The Nest Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

The Nest Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf June 5, 2021

After making a critical splash with 2011’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” writer/director Sean Durkin finally finds his way to a follow-up with 2020’s “The Nest.” It’s a period picture, and one that looks beyond the decorative aspects of the 1980s to understand the decade’s particular lust for greed and social standing, following the disintegration of a seemingly happy family. Durkin retains the coldness of “Martha Marcy May Marlene,” giving “The Nest” space to examine the souring of personal relationships and the corruption of responsibility. This particular chill doesn’t inspire a hypnotic viewing experience, but it does permit the actors an opportunity to find their characters with their own timing and emphasis.

Living a luxury life in New York in the 1980s, trader Rory (Jude Law) and his wife, Allison (Carrie Coon), are seemingly satisfied, keeping a domestic routine with their children, Ben (Charlie Shotwell) and Sam (Oona Roche). Ready to return to London for a fresh start, Rory organizes a move overseas, renting a large estate while buying his wife a horse to care for as he returns to his old business world habits. However, when the bills are suddenly not being paid, Allison begins to suspect Rory of lying to her, creating doubt and contempt in their marriage, with their increasing unhappiness seeping into the lives of their children.

“The Nest” isn’t a takedown of the yuppie lifestyle, but Durkin is interested in the illusion of success as way to encourage actual success and deny the reality of daily life. Rory is a fast-talking man with a history of trading experience, but he’s also suspiciously restless with his family, sending them through multiple relocations, with the big leap to London meant to become a major opportunity for him, reuniting with his old boss. All is meant to be well, with Rory hoping to calm Allison with a fur, fancy dinners, and a horse to work with, effectively building a wall between his professional experience and his domestic responsibilities. “The Nest” isn’t plot-driven, as Durkin observes the gradual decline of the characters, with the kids becoming more isolated and Allison finally finding shape to Rory’s ego-centric gamesmanship, recognizing her role in his habitual dishonesty.

The Nest Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Shot on film, "The Nest" offers a distinctly dark look that reflects the mood of the characters and the autumnal setting. The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation does well with the demands of the cinematography, preserving as much frame information as possible as scenes slip into complete darkness at times, and costuming retains dense fabrics and limited color. The overall palette pursues a colder atmosphere of rural living, while lighting provides an amber glow during restaurant visits and home parties. Workplace attire favors grays and blues. Skintones are natural, along with greenery. Dimension is found with big household spaces and horse training areas, and decoration is open for examination. Detail supplies deep facial textures for concerned characters. Grain has some mildly blockier areas, and slight banding is detected.

The Nest Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix secures crisp dialogue exchanges, tracking sometimes hushed conversations and broader workplace outbursts without distortion. Scoring provides a gentle jazzy sound with distinct instrumentation, capturing delicate piano. Surrounds are effective with music, finding pop songs of the era handling with a pleasingly echoed room tone. Atmospherics with wide open spaces and tighter office activity are satisfactory. Low-end isn't challenged, but harder hits of violent horse activity are appreciable.

The Nest Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Scene Anatomy" (4:03, HD) is a short featurette featuring actor Jude Law and writer/director Sean Durkin (recorded through video conferencing), who discuss a moment in "The Nest" involving Rory's business pitch to his boss. The two explore performance, character, camera moves, and writing choices, breaking down the scene for viewers looking to better understand the filmmaking process.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:11, HD) is included.

The Nest Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Nest" isn't a film with much in the way of suspense or dread, but growing unease registers as intended. Durkin spends more time on the look and sound of the movie than he does developing its dramatic possibilities, but he casts the picture smartly, giving Law and Coon chances to explore character woes and increasing agitation between Allison and Rory, with the pair superb here. "The Nest" isn't a commanding feature, which falls in line with Durkin's previous endeavor, but there's interest in human habits and deceptions that keep the effort compelling.