6.2 | / 10 |
Users | 3.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.1 |
In the near future, a massive blackout sends humanity hurtling towards its end. In this scenario we find Nell and Eva, two sisters who live with their father in a house forty kilometers from the closest town. Hard-pressed by their difficulties to survive, the two girls will have to figure out how to fight against starvation, possible diseases, looters and their own loneliness.
Starring: Elliot Page, Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Keith Rennie, Max Minghella, Michael EklundSci-Fi | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Who here remembers Revolution: The Complete Series? This relatively short lived series (barely two seasons) was hyped at the time as the “natural successor” to the then recently departed Lost, an aspect that was overtly apparent due to shared creative staff like J.J. Abrams and Bryan Burk, but perhaps nudged subliminally along by the participation of Elizabeth Mitchell in a featured role (Mitchell portrayed Juliet on Lost). Audiences were vocal but unfortunately not numerous enough for NBC to continue with the show, and only a relatively few rabid fans may even recall its general premise, which dealt with a post- Apocalyptic society attempting to deal without little conveniences like electricity. In fact, the show’s opening narration might provide a more or less accurate précis for Into the Forest:
We lived in an electric world. We relied on it for everything. And then the power went out. Everything stopped working. We weren't prepared. Fear and confusion led to panic. The lucky ones made it out of the cities. The government collapsed. Militias took over, controlling the food supply and stockpiling weapons. We still don't know why the power went out. But we're hopeful someone will come and light the way.Into the Forest isn't especially subtle in parlaying literal "powerlessness" into an allegory for what two sisters experience in the wilds of California after an apparently devastating series of events that is smartly never fully defined leaves them stranded and fending for their sanity if not their lives.
Into the Forest is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Once again the IMDb provides no data on what was used to shoot the film, but this has the lustrous, smooth quality of digital capture, and the imagery, while often kind of gauzy due to misty forest environments, typically has very high levels of detail, at least in the better lit moments. A lot of the film plays out in natural lighting, or what is meant to look like candlelit environments, and the result is often very evocative if lacking in a bit of fine detail and shadow definition. Many of the outdoor sequences have a slight greenish tinge, something that does not materially affect detail levels.
Into the Forest's lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is often subtle, utilizing the surround channels for environmental effects like the drip of rain through the roof of the girls' home, or the rustle of wind through the leaves of the surrounding forest trees. One visceral sequence involves Nell hunting a pig, and the sonics of that scene are a bit more intense. Otherwise, the film plays out in quieter dialogue scenes which don't provide a wealth of immersive opportunities but which are rendered cleanly and clearly with no problems whatsoever.
In a way Into the Forest plies a certain emotional mood that is reminiscent in a way of Stanley Kramer's On the Beach, insofar that while a post-Apocalyptic environment is part and parcel of the plot, it's actually the interrelationships of the characters that provides most of the drama. Both films have a somewhat languid pace as well, and this is not in any way, shape or form a slam bang action film. Performances are top notch, technical merits generally strong, and Into the Forest comes Recommended.
2015
House of Pain Edition
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1983
Unrated Director’s Cut
2013
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Standard Edition
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