Straightheads Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		2.5

Straightheads Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 16, 2021

'Straightheads' is currently only available from Mil Creek as part of a three film bundle with 'Wind Chill' and 'Perfect Stranger.'

Alice Comfort (Gillian Anderson) seduces the younger man named Adam (Danny Dyer) installing her new security system into a night of passionate lovemaking at a black-tie party. But the night takes a nightmarish turn when the couple hit a deer on a backwoods road on the way home. Several men emerge from the trees. They viscously beat Adam to within an inch of his life and brutally rape Alice several times over. A month passes. They hold deep physical and emotional scars. When Alice learns that her father, a war veteran, has died, she discovers that he has left her his infantry rifle. When Alice learns the identity of the rape ringleader, she and Adam set out on a brutal quest for vengeance against those men who changed their lives forever.

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Straightheads Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mill Creek brings Straightheads (or Closure) to Blu-ray with an MPEG-2 encoded 1080p transfer. The film was peviously released in the United Kingdom in 2010 with an MPEG-4 encode but at a resolution of 1080i. Mill Creek's Blu-ray may be MPEG-2 encoded but the picture is rather impressive, at least to the source's limits and considering its constraints. The picture was shot on 16mm film. The Blu-ray retains the filmic façade, including grain, while holding steady to relatively sharp details within that format's constraints. There's a mild softness in play that doesn't allow for the sort of extreme textural output found on films shot at 35mm or high end digital. Still, the somewhat gritty, grainy look certainly compliments the film's structure and thematic tenor quite well. Color balance is fine, though again there's a softness to the colors, even in daytime exteriors or well lit interiors, that maintain a certain dour tone that helps accentuate the film's brutal physical and emotional currents quite well. Black level depth is solid enough at night and skin tones are fine as they reflect any given scene's lighting structure. Viewers will spot some compression artifacts but unless someone is watching from six inches away there won't be much trouble with them at normal viewing distances. The print is free of significant source issues, too.

Straightheads Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The LPCM 2.0 uncompressed soundtrack offers satisfying width and detail to score, which is one of the key sonic drivers in the film. While there are no back channel speakers in play, the track makes full use of what's available to it and presents its elements with both balance and gusto as needed and there are times when the detail and stretch seem more expansive than the stage actually permits. The track incorporates some ample front side stretch and quality separation across the channels, offering discrete effects and consistent environmental fill to draw listeners into various scenes, whether tender lovemaking or harsh beating and raping in the first act. Gunfire is prominent with a wide dispersion as the sound travels through the area. Dialogue is consistently clear and detailed, whether pitched screams or hushed whispers.

Straightheads Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As it is included in the three-film collection, there are no supplements to be found for this film or with either of the other two films on the disc. That's unfortunate because the UK disc included a commentary track, deleted scenes, and more.

Straightheads Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This uncomfortably brutal revenge film arrives on Blu-ray from Mill Creek with solidly performing video and audio presentations. No extras are included, which is not unexpected from a Mill Creek triple bill but still disappointing considering that there's a nice selection to be found on the U.K. disc. Worth a look for viewers with strong constitutions.