Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

Radioflash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 23, 2020

Writer/director Ben McPherson is trying to put his own stamp on the end of the world, with “Radioflash” examining the power of analog life when the digital universe ceases to exist. It’s not really a horror movie, but the helmer does try to inject some fright into the endeavor. It’s not exactly a thriller, but a few chases and heated showdowns remain. As a relationship picture, McPherson has something compelling with his overview of a family fighting to stay together during a troubling time. “Radioflash” wants to be a lot of things, but never really comes together, with McPherson overwhelmed by his subplots, struggling to find a story here worth following from start to finish.

Reese (Brighton Sharbino) is a brilliant teenager working to create her own virtual reality escape rooms. Her father, Chris (Dominic Monaghan) is a vinyl record kind of guy, content to support his daughter from afar, still mourning the death of his wife, who passed away after a brutal cancer battle. During an evening meal, the power goes out, with Reese and Chris learning that such an event might be more widespread than previously imagined. Retreating to an amateur radio set-up, trying her luck with an older communication device, Reese reaches out to Frank (Will Patton), her survivalist grandfather. When he responds, Frank informs his loved ones that America has been crippled by an EMP blast, giving the pair only a short amount of time before panic breaks out around the country. Tasked with traveling to Frank’s remote property, Reese and Chris witness the breakdown of society, with their lives soon at risk after experiencing a car accident, forced to travel through the mountains and reach Frank before the world ends.

McPherson tries to start things off with a bang in “Radioflash,” introducing Reese inside a space of unreality, with the teen locked in an upside down bathroom that’s decorated with old phones. She’s located a special number to dial, searching for the right phone to make some type of connection, soon triggering a trap that has the room rapidly filling with water. The scene is visually compelling, but instead of inspiring suspense, McPherson establishes confusion. Who is this girl? Why is she fighting for her life? Is this a “Saw” sequel? Answers come after a chunk of screentime, and they aren’t particularly satisfying, showcasing Reese’s comfort with her digital world, spending her days inside an e-sports lounge trying to perfect her work. It’s such a strange way to open “Radioflash,” which doesn’t feature another pressurized situation of survival, instead taking a rather leisurely stroll through the end of society as we know it, with an unknown enemy launching an EMP device, effectively shutting down the way things are.

Reese’s intelligence is important to McPherson’s screenplay, following the character as she puts things together in a hurry while her bewildered father tries to keep up. Reese makes the connection to Frank, who’s delighted that his granddaughter is capable of self-sufficiency, and he implores the young woman to meet him in isolation, all too aware of community breakdowns to come. “Radioflash” sets up a traditional quest for the father and daughter, who battle the ticking clock of instability, with their drive into the wild exposing them to the violence of the world, watching as frustration and desperation turns to murder. This forward momentum is stopped once Chris loses control of his own vehicle, crashing into a tree, putting the characters on a march through nature, reflecting on the purity of the outdoors and its inherent helpfulness. There are good scenes for Chris, who marvels over his daughter’s intelligence, and Frank sets out to find the pair, creating a steely tracker subplot as peepaw comes into contact with the horrors Reese has experienced on her way to find him.

Radioflash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation explores a varied palette for "Radioflash," with the movie entering cooler interiors and exploring lush forests and muted cityscapes. Hues are impressive, communicating intended moods, with washes of blue and amber, and greenery is exact. Skintones are natural. Detail comes through with ideal sharpness, securing signs of aging and illness, while youthful smoothness is also protected. Set decoration is open for inspection, including high tech escape rooms and weathered rural dwellings. Delineation is adequate. Compression issues are periodic, with banding detected.

Radioflash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is active, embracing the chaotic realm of "Radioflash" during initial scenes of tech interactions and societal breakdown, offering appealing group activity and distinct sound effects, extending to snappy gunfire. Surrounds are active throughout, providing some panning effects, and atmospherics are alert, capturing room tone and forest expanse. Dialogue exchanges are sharp, with a full understanding of thespian choices, including strong accents. Low-end isn't explosive, but weight is felt during scenes of violence and initial EMP activity.

Radioflash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (2:16, HD) is included.

Radioflash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Radioflash" tries to juggle tone and tension, but it comes to a dead stop in the second half, where Reese is collected by Maw (Fionnula Flanagan) and her feral "kids," including Quinn (Kyle Collin), who's sympathetic to the stranger's panicky situation. Suddenly, the script tries to become a Rob Zombie endeavor with a cartoony backwoods villain, and she loves the sound of her own voice, with Maw prone to deadly monologuing (Flanagan goes full ham here). "Radioflash" settles into this rural Hell for a long time, switching around the survival story in the process, becoming more of a genre picture for unknown reasons. McPherson has some clarity with Chris and Frank, keeping the feature interested in family ties as they're attacked by a potential doomsday, but he moves away from it in the last act, putting the brakes on an already throttled effort, and one that was doing just fine with a recognizably human touch.