The Reef Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		3.0

The Reef Blu-ray Movie Review

The Reef is an exciting action-thriller of the ocean. Executive produced by Michael Baskin (Black Water: Abyss, Road Kill) and Janine Pearce (Road Kill, Embedded). Starring Damian Walshe-Howling, Gyton Grantley, Adrienne Pickering, Zoe Naylor, Kieran Darcy-Smith, and Mark Simpson.

A group of friends are on a vacation on a sailboat when the boat becomes overturned and capsized. The resulting boat sinking leaves the friends to fight for survival as the survivors find themselves going face up against a great white shark hunting them down. Can the survivors make it to the reef and save their lives? 

The ensemble cast of characters includes Luke (Damian Walshe-Howling), Matt (Gyton Grantley), Suzie (Adrienne Pickering), Kate (Zoe Naylor), Warren (Kieran Darcy-Smith), and Shane (Mark Simpson). The cast did an impressive job in their respective roles. The ensemble really made the filmmaking all the more entertaining and engaging. There is a good sense of camaraderie between the cast members. Certainly, the cast elevated the material and delivered solid performances that are essential to the experience.

The score composed by Rafael May (Secrets of the Octopus, Scrublands) is well done and adds some fun excitement and tension to the thriller. The underwater sequences and jump cuts are more effective in the film because of the score by May. The score certainly highlights the character moments well, too.

The cinematography by Daniel Ardilley (Lessons in the Language of Love, Kapara) is well done and an important aspect of the production. The cinematography shines and certainly plays a big role in the feature-film. The visuals are beautiful and make a big difference. The creative cinematography helps enhance the terror as well.

Edited by Peter Crombie (Triangle, Alone Australia), The Reef is well paced and the flow of the filmmaking is excellent. Crombie is a talented editor and someone with a keen sense of style. Everything flows well with the editorial vision of Crombie. The editing is especially potent in the quick cuts between the cast members and the underwater footage of actual sharks. The editing oversight made the tension all the more palpable.

The production designs by Adam Head (Black Water: Abyss, The Possessed) are well done. The design efforts help to enhance the storytelling. The art direction by Adam Head helps with the effort as well. Head does well in both roles.

Written and directed by Andrew Traucki (Black Water, The Reef: Stalked), The Reef is a fun thriller and one worth seeing. The cast did a phenomenal job with the film and the director brought the best out of everyone. The filmmaking is tense and exciting and there is a sense of energy that carries throughout the film and into the conclusion. The last act of The Reef is especially compelling fun. A good thriller and journey.

The Reef Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Umbrella Entertainment, The Reef is strangely presented in an aspect ratio of 1.77:1 widescreen and not the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.39:1. I'm not sure why they did an elaborate edition of the film without the original aspect ratio (OAR) left intact. It surprises me and it certainly is noteworthy. I didn't notice any strange or out of place visuals where cropping is noticeable immediately on first glance but in a side by side comparison I am sure there will be discrepancies that are notable. The transfer looks crisp and clear and has good detail overall but the cropping is a big issue.

The Reef Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound. The lossless surround sound is epic sounding in every sense of the word. The engaging lossless surround soundstage offers up an entertaining soundtrack with good clarity throughout. The sound effects and sound design well emphasized throughout.

The Reef Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The limited edition comes with a deluxe chipboard artbox, booklet, artcards, and poster.

On disc supplements:

Audio Commentary with Director Andrew Traucki Moderated by Journalist David Michael Brown

Interview with Actor Gyton Grantley (HD, 11:01)

Interview with Actor Adrienne Pickering (HD, 14:57)

A Shark's Tale: Laurent Auclair on The Reef (HD, 14:05)

Shooting with Sharks: The Making of The Reef (HD, 24:56)

Behind the Scenes Stills Gallery (HD, 3:08)

Trailer (HD, 2:09)

The Reef Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Reef is an entertaining shark thriller and one that is well worth seeing. The performances are fun and the ensemble cast did a terrific job. The Blu-ray release is unfortunately not in the original aspect ratio, but has good lossless audio and a nice selection of bonus features. The collectors edition release looks gorgeous with collectables and packaging that impresses in spades. Recommended.