A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie Review

Tainted meat! Tainted meat!!!

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown June 10, 2024

Upstart filmmakers Ben Oliphint and Christian Hurley didn't have much when they set out to make A Most Atrocious Thing. A dream, a script, a group of friends, a camera or two, a red-eyed deer puppet and... $5,000. Think about that for a second. A feature film -- a horror comedy at that -- made for less money than it would cost to buy a used 2014 Toyota Corolla (with 150k miles on the odometer). There's something admirable about anyone chasing a dream at that level, and so part of the appeal of Atrocious is just seeing how far from literally atrocious the filmmakers are able to drag their zombie deer nightmare. And honestly? It's not a bad flick. It looks like it cost $5,000 but then, there's only so much you can do. Everyone on screen is clearly having a blast supporting their art and their friends, the cheese and camp factor is delightfully high, and there's something here, pulsing just beneath the surface, that offers laughs and entertainment. It's hard to ask for much more from young filmmakers fighting against all odds to churn out a legitimate feature. And again... zombie deer. I mean, come on. You gotta love that one.

Any film with a synopsis that includes the phrase "they were having the time of their lives... until they ate tainted deer meat" is going to lead somewhere bad. And bizarre. And bad and bizarre is what A Most Atrocious Thing is serving for dinner. When five friends venture out into the forests of Colorado to celebrate graduation, the getaway agenda includes little more than drinking, hunting and more drinking. But it all goes terribly sideways when bagging one particular deer ends in horror. That's right, tainted deer meat. Mmmm. As the group begins to devolve into mad, omicidal maniacs, friends become enemies and, eventually, begin to transform into flesh-hungry zombies eager to tear each other limb from limb. Co-written by Dylan DeVol and Max Shepardson along with co-writers/directors Ben Oliphint and Christian Hurley, the film stars Oliphint, DeVol, Hurley and Shepardson, as well as Will Ammann, Matthew Wassong, Bryan Taira, Grant Oliphint and the King of Sleaze-n-Cheese himself, Troma's Lloyd Kaufman.

What more is there to say? You'll either sustain a grin while watching A Most Atrocious Thing or you'll shake your head, roll your eyes and get mad at the reviewer who suggested there just might be something here. As a horror comedy, Atrocious is 80% comedy, 20% horror. More than a skewed balance but one that almost, sorta, kinda works on multiple levels. The real blast is in seeing how far into the concept and dim- witted bros the filmmakers will lean, and that includes plenty of poking fun at one another, not to mention so much generational self-deprecation that you can't help but crack up once in a while. Don't get me wrong, there are groans to be had too. Not every joke lands and not every gag takes off. But even when things nearly derail, along comes a hand-made deer puppet jutting violently into frame to remind you exactly what you're watching. Don't try to take any of it seriously. Hurley and company didn't. Don't get distracted by what there isn't or what might've been. Oliphint and his friends managed to plunge ahead regardless. Don't think about budgets, fx, the usual go-to elements. Go along for the ride instead. See where it takes you. And for once, enjoy a flick on its own terms rather than what you might've done or what you would've made.

A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Keep that budget at the forefront of your mind. A Most Atrocious Thing doesn't look like a million bucks. It looks like a film shot in high definition with the kind of equipment someone with a $5,000 production budget would have. And it isn't so bad. Presented in 1080p with an AVC-encoded video transfer, the film sports warm, lifelike colors, fairly attractive contrast, deep black levels and some punchy reds that pop off the screen. Detail can be a touch hit or miss at times, sure. But on the whole, edges are reasonably well-defined and textures are more than up to the task at hand. The image is too dark when night falls, even though it helps conceal some of the practical fx seams, but it's never too difficult to follow what's happening in the shadows. My only real complaint was that some minor blocking fluttered into view here and there, though I've no doubt it traces back to the original digital photography rather than the disc's encoding. All in all, A Most Atrocious Thing could've looked oh so terrible. It doesn't, and I'm pleasantly surprised to say as much.

A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The film sadly doesn't offer a surround experience, but its DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mix is adequate enough. Dialogue is intelligible and nicely prioritized (at least for a movie on such a limited budget). Action, comedy and horror elements sound suitably fierce, funny and funky. And there's enough squishy, squelchy, stomach-churning effects to round out the soundscape.

A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Filmmaker Audio Commentary

• The Making of AMAT (HD, 7 minutes) - A fun little behind-the-scenes look at the flick courtesy of the filmmakers. The cast and on-set shenanigans are highlighted, as well as the intended tone of the movie.

• Music Video (HD, 2 minutes) - "Eat the Meat"

• Deleted Things (HD, 11 minutes) - A decent but wisely trimmed chunk of cut scenes.

• Trailer (HD, 2 minutes)

A Most Atrocious Thing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

No, A Most Atrocious Thing isn't the great horror-comedy. But it's a good bit of fun taken on its own terms and enjoyed on its meager merits. You might be surprised at how entertained you end up being. Add to that a Blu-ray release that boasts solid video, decent lossless audio, and an assortment of extras and you have a bargain BD that's worth a try.