Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

Resolution Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 23, 2021

Location, location, location. That mantra often recited by real estate agents might also pertain to Blu-ray releases, as odd as that may sound. The Endless, the film that brought collaborators Justin Benson and Aaron Scott Moorhead some substantial acclaim and renown, was released in Region A as a standalone Blu-ray from the perhaps unexpected label of Well Go USA. However, at almost the exact same time as the Well Go USA release was brought to market on this side of the pond, lucky Region B consumers were being offered a limited edition release by Arrow Video's UK division of The Endless which included Benson and Moorhead’s first film, Resolution, an outing that some perceive as an honest to goodness prelude to The Endless, which may be debatable, but which is at least tangentially tethered to that film even if there’s not an “official” connection (that said, you don’t really need to have seen Resolution to “get” The Endless). While some may not have even been aware of it, and Well Go USA isn't involved, Resolution had previously come to Blu-ray in Region A from another perhaps unexpected source, Cinedigm (which may in fact explain why Well Go USA wasn't able to include it in their release of The Endless). Resolution garnered quite a bit of acclaim on the festival circuit even if it didn't end up setting the box office on fire, but that film along with its kinda sorta follow up The Endless made Benson and Moorhead critics' darlings, for a while at least. The relatively recent release of the pair's Synchronic (also out on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA, kind of interestingly) may have put a slight damper on things, but for those interested in how things began for the duo, as well as those who might also have a general interest in micro budgeted horror, will find Resolution an appealingly spooky outing.

One of the kind of fascinating and even commendable things about Benson and Moorhead is how they manage to do so much with so relatively little. That's certainly the case with Resolution, which is largely a "two hander" dealing with the friendship between Michael Danube (Peter Cilella) and Chris Daniels (Vinny Curran). The film begins with what seems to be video taken of Chris in some kind of manic state out in the wilderness taking potshots at the air (who is shooting this video is never really explained). The film then segues to Michael showing up at a dilapidated Cabin in the Woods (so to speak), where Chris is holed up, and obviously under the influence of drugs. Chris is delighted if shocked to see his old friend, but is confused as to how Michael found him. Michael reminds Chris he sent Michael a video of himself (presumably the one we've just seen), along with a map detailing his location.

The upshot of all of this introductory material is that Michael is on hand to more or less force Chris into rehab right then and there. Michael ultimately incapacitates his buddy and chains him to the wall in order to give him a chance to "dry out" (or whatever the drug equivalent might be). Soon enough, though, not only other people in the area but a number of odd "appearances" of objects start to put the fear of - well, something into both Michael and Chris. Some of the humans wandering around in the vicinity turn out to be related to Chris' drug activities, which at least makes sense contextually, but others, including a bizarre trio of UFO cultists, might be a bit harder to explain rationally.

Aside from a bit of gore late in the proceedings, which is in and of itself handled fairly discursively, Resolution is not interested in "cheap" scares (this includes the absence of any jump cuts, or even underscoring). The film builds its palpably unsettling mood through implication, in much the same way The Endless did, and arguably even more so than that film.

Resolution Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Resolution is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cinedigm with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The closing credits feature the "Captured with Red" logo, and I'm assuming this was finished at a 2K DI. There are some passing compression issues here, which are unfortunately noticeable right from the get go with the Tribeca Film Festival logo, which first displays a bit of banding and then minor aliasing on the skyscraper seen in the lower left side of the frame. These anomalies aside, the bulk of the presentation is nicely sharp and well detailed, though some of the interior footage can be a bit murky looking in less optimal lighting conditions. Fine detail is often quite appealing, though occasionally gruesome (there's a corpse of an animal on the property that gets a "loving" close-up). Some elements, like the supposed video of Chris that opens the film, are intentionally tweaked to look low grade (see screenshot 6).

Resolution Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Resolution features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 mixes. As is mentioned in some of the supplements, the sound design here is notably lacking things like booming LFE accompanying jump cuts to provoke startle reactions, or even menacing underscore. As such, the surround track derives most of its immersion from the ambient environmental sounds that dot the side and rear channels in the many outdoor scenes. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Resolution Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentaries

  Directors' Commentary

  
  

  Cast and Crew Commentary

  
  

  Carmel the Dog Commentary features Moorhead and Benson again, this time with a dog.

• Interview with the Filmmakers (1080i; 2:48)


• Weird Extras

  "Alternative Lifestyle" Trailer (1080p; 1:40)

  
  

  How "Resolution" Will Help You Have Sex (1080p; 2:03)

  
  

  Shane the Missing Character Featurette (1080p; 2:41)

  
  

  Topless Scene (1080p; 00:16)

  
  

  Extended Scene: Lawyer Call (1080p; 1:42)

  
  

  Alternate Ending (1080p; 5:27) should be taken in the same vein as the similar supplement I offer some details about in our Synchronic Blu-ray review.

• Trailers

  Teaser Trailer (1080p; 1:29)

  
  

  Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 1:48)

• Outtakes and Unseen Footage

  Behind the Scenes (1080p; 22:14)

  
  

  Extended Found Footage: 8mm (1080p; 00:47)

  
  

  Extended Found Footage: Crazy Chris (1080p; 1:28)

  
  

  Extended Found Footage: Webcam Death (1080p; 00:44)

  
  

  Extended Found Footage: Cult Members (1080p; 2:21)

  
  

  Outtakes (1080p; 11:10)

• Film Festival Promos (1080p; 22:26)

Resolution Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Resolution is a creepy first film from Benson and Moorhead, and if the shine is off the pair a little after the less than well received Synchronic, this outing shows how capable the duo is at crafting an unsettling experience on a micro budget. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplementary package very enjoyable. Recommended.