The Dry Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Dry Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Randy Miller III December 29, 2021

Robert Connolly's mystery-thriller The Dry is a terrific adaptation of the best-selling 2016 debut novel by Jane Harper. Eric Bana stars as Australian Federal Agent Aaron Falk, who returns to his small hometown of Kiewarra after a 20-year absence; the unfortunate reason for his trip is the death of childhood friend Luke Hadler, who allegedly killed his wife and son before committing suicide. Luke's ostracized parents (Bruce Spence and Julia Blake), now tasked with the care of Luke's surviving baby, are fully convinced of their late son's innocence and ask Aaron to investigate the crime. He reluctantly agrees, knowing he will be similarly demonized by most of his former friends and neighbors.

As The Dry's story gradually unfolds, it quickly becomes clear that Aaron wasn't really well-liked when he left Kiewarra, either. But once upon a time as a carefree teenager, young Aaron (Joe Klocek) often enjoyed outings with his girlfriend Ellie (Bebe Bettencourt), obnoxious Luke (Sam Corlett), and lovely Gretchen (Claude Scott-Mitchell), often swimming in a nearby river and enjoying the local scenery. Unfortunately, Ellie's sudden death, which happened when young Aaron wasn't around, was blamed on him due to circumstantial evidence. However, fear still led the young man to lie about his whereabouts that day; a half-truth reluctantly accepted by his trusting father (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) even when the locals basically drove the pair out of town. So, it would seem, Aaron's not-so-triumphant return carries with it plenty of emotional baggage... but whether or not the separate deaths are connected remains to be seen.

The Dry's unyielding patience is greatly appreciated. Told in intermittent flashbacks and sprinkled with contextual clues, it offers a relatively straightforward mystery that feels more compelling because of its clever construction. It plays like a fractured story that's being pasted back together in tiny pieces, all set against a memorable Australian backdrop that emphasizes how climate change has torn apart the local community's livelihood -- even the river where Aaron, Ellie, Luke, and Gretchen swam has now dried up into an unrecognizable husk of its former glory. (Appropriately enough, it was filmed on location in rural Australia where such effects have actually taken hold.) The Dry's eroded visuals, editing, and music -- combined with the excellent performances, of course -- merge to create a film that's slightly more than the sum of its parts... and one that, despite its largely resolved central story, feels like one where repeat viewings will uncover additional clues and subtle hints. While its de facto cllmax doesn't quite reveal itself in a satisfying manner, it does lead to a compelling resolution that feels more in line with The Dry's measured, careful pacing.

For a similarly positive take on the film, please refer to my colleague Brian Orndorf's theatrical review.

Luckily, those who missed The Dry during its brief theatrical window can enjoy RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray package, which offers an outstanding 1080p transfer (that greatly supports its filmed source material) as well as a few light bonus features for a reasonable asking price. It's a perfect example of great blind-buy material: the film itself is solid with potential replay value, and it likely looks and sounds as good as it did in most theatrical settings.

The Dry Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

According to one of the accompanying behind-the-scenes featurettes, The Dry has purely filmic roots that are wisely split between the two decades in which its story takes place: 35mm for the "modern" footage, and 16mm for the numerous flashback sequences. It's an effective technique that makes a big difference on larger setups, where viewers can appreciate the varied levels of image detail and film grain that each format provides. (The included screenshots, though not organized in any particular way, should be easy enough to differentiate.) Regardless, what The Dry offers in both formats is a frequently jaw-dropping image that's supported by largely muted but nicely saturated colors, solid image depth, excellent shadow detail, and frequently stunning textures. This obviously applies most favorably to the regular sun-baked outdoor locations but also can be seen on dark and dimly-lit interiors as well, which suffer from precious few compression issues like posterization, very mild banding, and one or two moments of black crush. But these are true rarities in an overall near-flawless transfer that largely pushes format limitations. I'd have loved to see a film like this get the 4K treatment, but it's hard to complain when the Blu-ray looks this good from start to finish.

The Dry Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Equally impressive is the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix, which serves up an engaging atmosphere that ranges from serene quietness to back-and-forth conversations and a few moments of extreme intensity. Dialogue is largely confined to the center channel but occasionally ventures outward, sometimes spilling into the rears in more wide-open locations or in more crowded conversations. Music, on the other hand, typically stays in the background, creating more of a subtle ambient mood than one dominated by propulsive or on-the-nose cues. It's a relatively straightforward but patently effective mix that, at the very least, gets the job done with no real exceptions.

Optional English (SDH) and Spanish subtitles are offered during the main feature only; they may prove to be helpful when deciphering some of the stronger Aussie dialects and slang.

The Dry Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes - The six promotional featurettes cover general aspects of the production including its initial development, adapting Jane Harper's novel into a two-hour film, the author's appearance in the film as an extra, telling two stories from different decades, the relationship between detective Aaron Falk and his "old friend" Gretchen, and filming in areas of rural Australia deeply affected by climate change. Participants include director/co-writer Robert Connolly. co-writer Harry Cripps, author Jane Harper, producers Jodi Matterson and Steve Hutensky, cinematographer Stefan Duscio, actors Eric Bana and Genevieve O'Reilly, and more.

• Homecoming (3:36)
• Page to Screen (4:27)
• Jane Harper's Day on Set (2:32)
• Two Timelines (3:34)
• Falk and Gretchen (1:55)
• Filiming in the Wimmera Region (3:08)

The Dry Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Connolly's Dry offers a slow-building but effective thriller which tells two stories, decades apart, that converge in a compelling way. It's a thoughtful adaptation of Jane Harper's popular 2016 novel thanks to excellent performances, memorable characters, and its unfolding structure that's aided by great editing and thoughtful cinematography. RLJ Entertainment's Blu-ray offers solid support including a terrific 1080p transfer, effective lossless audio, and a handful of short but appreciated bonus features. Recommened, even as a blind buy, at the current asking price.