Shattered Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		1.5

Shattered Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman March 13, 2022

The back cover of this release touts it as another Basic Instinct, though curmudgeons might state a more accurate referent might be Basic Instinct 2, since that putative sequel was not exactly the equal of its progenitor and may offer a more suitable baseline for comparison. Another film that might seem relevant is Misery, at least in terms of an isolated location and a man being held captive, as well as at least one horrifying "injury" to a lower extremity. In this case and with regard to Basic Instinct, while there may be sexual obsession, at least the guy obsessing is on the verge of a divorce this time, so maybe it's not "really" cheating. That guy is entrepreneur Chris (Cameron Monaghan), whose disintegrating family dynamic is depicted in the film's opening moments, which also provides more than ample evidence that Chris is very wealthy. Perhaps smarting from trying to navigate the end of things with Jamie (Sasha Luss), Chris meets cute with a gorgeous young woman improbably named Sky (Lilly Kruger) at the local supermarket, and pretty quickly engages in a torrid sexual relationship with her.

The trailer for this enterprise which is included on this disc as a supplement pretty much gives away virtually each and every "twist" the story offers, and so I'm not especially prone toward posting spoiler warnings, so proceed apace if you care. Suffice it to say that Sky is not exactly the sweet if amorous girl she appears to be, and after a supposed random attempted robbery that injures Chris, he invites her to move in with him to aid in his care. A number of revelations are doled out, with Sky's "home" life at a nearby resident motel run by the quite possibly perverted Ronald (John Malkovich, is full gonzo mode) offering some context as well as the opportunity for some of the film's more graphic violence.

Things go from melodramatic to positively florid as Sky's true motives become clear, and even more calamity afflicts Chris' body. There are some passing attempts to offer a supposedly biting critique of socioeconomic issues, but it's all so silly in the long run that it hardly matters. Newcomer Krug is certainly a photogenic presence, and she invests this outing with occasional jolts of sly menace. Malkovich is really something in this film, resorting to "business" like licking a flower in one scene.

My colleague Brian Orndorf had about the same withering reaction to Shattered that I did. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

Shattered Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shattered is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.40:1. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I haven't been able to dredge up any technical information on the shoot, but I'm assuming this digital capture was finished with a 2K DI. The results are often quite appealing from both detail and palette perspectives, though there are a few kind of odd downgrades in clarity and overall detail, including some of what must have been location shooting in Montana, given the "filmed in Montana" credit at the end of the movie. Fine detail on elements like faces and fabrics is typically excellent, especially in more brightly lit scenes. There are a number of supposed "video feeds" or things like cell phone screens where it looks like the image has been intentionally distressed.

Shattered Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Shattered features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that derives the bulk of its surround activity from a glut of classical scores (supposedly subliminally alerting us to the fact that Chris is one of those superrich hoity toity types), as well as some of the ambient environmental sounds in the passing outdoor sequences. There are occasional nice nods to directionality, as in the very opening scene when Jamie's video call to Chris is accompanied by an initially "offstage" alert bell. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English, French and Spanish subtitles are available.

Shattered Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Mischief in the Mountains: The Story of Shattered with Director Luis Prieto (HD; 9:57) features a spoiler filled overview of the film's plot.


• Trailer (HD; 2:36) offers another spoiler filled overview of the plot.

A digital copy is included, and packaging features a slipcover.

Shattered Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If you see only one film this year featuring John Malkovich licking a rose, I guess it should be Shattered, as I'm guessing (hoping?) there isn't another candidate. This film plays like a "one from Column A, one from Column B" assemblage of tropes (clichés?) you've seen in any number of other films. The result is curiously listless, but I found Krug to be a rather interesting presence and will be watching for whatever she does next. Technical merits are solid for those who may be considering making a purchase.