The Maiden Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

The Maiden Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf August 21, 2025

“The Maiden” is the directorial debut for Graham Foy, and he aims to revive the cinema of Terrence Malick and other filmmakers of his generation with the feature. It’s an atmospheric viewing experience focusing on the behaviors of teenagers as they deal with loss in many forms, processing major changes to their lives in silence as they try to participate in daily routine. There are actually two stories to examine here, as Foy tries to get poetic with “The Maiden,” examining the troubles and isolation of outsiders during turbulent emotional times, often doing so with deliberate distance.

Colton (Marcel T. Jimenez) and Kyle (Jackson Sluiter) are high school pals, spending their free time on skateboards as they roll around town, looking for adventures. During one of these excursions, Kyle jumps ahead on a railroad track, leaving Colton behind to witness his death. Left to deal with his grief, Colton pulls away from others, struggling with heavy emotions as he tries to process what’s happened. During this daze, he finds a diary in the woods, which belongs to Whitney (Hayley Ness), an autistic girl who also experienced an unwanted separation, leading her to detach from the world around her.

Colton’s journey takes up the first half of “The Maiden,” establishing Foy’s love of observation, training his camera on the teenagers as they experience life. They find mischief, speed across town on their skateboards, and go swimming in a local river, and Foy is there to cover it all, often in real time. Situations emerge to snap the feature out of its haze, including the discovery of a dead cat, which inspires a funeral for the animal, putting Colton and Kyle to work. Eventually, a horrible loss enters “The Maiden,” and Foy is there to track Colton’s response to it all, generating a few powerful moments of submission to the major emotions coming for the young man.

“The Maiden” eventually switches over to Whitney’s story, watching the girl handle being dumped by her best friend, who’s turned her attention to a cruel classmate. Colton’s discovery of Whitney’s diary connects the two sections of the film, but Foy remains careful to remain in a near-dreamlike state, possibly playing the second half of the picture in flashback, or perhaps as a ghost story of sorts. The interpretive nature of “The Maiden” is there for the taking, but Foy gently refuses urgency of any kind, content to live in the feature, not necessarily guide it.

The Maiden Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The visual presentation for "The Maiden" preserves the film-like look of the feature, which was originally shot on 16mm. Grain is heavy and nicely resolved throughout the viewing experience. Detail reaches as far as possible, exploring the textured appearances of the young cast, delivering interesting skin particulars. Exteriors reach deep as experiences take the characters into remote areas. Interiors around school are dimensional. Color is sharp, maintaining steady primaries on clothing choices and school decoration. Greenery is distinct. Skin tones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Source is in good condition.

The Maiden Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix deals with the relatively simple sound design of "The Maiden," which is made up of extended silences and atmospherics. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, preserving amateur acting choices throughout the listening event. Music is sparingly used, but instrumentation is defined. Surrounds aren't commanding, as the track is mostly frontal, but musical moods register, along with elements of nature. Low-end has its power, especially with train activity that adds appealing rumble.

The Maiden Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet is included.

• Commentary features cast and crew.

• Deleted Scenes (27:51, HD) are provided.

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette (20:21, HD) captures cast and crew camaraderie during the shooting of "The Maiden," which occurred from July-September, 2021.

• And a Trailer (2:12, HD) is included.

The Maiden Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Maiden" has its frustrating moments, and there's plenty of indulgence to get through before something of note happens. It's not a stunning sit of powerful artfulness, but there are elements of adolescent pain that are strikingly universal, and cinematography by Kelly Jeffrey is exceptional, capturing the world of these teens and the intimacy of their feelings, providing peeks into internal lives the rest of the endeavor largely ignores.