6 | / 10 |
Users | 2.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A nanny, working for a family whose son has just passed away, finds herself put in charge of caring for a lifelike doll that the couple treat as a real child.
Starring: Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans (II), James Russell (XIX), Jim Norton (I), Diana HardcastleHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 28% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
UV digital copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.0 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Even as mankind shares the same basic attributes, such as the ability to love, people go about nurturing and expressing them in different ways. Those innate characteristics, such as love, are ever present, but they're honed by experience, not nature. Traumatic life experience can upset the status quo and even redefine a lifetime's worth of character building and emotional construction. That seems to be at the center of The Boy, Director William Brent Bell's (The Devil Inside) creepy Psychological Thriller about a wealthy aged English couple who have, somehow, adopted a porcelain doll as a mascot of sorts, a replacement for their deceased son. Like some people love a dog or a cat (or multiples thereof), they treat the doll as if it were their own child, all but a living, breathing -- or so it seems -- organism that they dress, put to bed, and care for as if it were the most delicate thing in the world. The film raises a few more questions than it answers by the end, but part of the curious joy in watching The Boy is figuring out character motivations and deciphering any clues that lead to the final reveal.
The boy.
The Boy's digital source photography represents another example of the medium done right and its ability to more closely replicate film than the digital presentations before it. Though a touch on the noisy side, at times and particularly in lower lighting conditions, Universal's transfer is otherwise pristine. Details are exacting and thorough. Fine appointments around the home, such as wooden accents and furniture upholstery, reveal intimate, tactile textures in every scene, even in lower light conditions. Basic clothing fabric and facial features are revealingly complex. Exteriors spring to life with quality replication of the home's stone façade and the surrounding grassy and tree-heavy environment. Black levels hold deep and accurate, revealing strong shadow detailing. Flesh tones are healthy and natural. Compression anomalies and artifacts are never a problem. This is a top-tier video presentation from Universal.
The Boy's sound design is crucial to the movie's tone and the experience, and Universal's DTS-HD Master Audio track presents it with all of the nuance and placement detail one could hope for in a 5.1-channel configuration, though one can only imagine the added nuance and capabilities that would be available to it with added surround and overhead speakers. As it is, the track proves hugely impressive. Various creaks and moans around the house are perfectly integrated. Surrounds carry a large assortment of extra content that's naturally immersive and perfectly placed; the speakers create a seamless 360-degree sound field that's almost continuously active beyond quieter dialogue exchanges, all of which are aided by a deep and satisfying LFE support. Whether robust sound effects or minor interior and exterior ambience, there's always a tangible sense of aural authenticity to the track. Natural environmental details are equally impressive, whether mild winds and insects outside or a driving rain and rolling thunder that naturally penetrate and soak the listening area. Music is healthy and robust, enjoying wide spacing, realistic instrumental clarity and definition, a deep low end, and enveloping surround support. Dialogue is clear, focused, and well prioritized.
This Blu-ray release of The Boy contains no supplemental content. A UV/iTunes digital copy voucher is included with purchase.
The Boy is rather unique and keeps the audience engaged on the whys of it all, and that's its one real saving grace. It's a slow-burn experience where curiosity dominates for the duration. The end reveal isn't necessarily surprising and not necessarily satisfactory, but it leaves the audience with more questions than answers. Some may find that the movie refuses to spoon-feed a strength, and it is, to an extent, but its failure to dive even a little deeper than it does is a disappointment. Performances are generally flat, but so too is the script. Otherwise, the movie is pretty effective, particularly in its visual and aural atmosphere, the unknown elements, and the sheer creepy factor that is the porcelain doll. Universal's Blu-ray is disappointingly absent any special content; a few behind-the-scenes pieces, and a commentary, would have been welcome. Video and audio are top-notch. Recommended, despite some imperfections with the movie and the release's dearth of bonus material.
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