Inside (Limited Edition) (Blu-ray Review)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This 2007 home invasion slasher, Inside, from directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury, comes from the New French Extremity movement that includes such visceral films like Frontier(s) and Haute tension. None of these films are for the faint of heart, but they all brilliantly mix social commentary with unafraid slasher violence and body horror. Inside does not hold back. Following a widow, Sarah (Alysson Paradis) four months after losing her husband in a terrible car crash. Sarah is now moments away from giving birth when a strange woman (Béatrice Dalle) shows up at her home wanting to take her unborn child.

What ensues is a night of terror for Sarah as the Woman begins to attack her, slaughter anyone who shows up at the house, and try to remove the baby from her womb with a pair of scissors.

The violence is only the pretext for the psychological horror concerning the oncoming birth of a child, the fears of a new mother, and the depression of losing a loved one. Dalle’s villain at first seems simply unhinged, but the final act reveals a deeper motivation and closer ties between the two women that bring the events that transpired more clearly into focus, in the way Alexandre Aja’s Haute tension narrative twist offers the same for that film.

One should surely leave their timidity at the door when sitting down to view this no-hold-barred horror that never shies away from some of the ultimate violence like terrorizing a pregnant woman or violently murdering police officers. The tension, drama, and classic villainess in “the woman” with her long flowing black gown and intimidating large shining scissors is classic fare and a fitting horror mascot.

Purchase Inside (Limited Edition) on Amazon UK

The Video

Inside was shot on a combination of 35mm and HD digital formats. There are times when it looks a little noisy in low light scenes and others where the textural information is just a little soft, but this 1.78:1 AVC 1080p encodement from Second Sight still presents a satisfying image. It is free from major anomalies and presents the two color palettes of the film, the warm earth tones of the inside terror and cooler opening and hospital scenes with good nuance and shadow details.

The Audio

The sole audio track for Inside is a French DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. It seems subtle at first, but this mix is accented by a lot of sound effects that ping and fill the channels. There is one sound effect like a very sharp alarm beep when the tension in the film rises that becomes almost ear-piercing for brief moments. This is excellent audio engineering.

The Supplements

As has become tradition, Second Sight release this Limited Edition with a boatload of bonus features and collectible content.

Limited Edition Contents:

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by James Neal
• 70-page book with new essays by Chad Collins, Kat Ellinger, Annie Rose Malamet and Hannah Strong
• 6 collectors’ art cards

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary by Anna Bogutskaya (NEW)
• Audio Commentary by Elena Lazic (NEW)
• First Born: An interview with Co-writer/Directors Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (1080p; 00:31:27) (NEW)
• Labour Pains: An Interview with Actor Alysson Paradis (1080p; 00:14:50) (NEW)
• A New Extreme: An Interview with Producer Franck Ribière (1080p; 00:22:01) (NEW)
• Womb Raider: An Interview with Cinematographer Laurent Barès (1080p; 00:19:16) (NEW)
• Reel Action: An Interview with Stunt Coordinator Emmanuel Lanzi (1080p; 00:14:33) (NEW)
• The Birth of a Mother: Jenn Adams on Inside (1080p; 00:14:56) (NEW)

The Final Assessment

A shocking, violent, well-made horror that keeps one on edge. It is presented on a satisfying Blu-ray with a collection of new interviews and high-quality limited-edition contents. Recommended.

Inside (Limited Edition) is out on Blu-ray in the UK February 5, 2024, from Second Sight

Purchase Inside (Limited Edition) on Amazon UK

• Rating Certificate: UK: 18
• Studios & Distributors: La Fabrique de Films | BR Films | Canal+ | CinéCinéma | Soficinéma 3 | Uni Etoile 4 | Cofinova 3
• Directors: Alexandre Bustillo | Julien Maury
• Written By: Julien Maury | Alexandre Bustillo
• Run Time: 85 Mins.
• 5 February 2024
• Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
• Video Format: AVC 1080p
• Primary Audio: French DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English