6.6 | / 10 |
Users | 3.5 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
1921 England is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. Everything she knew in unravels as the 'missing' begin to show themselves.
Starring: Rebecca Hall, Dominic West, Imelda Staunton, John Shrapnel, Richard DurdenHorror | 100% |
Supernatural | 40% |
Thriller | 7% |
Period | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
BDInfo
English SDH, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
If an eerie sense of déjà vu haunts your viewing of The Awakening, you're not alone. The BBC Films period chiller shares more than a few striking similarities with Red Lights, writer/director Rodrigo Cortés' stylish but superficial psychic thriller. A clever professional skeptic, bound and determined to ferret out supernatural fraud wherever it rears its head. A case that forces said skeptic to question everything she believes, or rather doesn't believe. A series of terrific performances set against a beautifully chilling and atmospheric backdrop, a measured and intense build toward a shocking (but protracted) revelation, and a convoluted twist executed rather carelessly. Still, The Awakening explores its supernatural happenings with a bit more confidence and poise than Red Lights, and even pulls off a number of genuinely unnerving scares. It's a conventional haunted house genre pic, sure. But it's also a pretty good genre pic and, for once, I didn't so much mind all the convention.
The Awakening's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer has the distinct look of a BBC digital video production despite being shot in 35mm, which wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the noise that permeates the image. At times, it has the appearance of filmic grain. More often, though, it behaves erratically and to the detriment of fine detail. That said, it isn't a serious problem, and only distracts on occasion. Otherwise, all is as it should be. Almost every color, skintone and primary has been drained within an inch of life, yes, but the subsequent palette suits the tone and atmosphere of the film perfectly. Contrast is consistent and black levels are appropriately dusty and gloomy too, even if depth and delineation suffers somewhat. And overall detail? Edge definition is clean and satisfying on the whole (when specific stylistic decisions and inherent softness aren't at play), while fine textures and closeups are both refined and revealing. Moreover, significant artifacts, banding, aliasing and ringing are held at bay, and crush is the only minor eyesore that rises from its grave. Aside from the aforementioned noise, that is, which viewers would do well to anticipate going in.
No hesitation here. If The Awakening were being judged strictly on the effectiveness and immersiveness of its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, it would be one of the best haunted house films in years. Between the creaking and groaning of the school floorboards, the pitter patter of ghostly feet, the ringing of distant bells, the muffled howling of outside winds, the shuffling of a ghastly spirit, the voices bleeding through the walls and Daniel Pemberton's eerie genre score, Murphy certainly delivers on the sonic front. Rear speaker activity is just as delightfully and frightfully passive-aggressive as a good horror soundfield should be, every interior and exterior environment is disquietingly enveloping, and directional effects are stealthy, jarring and precise. LFE output is just as sinister, lulling listeners into a trance before shocking them out of their seats with terrifying power and presence. All the while, dialogue is clear, intelligible and nestled within the world Murphy has forged; the quietest whisper and the most startling scream subject to the same carefully -- strike that -- masterfully prioritized rules of engagement. The Awakening may not be a perfect horror movie, but its lossless track provides a perfect horror mix.
The Awakening isn't going to rouse a tried and true horror aficionado any more than it will wake the dead. But as routine haunted house genre pics go, it's a decent one. Even better than decent I'd argue. Murphy and Volk struggle with the ending, but the cast and crew rally to rewarding ends to keep the film kicking, and do so as if the story is more poignant and meaningful than it actually is. Universal's Blu-ray release is even better, thanks to a solid video presentation, a fantastic (and flawless) DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a generous selection of special features. The Awakening won't linger on the mind for long, but it will stir up a few good scares. All things considered, it at least deserves a rent.
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Extended Director's Cut
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