Azrael Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Azrael Blu-ray Movie Review

Azrael is a gripping and suspenseful folk horror with action-thriller elements. Executive produced by Jason Cloth (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, Monkey Man), Samuel Hall (Elevation, The Surfer), Katrin Kissa (The Invisible Fight, Quicksand), Suraj Maraboyina (Monkey Man, Americana), and Michael Rothstein (The Surfer, Boarding School), Azrael is a first rate genre film. Starring the great horror icon Samara Weaving (Ready or Not).

In a post-apocalyptic world, a beautiful young woman named Azrael (Samara Weaving) must run for her life from a cult of violent mute zealots who are determined to capture her, imprison her, and sacrifice her as a sacrificial offering to ancient evil within the wilderness of the forests. Can Azrael escape the attacking monsters and save herself from the onslaught of terror?

Samara Weaving is outstanding in the leading role as Azrael. Weaving is such a natural talent and she has a commanding screen presence that is undeniable. There is so much to cherish about her superb acting chops. The supporting cast includes Miriam (Vic Carmen Sonne), Kenan (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett), Luther (Eero Milonoff), and Isaac (Sebastian Bull). The supporting cast members add something special to the filmmaking, too. The cast adds some subtle but effective horror through their performances.

Featuring a score composed by Tóti Guðnason (Deliver Us, Lamb), Azrael features terrific music. The score is a huge part of the effectiveness of the horror filmmaking. The music plays a vital role in the production. The score adds suspense and drama to the folk horror filmmaking. The results are superb.

The cinematography by Mart Taniel (The Invisible Fight, November) is something special and there is a lot to celebrate about the visuals. Taniel is a gifted cinematographer and the visual language of the production is top-notch. Taniel understands the language of cinematography and the lensing is something that adds so much charm to the filmmaking.

Edited by Ben Baudhuin (Drop, Freaky), Azrael is a well-edited production. The pace and rhythm of the film are effective. Baudhuin did a superb job as editor. The sense of style imbued into the film is one that carries the storytelling forward.

The production design by Carlos Laszlo (Cinnamon, Black Is King) is top-notch, too. The designs by Laszlo are well worth mentioning. The designs add an eeriness to the outdoors scenery and the subtle but also highly effective production elements surrounding the folk horror elements.

Featuring art direction by Kaia Tungal (Birthday Girl, Memory of Water), Azrael is a beautiful looking film and the art direction is top-notch. Tungal is a talent and created so many wonderful stylistic flourishes with regards to the film. Tungal helped add to the eerie style of the production.

The costume designs by Jaanus Vahtra (Compartment Number 6, The Invisible Fight) are effective and are true to the folk horror genre, too. Vahtra did a solid job with the costumes – for both leading and supporting characters. The efforts certainly make a meaningful impression.

Written by Simon Barrett (You're Next, The Guest), Azrael is a solid horror screenplay. The script is one of the best elements of the film. The script has little dialogue and is often about the flow of the story more-so than character moments or dialogue. Yet the script for Azrael manages to create a sense of gravitas, too.

Directed by E.L. Katz (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Teacup), Azrael is standout folk horror and one of the most intriguing of modern horror films. Katz made a special horror thriller and the attention to creating eerie visuals and adrenaline-packed action scenes makes it a more effective modern folk horror than it would have been otherwise. Azrael is well worthwhile and Katz brings out the best in the cast (most especially lead actress Samara Weaving).

Azrael Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment, Azrael is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1 widescreen. The presentation offers impressive high-definition clarity and visual finesse. The transfer showcases robust colors and the deepest darks of the cinematography are well highlighted. The eerie scenery of the outdoors and impressive lighting are well showcased with the transfer.

One of the strengths of physical media is the encoding quality. Physical media can provide a more consistent encode quality compared to streaming services. Streaming services sometimes have a fluctuating presentation quality depending on a myriad of other factors – from service plan tiers, internet connection speeds, number of connected users, weather issues, outages, and other factors. Whereas, by comparison, physical media offers something consistent and engaging – one can simply put on a disc, press play, and enjoy a high quality presentation of a feature film without worry over outside variables.

Azrael Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The lossless surround sound presentation is crisp and engaging on the release. Dialogue is clear and easy to understand. Surrounds are actively engaged on the release. The soundstaging is superb throughout. The score beautifully reproduced and integrated into the sound design. A fantastic lossless audio presentation.

One of the great qualities of physical media is the lossless audio encoding. Streaming video services only provide lossy (non-lossless) audio quality. For home theater enthusiasts and audiophiles alike, the disc format offers a distinct advantage with lossless audio. Lossless audio provides true theater quality audio. Audiences can get the same high-end audio presentation as provided when seen in a theatrical release setting. For enthusiasts wanting the best possible presentation this can be a significant advantage for physical media fans.

Azrael Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Umbrella Entertainment limited edition comes with a gorgeous o-card slipcover. The slipcover adds a fantastic collectable element to the package. The slipcover artwork is exquisite and has some superb embossing. The texture feels great in hand and the release will look terrific on the shelf of any film collector. The artwork underneath the slipcover is also distinct and adds some additional "key art" – something that adds a sense of dual artwork for the release. The overall package design is all the better as a result.

The release also include a booklet. The booklet includes an essay. The booklet also provides storyboard excerpts, concept art, previsualization art, and behind the scenes photos. The booklet adds to the nice quality of the release.

On disc supplements include:

Audio Commentary with Director E.L. Katz

The Making of Azrael Featurette (HD, 37:07) explores the production of the feature-film. The almost hour long making-of featurette provides plenty of behind-the-scenes material for fans of the film to enjoy. There is certainly a lot of material for enthusiasts to enjoy.

FX Behind the Scenes (HD, 13:39) explores the special effects work and impact on the production.

Church Fight: Stunt Pre-vis Fight Scene Between Azrael and Josefine (HD, 3:05) showcases the pre-visualization and stunt work elements.

Trailer (HD, 1:32)

Azrael Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Azrael is a superb folk-horror thriller. The filmmaking is exquisite and the filmmakers managed to create an eerie sense of dread throughout the production. Samara Weaving delivered a superb performance. Samara Weaving provides a great presence and her undeniable charisma as an actress shines through. Incredible genre storytelling – there are few modern horror films with as strong of a sense of the folk horror genre and the specific atmospheric underpinnings of the genre for horror fans.

The Blu-ray release provides an exceptional high-definition transfer, lossless audio presentation, and a nice selection of bonus features. The limited- edition release also includes a stunning o-card slipcover. The release also comes with a nice collectable booklet featuring an essay, storyboard art, pre- visualization art, concept art, and behind the scenes photos. A well-done limited edition that will certainly appeal to fans of the film looking for the best version to own for their physical media collection. Highly recommended.