Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Jug Face Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman October 7, 2021

Note: This version of this film is available as a bonus disc included in Arrow's release of Dementer, Chad Crawford Kinkle's follow up to this film.

I've mentioned the fascinating novel Harvest Home by erstwhile actor Thomas Tryon in a number of reviews, and in some of those reviews, I've also mentioned other at least somewhat similar literary endeavors like Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, and in that regard, Jug Face is perfectly in tune with depictions (cinematic or otherwise) of rural folks involved in what may be perceived as atavistic and/or pagan proclivities. Jug Face's "mythology" (if that's the proper term) might be a little odd, but it's handled viscerally in this very impressive feature debut from Chad Crawford Kinkle. The story involves a community which has a supposedly miraculous and yet threatening aspect to its location, and in the "threatening" department, the inhabitants of the region have decided that gods and/or demons are best left appeased, which, Shirley Jackson and The Lottery style, may result in the occasional human sacrifice or two.

Ada (Lauren Ashley Carter) is a young woman raised in this backwoods community who is quickly shown to be involved in an incestuous relationship with her brother Jesseby (Daniel Manche). Another resident named Dawai (Sean Bridgers) goes into a trance like state on occasion and crafts jugs out of clay which feature a face of a community member, who is then deemed to be the next sacrifice to some kind of evil entity that resides in a pit of swirling water. When Ada discovers that her face adorns Dawai's latest creation, she sets off on a probably mad attempt to keep what would seem to be her destiny at bay. Meanwhile, a number of kind of odd, quasi-Southern Gothic, family dysfunctions play out, including Ada's relationship with her mother Loriss (Sean Young).

What's actually kind of amazing about Jug Face is, given the preposterousness of its basic setup, how Kinkle manages to keep the film from not tipping madly over into camp territory. The story becomes increasingly visceral and desperate townspeople start turning on each other in the wake of what seems to be a "missing" jug, and the entire film has a bizarrely claustrophobic ambience, given the fact that so much of it takes place outdoors.

Jug Face Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Jug Face is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. The closing credits include the Arri logo, and the IMDb lists the Alexa Mini, and I'm assuming the DI was finished at 2K. This is a really appealing looking presentation which offers secure detail levels just about every step of the way. The outdoor material in particular pops extremely well, with just a slight hint of greenish yellow helping to emphasize forested locations. Fine detail on things like some of the dowdy fabrics worn by the women or even "mundane" elements like dirt and debris are rendered with precision. There are some very minor moments of murkiness in a couple of dimly let scenes, including some nighttime material. I noticed no compression issues.

Jug Face Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Jug Face features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 tracks. The glut of outdoor material gives the surround track more opportunities to provide discrete channelization of ambient environmental effects, but the surround track also nicely opens up other aspects like Sean Spillane's score. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout, and there are no issues with regard to any kind of damage. Optional English subtitles are available.

Jug Face Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Staring into the Pit (HD; 24:28) features Chad Crawford Kinkle discussing Jug Face with critic Jon Towlson in a Zoom- like interface.


• Back into the Woods (HD; 33:53) features Lauren Ashley Carter discussing her role and the film with Celluloid Screams founder Robert Nevitt in another online Zoom-like situation.


• A Jug Face Tour (HD; 14:25) offer Chad Crawford Kinkle offering an up close and personal look at his Jug Face collection.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:02)

Jug Face Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Kind of interestingly, and for reasons I can only attribute to the ominpresent "synchronicity" that seems to occur with pretty regular frequency in my life, but a still from the famous The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street episode from The Twilight Zone: Season 1 crossed one of my social media feeds yesterday, and it came immediately to mind as I watched Jug Face, since the "social" aspects of this tale might be perceived as a Southern Gothic take on the same kind of cannibalistic tendencies on the part of a community under duress. This is an unusually disturbing "little" thriller, and this release offers secure technical merits and some enjoyable supplements. Recommended.