Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.0

Snow White: A Tale of Terror Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 14, 2021

Snow White: A Tale of Terror brings the "grim" to this story originally published by the Brothers Grimm, made famous by Disney, and re-imagined a number of different ways over the years for the silver screen. This version stars Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill in a somber, dark take on the tale, though not entirely removed from the essential storyline elements made more famous by Walt than by Jacob and Wilhelm. It's certainly not a take for audiences looking for a cheerful movie, one with song and cuddly animals and the like, a live action update on the Disney treasure, essentially. This one is relentlessly bloody, morbid, dark, and depressed, effective enough as it is but certainly not for the generalized "Disney" version crowd.

When Frederick (Sam Neill) and his wife are involved in an unfortunate horse-and-carriage accident while she is pregnant, he is forced to cut the child from his dying wife’s womb. Some time passes. His daughter Lilli (Taryn Davis) is growing into a beautiful and capable young lady, but she is not particularly thrilled when she learns that her father is set to remarry. His bride-to-be: Claudia (Sigourney Weaver), a woman who, despite her efforts, cannot bond with her daughter-in-law, and Lilli certainly has no desire to bond with Claudia. Nine years later, Claudia is finally pregnant with Frederick’s second child. Unfortunately, the boy dies in childbirth, an event which only further fractures Claudia’s relationship with Lilly and sets into motion a series of events that will push Lilli to her limits and reveal a dark truth about Claudia.

The picture blends macabre realism with morbid surrealism to somewhat effective result. Characters are routinely run through the wringer in one way or another in practically every scene. From infant death to suicide-by-suggestion, from dark spells to attempted rape, the film certainly shies away from the colorful Disney take on the tale, itself still somewhat dark and mildly disturbing, and pushes full bore to horrifying. But within the original story's context it's a fairly decent adaptation, certainly more in the spirit of the Grimm story than the watered-down Disney version and making no qualms about upending what may be the perceived expectation for the story and delivering something that runs much hotter and horrific.

The film features a couple of high profile actors in leading roles which legitimizes the film and elevates its stature somewhat, but even talents like Weaver and Neill struggle to secure a picture that is clearly lacking technical polish both at the source script and within the broader spectrum of its cinematic assemblage. The story nuts-and-bolts hold it together and the quality performances offer a bit of meat on otherwise flavorless bones. Yet the film struggles to elevate beyond a fairly crude construction that fails to flow with any kind of screen command. The picture is choppy at best, narratively coherent yet clearly in a state of distress in the plain lack of presentation polish.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Snow White: A Tale of Terror's 1080p transfer is essentially effective if not a bit dull and flat. Much of that, it would seem, can be attributed to the production design as well as Director Michael Cohn and Cinematographer Mike Southon's depressed, flat, lifeless look which is meant to amplify the film's morbidity and reinforce its darker currents. Either way the end result on Blu-ray is not a traditionally splashy image but one that does appear to at least hold more or less true to its filmic roots and basic cinematic proclivities. Details do not soar, not by a long shot. Anything beyond essential textures are not particularly expressive, notably when exploring facial features or, perhaps even more telling, the period attire, which is a shame because the movie is, of course, populated by some complex pieces that would otherwise sing in high definition. Even ornate interiors are lacking serious textural muscle, but the core definition does hold for the duration. Colors are likewise deflated and without serious pop or depth. The film is dim at its foundation and there's not much room for expressive, bold tones. Essentials certainly hold serve for basic color density and accuracy, but forget anything resembling a living, dominating spectrum. Blacks are deep but prone to mild crush. Flesh tones are flat as well. Compression issues are not a major source of trouble for the image, at least, and the print is in relatively good shape. While this is certainly not Snow White: A Tale of Terror looking in top form, Mill Creek has at least released a Blu-ray that is not egregiously offensive.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Snow White: A Tale of Terror scares up a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack for this release. It's a curious blend of capable and wanting. While the track is obviously absent the depth that a 5.1 (or larger) track would have afforded the material, there is no questioning the impactful and seamless front side width that is at work throughout. That expansion is evident in a number of scenes throughout, including a dance at the 26-minute mark as Claudia experiences the beginnings of birth pains at the same time. Likewise, a storm at the 41-minute mark is wildly active insofar as it can be within this encode constraint. A few other examples pop up throughout, and the track is never wanting for additional stage engagement within the two-channel configuration. However, the absence of a dedicated subwoofer channel does limit the track's opportunities for more width. When the carriage crashes in the opening moments, however, the want for more depth and detail is obvious; the effect comes across as messy and flat, lacking either structural finesse or the dominating low end that would have certainly reinforced the moment. Such holds true for most all of the more aggressive sound elements, even if some fare a little better than others. Music is adequately clear and widely engaging. A few atmospheric effects creep in to help set the scene, though audibility more so than clarity and placement finesse seems the order of the day. Dialogue is appropriately clean and clear, well prioritized, and nicely imaged to the middle area.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Snow White: A Tale of Terror contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen only offers options to play the film and toggle subtitles on and off. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Snow White: A Tale of Terror Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Snow White: A Tale of Terror may pique the audience's curiosity, particularly anyone looking for alterative viewpoints and more grizzly approaches to the fairy tale world and Snow White in particular. But the big draw is probably the two names on the marquee: Sigourney Weaver and Sam Neill. While both bring a certain gravitas to the picture, they in no way make it fully worthwhile. This is a grim and violent film that does not pair well with the beloved Disney classic but might satisfy audiences interested in the story but looking for something with more teeth, even if it's lacking technical polish. Mill Creek's featureless Blu-ray delivers serviceable video and audio. Rent it.