Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.0

The Sinner: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 12, 2022

There is an old saying that goes something like "throw enough of [whatever] at the wall and some of it is bound to stick. That certainly seems to be true of today's television landscape, which is absolutely saturated with content. Much of it is mediocre, some of it truly stinks, and some of it has produced some of the best television of recent memory. That latter part is certainly true of The Sinner and its first season, a mesmerizing and absolutely compelling psychological Horror told in eight parts that are as smartly written and superbly performed as they are dramatically engaging and darkly satisfying.

Breaking.

Official synopsis: 'The sinner' follows a young mother (Jessica Biel) who, when on a day trip with her husband (Christopher Abbot) and son, commits a startling act of violence and, to her horror, has no idea why. The event launches an inverted and utterly surprising crime thriller whose driving force is not the "who" or the "what" -- but the "why." When an investigator (Bill Pullman) finds himself obsessed with uncovering the woman's buried motive, together they travel a harrowing journey into the depths of her psyche and the violent secrets hidden in her past.

Biel is terrific in the lead, offering a complexly rendered psychological exploration that not only details the character but opens up her psyche. These are the hardest parts to perform; it is not a question of simply performing action, looking a certain way, or standing in a particular manner that defines a character like this, but it is almost entirely the internal scars, the unseen characteristics, the deeply rooted traumas and suppressed memories and all of those internalized details that shape the character. Only when in full command of the unseen can Biel offer her take on the outside, which she accomplishes to richly rewarding impact. Pullman is good in the lead support role, a man facing his own demons and himself offering something of a sober take on things. His is the more stock character, but he manages it well. The show is technically sound in support of its sharp drama and expert writing.

The following episodes comprise season one:

Disc One:

• Part I: An unassuming housewife violently stabs a beachgoer to death sparking an investigation by local police and sudden confusion in a small town.
• Part II: Cora tries to block Ambrose’s continuing investigation, while Mason struggles to come to terms with secrets from Cora’s past.
• Part III: Ambrose unearths a startling secret about Cora that changes the course of the investigation; Mason takes matters into his own hands.
• Part IV: With Ambrose’s help, Cora struggles to recover missing memories, which lead Ambrose to a new suspect.

Disc Two:

• Part V: The discovery of a body in the woods leads to more questions for everyone.
• Part VI: As Ambrose begins to waver, Cora convinces him to take his greatest risk yet for the case.
• Part VII: Cora journeys into the past, finally remembering the night in question.
• Part VIII: Cora’s fate is determined in the Season Finale of “The Sinner.”

The Sinner: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Overall, Universal's 1080p Blu-ray image for The Sinner fares well, but it is not without a couple of issues. First, the good. The image is very clean and efficient. The 1080p resolution is plenty capable of bringing out the high yield picture clarity and textural intricacies within each frame. Facial close-ups, of course, are amongst the highlights, whether looking at small skin imperfections, Ambrose's dense facial hair, and other fine lines and hairs as applicable. Clothing is nicely revealing in close-up as well, showing fine point stitching and fabric density in every shot. Environments are richly realized, too, from the complex sandy beaches seen in the first episode to the barren, spartan prison interiors seen later in that episode, and beyond. Clarity and sharpness are, simply, never an issue. Also of note is the high yield color palette which holds to natural temperature and stable contrast. there is no push to warm or cool. Primaries pop with potent vividness, including the red blood seen after the murder in the opening episode. Clothes, lips, eyes, everything with opportunity for fine color output succeeds in delivering top-tier intensity and stability. That includes positive black levels, crisp whites, and natural looking skin tones. The picture does suffer from an unusually high noise output, evident, often, even in well-lit scenes, swarming to the point of distraction in places. Likewise, some compression issues are in evidence; backgrounds are rarely solid, appearing malleable and at times chunky. Were it not for these issues the image should have rated much more highly, but it is still a solid, watchable picture.

The Sinner: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The original language English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is the only audio option for this release. No subtitles are included. The track is technically fine, but the show's sound design leaves listeners a bit wanting. Though some sporadic encounters with larger stage engagement are to be found, the show's audio is primarily dialogue driven with straightforward, and straight up the middle, audio cues leading the charge. Dialogue is well prioritized, clear, clean, efficient, and stable throughout as it flows from the center channel. Music offers good natural front-end width and adequate clarity. Ambience, such as on the busy beach in episode one, is fine, though not completely enveloping. This is a very basic listen, but it supports the show's needs well enough.

The Sinner: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The only supplements included in this two-disc set are a few Deleted Scenes (1080p, 4:04 total runtime) spanning several episodes on disc two. The main menu screens are static with options only to play episodes or, on disc two, watch the deleted scenes. There is no inner print artwork. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

The Sinner: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Sinner weaves together a story that is simple on the surface but psychologically deep and troubling further down the line as it opens up Cora's life and past and the darkness that has come to define it. The show is engaging, just the right length to hold interest, and supported by a pair of terrific lead performances. The video and audio qualities are decent enough, but the former is troubled in some spots and the latter just isn't very interesting from a sound design perspective. Supplements are limited to a few minutes' worth of deleted scenes. Recommended primarily on the strength of the show.