails for high-resolution 1920X1080p screen captures
(Screen captures are lightly compressed with lossy JPEG thus are meant as a general representation of the content and do not fully reveal the capabilities of the Blu-ray format)
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
We seem to be living in the era where the film studios have given up on trying to come up with anything original and are just mining the depths of the past to remake everything that has already been done before, even if it means scraping the bottom of the barrel. No genre seems more in the grip of this phenomenon than horror, which has been rapidly redoing all the cult classics and not-so-cult classic from the 70s and 80s. Now, And Soon the Darkness is one of the latest below average forgotten flicks to be redone. This 1970’s British horror/thriller, originally involving two British women on vacation in France, has been transported to South America with two American women as the protagonists.
Two best friends, Stephanie (Amber Heard) and Ellie (Odette Yustman) on a bicycle tour in Argentina decide to break from their tour group for a little bit of fun on their last couple of nights before heading back home to the US. They come to a rural village where they decide to stay over for the night. Before they get a night’s sleep, they head out to a local bar for a night of booze-filled fun, where Ellie picks up a handsome and mysterious local guy. Stephanie goes back to the hotel to get some some sleep, but is abruptly awoken in the middle of the night by an altercation between Ellie and her handsome stranger. She must come to Ellie’s rescue, along with another mysterious American stranger, Michael (Karl Urban), whom Stephanie soon observes in a violent altercation with Ellie’s stranger.
The next day, the two ladies miss their bus out of town, and with some time to kill before they must head off to catch a flight, they decide to ride out to a secluded waterfall where they get into a heated argument over the previous night’s events. Stephanie rides off leaving Ellie alone, but soon gets a text message from her friend apologising and to meet her at a local cafe for lunch. Ellie never shows up. Worried, Stephanie confides in Michael who appears, strangely, and the two go looking for Ellie, but cannot find her. They tell the local policeman, but the seems like no help. Stephanie soon begin to suspect her strange American companion, Michael, of foul play, and even the townsfolk, who all suddenly refuse to speak to her or help her find her friend. Something strange is going on, and Stephanie is determined to find her friend, the guy she picked up at the bar, and the mystery behind the disappearance.
More suspense thriller than horror, And Soon the Darkness does deliver on that front, pulling you in to its mystery, but ultimately it brings nothing really new or groundbreaking to this already crowded genre. Kudos must go, however, to the spectacular cinematography of Gabriel Beristain (Blade II and Trinity) who captures some beautiful imagery of the Argentinian landscape.
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
The film looks great on Blu-ray with a clean source, good color reproduction, and strong detail extension. The great cinematographic shots of Argentina show up well in this splendid 2.35:1 1080p encodement from Optimum.
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
I wouldn’t say that the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack is aggressive, but is a good one nonetheless, with heavy use of the surround channels for lots of audible atmospheric effects. The sounds of Argentinian nature surround you at all times.
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
The supplements are limited to the original theatrical trailer and a few minutes of deleted scenes.
- Trailer (1080p)
- Deleted Scenes (1080p)
The Definitive Word
Overall:
[Rating:3/5]
And Soon the Darkness possibly injects a bit of energy into the slow burning original, but is ultimately a lackluster thriller. It still may well be worth it as a Friday or Saturday night rental if you’re looking for some popcorn material.
Additional Screen Captures
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[amazon-product align=”right” region=”uk” tracking_id=”bluraydefinit-21″]B004EMRZOY[/amazon-product]
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.co.uk
Shop for more Blu-ray titles at Amazon.com
Overall
[Rating:3/5]
The Film
[Rating:3.5/5]
Video Quality
[Rating:4.5/5]
Audio Quality
[Rating:4/5]
Supplemental Materials
[Rating:1/5]
