The Tank Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		2.0

The Tank Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 27, 2023

One of the things that the first entry in the Scream franchise did so well was to rather slyly and I'd argue also smartly deconstruct all of the stupid decisions people make in horror films, decisions which then lead to at least trauma and tribulation, if not outright evisceration. Unless I'm misremembering some plot element in that film, there was no warning about assuming ownership of some mysterious abandoned property, especially if it has some potentially gruesome history involving your own family, but that hoary plot conceit is what underlies (in more ways than one) The Tank. Well Go USA just went down this (haunted?) garden path with their recent releases of both Scream and Death Knot, and they're back for a third "at bat" with this admittedly at least intermittently spooky feature which nonetheless can't help but suffer from some major "been there, seen that" elements.

Adding potential insult to this déjà vu injury, at least for those who, as I do, live in a certain region of the Pacific Northwest, this evidently New Zealand shot feature is supposed to take place in Oregon, which is where a dilapidated old coastal property comes into the possession of young couple Ben (Matt Whelan) and Jules (Luciane Buchanan). (To their credit, the filmmakers have at least offered an accurate Oregon coastal county name in passing.) It wouldn't be a "true" horror film if the couple didn't have an adorable daughter, in this case a little girl named Reia (Zara Nusbaum) who gets to intone this film's version of "they're baaack". Suffice it to say that an oversized cistern on the property may have more than merely dank old water in it, and that's basically the gist of the tale, albeit with a bit of that "family history" aspect dangled in front of the viewer to supposedly provide more intrigue.

As is alluded to in some of the brief supplements included on this disc, writer-director Scott Walker may not have had the most fulsome budget to work with, meaning the ostensible monster scares are limited. Walker obviously wanted to ply the well trod "eco horror" subgenre, but that very fact probably points out as readily as anything how derivative so much of this film feels. There's some occasionally mist strewn evocative cinematography and a couple of jolts from Max Aruj's score, but the basic story here is pretty rote.

Note: For those who may want more of the plot dynamics, Brian Orndorf's review of the film's brief theatrical exhibition provides some details, though Brian comes to more or less the same conclusions about things that I do.

The Tank Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Tank is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Kind of interestingly, the IMDb lists the Sony CineAlta Venice as the camera of choice, but for those who want to examine the supplements on this disc frame by frame, there is some relatively clear footage showing cameras with Arri logos, for what that's worth. One way or the other this is a competent digital capture that I'm assuming had a 2K DI. Detail levels are at times materially affected by both lighting conditions and grading choices. The film does offer an accurately desaturated and gray look at what is supposed to be a rainy Oregon forest environment, but that said, some of the interstitial bright summery outdoor scenes pop with some authority and with noticeably better fine detail levels. While there's no noisy element to some of the dark scenes, notably the sequences inside the film's titular structure, there is recurrent crush and pretty murky shadow detail.

The Tank Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Tank features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is (pun unavoidable) especially immersive in some of the tank sequences, where the spill of water and other, well, slithery sounds can trickle through the side and rear channels. A glut of outdoor material also provides a wealth of ambient environmental sounds, including everything from winds rustling through forested areas to the supposedly calming lap of ocean waves hitting a beach. Score and sound effects also receive fine support throughout the track. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Tank Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Look Into The Tank (HD; 3:25) is a decent if very short EPK with some interviews with Walker and the cast.


• Making the Creature (HD; 5:21) has some fun footage of fabrication as well as an interview with the real life contortionist who donned the rubber suit.


• Trailer (HD; 2:19)

Additionally, packaging features a slipcover.

Note: As tends to be the case with Well Go USA Blu-ray releases, the disc has been authored so that supplements follow one another automatically (so that clicking on A Look Into 'The Tank' is essentially a Play All button. The disc is also authored to automatically move on to trailers for other Well Go USA releases after the Trailer for this film plays. Those trailers for other Well Go USA releases also play automatically at disc boot up.

The Tank Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It's almost impossible not to feel a sense of dread when Ben ventures into the tank, and anyone with claustrophobia or fear of quasi-antediluvian creatures waiting in the watery dark should probably stay far, far away from this feature. The biggest problem with The Tank, though, is that you've probably seen it before in some slightly altered guise, and this "version" simply doesn't offer enough "new, improved" content to make it consistently visceral. Technical merits are generally solid and the brief supplements enjoyable for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.