6.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two thieving teenage brothers, stealing money to help their sick mom, match wits with a troubled security guard stuck at the bottom of a forgotten well.
Starring: Fionn Whitehead, Rainn Wilson, Jack Dylan Grazer, Mena Suvari, Graham LutesThriller | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It probably goes without saying that relationships between brothers and sisters are different than relationships between brothers and brothers. I personally grew up as the only male child in my family, but I'm the father of two boys, and one of the interesting things I experienced in watching my sons grow was seeing them go through different "phases" of interaction that were manifestly different from the way I ever interacted with my own sisters. There's both competitiveness and bonding in about equal measure that can be noticeably prevalent in brotherly relationships, and there is definitely a "power structure" between an older brother and a younger brother, at least from my personal observational experience. That very aspect is front and center in the interesting Don't Tell a Soul, an outing which seems to be marketing itself as a horror film, but which commendably has more on its mind than mere slashing and dashing. It's also probably why this film begins with a quote from an author better known for writing about relationships between sisters, namely Jane Austen, who stated: "What strange creatures brothers are!"
Don't Tell a Soul is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The IMDb doesn't have any real technical data on the shoot, but some online sources, including some posts by cinematographer Guillermo Garza, suggests that an Arri Alexa Mini was used (at least if my faltering translations from Spanish are accurate, which they may not be). As usual, I'm assuming this had a 2K DI. As can be easily seen in many of the screenshots accompanying the review, a lot of the presentation has been rather subtly graded toward a kind of gray- blue quality, something that adds to the chilly, wintry ambience of the story. As such, the palette doesn't really "pop" in the traditional sense, but it's nicely suffused nonetheless, albeit in typically rather cool tones. Detail levels are generally quite good, with a drop in fine detail understandable in the shrouded scenes taking place in the well. With so much of the film taking place in both that location as well as a number of other dimly lit environments, there's a generous sampling of what I've called "digital murk", but overall the presentation is nicely sharp and well detailed. My score is 4.25.
Don't Tell a Soul features a subtle but effective DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. There are brief but noticeable moments of fulsome surround activity, as in a late party that Matt and Joey attend, which has raucous group sounds and music blasting through the side and rear channels, and some of the forest material has nicely placed ambient environmental sounds. But much of the film plays out in relatively quieter, if no less intense, moments where simple dialogue scenes are offered, with only scattered surround activity. Fidelity is fine throughout in any case, and all spoken material is delivered cleanly and clearly. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are available.
Whitehead and Grazer do outstanding work in this film, and Whitehead in particular is unusually disturbing as the kind of slightly (?) sociopathic older brother most younger brothers would want to steer well clear of. Wilson is an interesting choice for the role(s) he plays, and is surprisingly menacing when the story calls for it. Suvari is probably doing the best she can with a role that is initially underwritten but which then requires a kind of "Moishe the Explainer" moment in the closing scenes of the film, which she pulls off with considerable aplomb. If Don't Tell a Soul finally gives in to some fairly rote developments, a lot of the story is really well done and involving. Technical merits are generally solid, and Don't Tell a Soul comes Recommended.
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