The Innocents Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

The Innocents Blu-ray Movie Review

The kids aren't all right.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 14, 2022

Norway's 2021 horror export The Innocents is an alluring but frequently repulsive film about childhood boundaries and discovery. Written and directed by the prolific Eskil Vogt (The Worst Person in the World), it concerns a group of young children stuck in and around a prison-like apartment structure during a long, languid summer. We mostly see through the eyes of nine year-old Ida (Rakel Fløttum) whose family -- which also includes her severely autistic older sister Anna (Alva Ramstad) and oblivious parents (Ellen Petersen and Morten Svartveit) -- is still unpacking from their recent move, giving the curious young girl ample free time to check out the neighborhood unsupervised. Ida also displays sociopathic tendencies such as stepping on worms, pinching her mostly unresponsive sister, and even trying to cut her feet with broken glass, and only begins to question this behavior once she meets someone even worse.

That someone is Ben (Sam Ashraf), an older boy whose friendly demeanor lets Ida lower her guard; after all, kids need no greater connection than just living down the street from each other. But what really piques her curiosity is Ben's apparent telekinetic ability, which for now only lets him move lightweight objects a few feet. He's a seemingly harmless kid but shows early red flags, many of which stem from bullying at the hands of older boys or constant neglect from his single mother, and the biggest red flag of all is an extremely disturbing scene where he kills a stray cat. She's horrified, of course, yet still only avoids her new friend temporarily. Both Ida and Ben are of a similar emotional mindset: pushing boundaries just to get a reaction, and pushing even harder when no consequences are delivered.

It's a tough but understandable part of most any childhood, but The Innocents depicts its subject matter in such a way that unprepared audiences will be tempted to shut the film off early. (I honestly wouldn't blame animal lovers for doing so after that scene.) But this is such an expertly crafted production, full of strong allegories and striking visual motifs, that's its bigger than personal bias. The story deepens as other elements are introduced: young Aisha (Mina Asheim), likewise the product of a single-parent household, shows an intense emotional bond with Ida's sister Anna; she even seems to hear her thoughts and form words on Anna's behalf, breaking a long streak of silence. Deeper connections are made between these children as The Innocents progresses, though Ben's latent anger issues grow exponentially and it's not long before the young boy can break solid objects at will and even control others' behavior from a safe distance. Unexpected danger, social dynamics, great power, and great responsibility are all explored, each element laced with some of the most suspenseful and horrific fallout you're likely to see in a film starring child actors.

The Innocents may sound like some sort of R-rated X-Men: The Next Generation, but the film's structure and overall flow give it strong dream-like vibes that will sustain viewer interest even during a handful of lulls in the home stretch. It aims for artistic exploration over traditional horror tropes, legitimately reaching extremely suspenseful heights during a few crucial moments between several extended moments of calm. All the while, we get to know what makes these kids tick, why they do what they do, and how far some of them will take their new paths and abilities. So while it's certainly not for all tastes, The Innocents has a lot more going for it than what the surface suggests and anyone willing to dig deeper will find it to be a worthy trip into untapped emotional territory. Or, you might hate it.

For an equally positive take on the film, please see Brian Orndorf's similarly spoiler-light theatrical review. In the meantime, IFC Film's Blu-ray presentation of The Innocents is a fairly strong movie-only disc whose outstanding A/V merits help to make up for the disappointing lack of extras. It may not be the most recommended blind buy in recent memory, but it's been a while since any modern horror-thriller hit me with this much of an initial impact.

The Innocents Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like other aspects of this production, The Innocents features carefully-polished visuals that go a long way towards supporting its overall appeal. Clever focus pulls, stunning wide shots, repeated visual motifs, playful moments of youth, and deeply unsettling visions are all on display here, creating as beautifully-shot a film I've seen in any genre this year. It looks to be an all-digital affair but one with a very crisp appearance and tastefully-added film grain, aided of course by its beautiful lighting and tight compositions that often use the 2.39:1 frame effectively. Fine detail is outstanding in some sequences, while others aim for a softer appearance and one late-period scene takes a more stylistic approach with intentionally crushed blacks and a heavily tinted blue-green appearance. Yet the large majority of The Innocents mixes wistful magic-hour moments and even-tempered overcast days, high-texture close-ups and the cold, concrete halls of its central apartment complex. IFC Films' Blu-ray handles all of these moments uniformly well with only a few mild compression-related issues along the way; most of The Innocents plays perfectly on this dual-layered disc, which is more than enough real estate for 117 minutes of content. Shame there's no 4K option, though.

The Innocents Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, the film's default Norwegian DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix features a potent sonic atmosphere that isn't afraid to dig into the rear channels, which includes not only natural background effects but the sporadic minimalist score credited to composer Pessi Levanto. Both are generally light during the bulk of this film but ramp up considerably as tension grows, creating a satisfying contrast that keeps your ears just as interested as your eyes. Dialogue and foreground effects are well-balanced, channel separation feels natural, and low frequency effects drop in during a few opportune moments. It's not an all-out affair but is infrequently stronger than expected, creating several key sonic surprises to dress up what might otherwise be a more straightforward listening experience.

The optional English dub, presented in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio, is... not good. Most of the child actors are voiced by adults trying to do their best kid voices and this just ruins the film's dramatic atmosphere completely. Avoid this one like the plague unless you're in the mood for some unintentional comedy. (An English Descriptive Audio track is also offered, and is occasionally also hilarious due to the frequently grim subject matter.)

One other note: unfortunately, the only optional English subtitles seem to closely match the dub rather than offering a literal translation of the original Norwegian track. It's a shame that both couldn't be offered here.

The Innocents Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover artwork and no slipcover. Unfortunately, no bonus features are included either but a subtitled Norwegian-language trailer can be found here.

The Innocents Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Innocents is an impeccably crafted film with great performances and an unforgettable atmosphere; in overall tone and execution, it's just too good to let any of my personal reservations about its unsettling subject matter stand in the way. But everyone's different, and for some the sociopathic behavior of its young characters may be a deal-breaker... as in you might not even finish the movie. Needless to say, your mileage may vary and, to make matters worse, IFC's Blu-ray sadly doesn't offer much support aside from extremely solid A/V merits. (A full audio commentary or interview with the director/writer would have gone a long way here.) Despite my high overall ratings, this disc is for established fans and adventurous newcomers only -- it's not exactly great blind buy material for all audiences.