Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

In Fabric Blu-ray Movie Review

"Did the transaction validate your paradigm of consumerism?"

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 9, 2024

I didn't like In Fabric. At all. For a solid half hour anyway. Soon, though, I realized avant garde writer/director Peter Strickland's damned blood-red dress -- an absurd antagonist -- had cast its spell on me. The film isn't at all what it seems at the outset, and once I stumbled into finding my bearings I became weirdly smitten. Entranced even. In Fabric is Dario Argento's Suspiria for the Project Runway faithful; an absurdist horror comedy that actually really finds its freakish, ghoulish groove in its final act; a surreal dreamlike trance of a haunting that's as unpredictable as it is bizarre. Not that anyone is likely to understand it in full their first go-round. Oh, you'll get the gist. It's not that confounding. And the ending, though enigmatic, is clear enough, and unnerving enough, to at long last allow you to grab hold of the basics. But there remains far more unanswered questions when the credits roll than some will be willing to tolerate, more perverse, disarming oddities and off-kilter curiosities than many of you will be willing to endure, and a weirder vibe and more dizzying tongue-in-cheek silliness than most will find amusing. My face was stone cold at first too. Enjoying myself? Hardly. Entertained? Barely. But then a grin gave way to a chuckle. A chuckle gave way to a laugh. Suddenly, with a veritable lightbulb flashing above my head, Strickland's devilish delights began to work their magic.

"Dimensions and proportions transcend the prisms of our measurements."

A lonely woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), recently separated from her husband and having difficulty with her adult son (Jaygann Ayeh) and his icy girlfriend (Gwendoline Christie), visits a bewitching London department store in search of a dress that will improve her confidence and transform her life. If only she knew how literal a search it would be. Assisted by a spindly employee named Miss Luckmore (Fatma Mohamed) and under the watchful eye of store owner Mr. Lundy (Richard Bremmer), she’s fitted with a perfectly flattering, artery-red gown... which soon begins to unleash a malevolent curse on her household; an unstoppable evil that threatens everyone who comes into its path. Written and directed by Peter Strickland with evocative cinematography from Richard Bremmer, the aptly titled In Fabric also stars Hayley Squires, Leo Bill, Steve Oram, Julian Barratt, Terry Bird, Jaygann Ayeh, Barry Adamson, Sidse Babett Knudsen, and enough creepy, milk-skinned mannequins to keep my nightmares cranking for weeks.

Mr. Lundy and his store clerks could more easily be seen as Dracula and his brides, with Jean-Baptiste stepping into the shoes of both Jonathan and Mina Harker. But the ties to classic horror tales don't end there, nor is In Fabric a simple assemblage of references and adapted characters. Luckmore and her coven are more witches than vampires, though the entire brood seems to gain strength -- or perhaps purpose, maybe sexual gratification, or all of it rolled in one, as some queasy scenes in the department store's basement suggest -- from the life-blood of the consumers who beat down their door each day to get the latest in fashion. Don't be fooled into thinking this is a "killer dress" movie. It's much more. The dress is merely the conduit for whatever sinister forces Lundy and his pale monstrosities have stitched into its red silk lining. Also don't listen to anyone dismissing In Fabric as pretentious. Strickland knows the film isn't for everyone, and instead of retreating into safer waters, pushes farther, challenges his audience more, twists the knife deeper, and asks you to have a sicker sense of humor than you might realize you have. This isn't art for art's sake, it's satire, skewering rampant consumerism, material lust, envy, greed, all of it.

Strickland isn't satisfied with the expected either. The films shifts without warning -- jarringly at times -- boldly introducing new characters well into its runtime. Very different characters, with very different drives, obstacles and flaws, making In Fabric unfold more like a novel brimming with tangents and rabbit trails than a traditional three-act movie. It serves him well... mostly, though it can be frustrating to reorient so often and so significantly. The ambiguity of the film's lore saves the day, as the real tale lies in following the dress and its true owners, not those who come into possession of it. The performances embrace the increasing lunacy of the coven's activities and the ludicrous bits where the red silk dress lurks in doorways, destroys washing machines or slinks through the night in pursuit of a victim, not to mention the moments where the tone wobbles or, abandoning more cohesive plotting, turns down a new path altogether. But its Strickland's commitment to the insanity, even the wackiness, and his push to make everything feel more serious than he knows it is that infuse the film with bursts of hilarity, dimension and personality. You might hate it. You might love it. There's no way to predict. What I can predict is that, love it or hate it, you won't soon forget it.

In Fabric Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Lionsgate had made the regrettable decision to release In Fabric on a BD-R 25 disc. And while that won't hit home for most consumers, and while it doesn't affect the video quality of the film's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer, it won't work in some Blu-ray players (those with X-boxes especially) and, as reported, will physically degrade over the years faster than a standard Blu-ray disc. The more you know. (Cue music.) But on to the flick at hand. Very little about the presentation disappoints, thanks to sumptuous colors, killer primaries, lovely skintones, gorgeous contrast leveling and rich, satisfying blacks. Delineation is quite good as well, particularly when the witches descend into the basement of the department store. Shadows obscure what they're meant to obscure and reveal only what Strickland and cinematographer Ari Wegner wish to reveal. Likewise, detail is terrific. Edges are razor sharp and fine textures are resolved without incident or hinderance. Close-ups fare beautifully, with hair, skin, stitching and, of course, fabric textures as crisp as you could hope for. The issues I hinted at before? The ghostly dress at the center of so many sequences is so spectacularly red that it leads to occasional crush in the color of the silk, as well as grain irregularities in the brightest areas of the fabric. It's not terribly obvious, nor does it spoil the proceedings. But it will catch the eye of anyone sensitive to such things. Otherwise, there's a tiny bit of banding (mainly around fire near the end of the film) but nothing else to report.

In Fabric Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

In Fabric takes its sound design cues from Suspiria and other horror classics, utilizing eerie, exaggerated ambience and Cavern of Anti-Matter weird and witchy music score to create a steadily intensifying aural experience; one the film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track represents effortlessly. Dialogue is clean and clear throughout, with flawless prioritization. Dynamics and fidelity are on point as well, as is LFE support, which makes even a lightweight dress loom and lurk with ominous weight and deadly intent. The rear speakers, meanwhile, are downright aggressive, filling the soundfield with spatially precise directional effects and haunting pans that craft an immersive, almost oppressive space that draws you in and refuses to let go. By the time flames are roaring, crowds are stampeding, people trapped in dressing rooms are screaming, elevators are descending and the extent of the department store's evil is revealed, you'll be more than impressed with the sonic experience that's led you there.

In Fabric Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

While the Region B-locked UK release of In Fabric includes a director's commentary, deleted scenes and more, the US Lionsgate edition arrives with a barebones disc, without any extras.

In Fabric Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In Fabric is super weird. There ya go. The most accurate five-word review you'll ever read. Some of you will love the film, many more will hate it. But it will nevertheless leave a mark on each of you, offering a delirious dreamscape full of all sorts of evil beasties, corporate and supernatural. Lionsgate's Blu-ray certainly looks and sounds the part too, with an excellent AV presentation that sets this one apart. The only downsides? A lack of extras (especially since a commentary, deleted scenes and other content is included on the Region B-locked UK release) and a BD-25 R disc, which will prevent some people from being able to play the film. Otherwise, this one, much to my surprise, comes recommended.