4.5 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
A young governess is hired by a man who has become responsible for his young nephew and niece after the deaths of their parents. A modern take on Henry James' novella "The Turn of the Screw".
Starring: Mackenzie Davis, Finn Wolfhard, Brooklynn Prince, Barbara Marten, Joely RichardsonHorror | 100% |
Drama | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French (Canada): Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A, B (C untested)
Movie | 2.0 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 1.5 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Director Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways) and Screenwriter siblings Carey and Chad Hayes (House of Wax, The Conjuring) adapt Henry James' 1898 literature staple The Turning of the Screw for the screen in The Turning, an atmospheric Horror film that aesthetically adheres to contemporary convention and accomplishes little more than regurgitating stale genre motifs. The picture is well made, to be sure, technically proficient in every way but it's lacking soul. It simply powers through familiar Horror tropes: unusual happenings, ghastly apparitions, a dark history, a mysterious wealthy family, an intimidatingly large estate, and the embattled newcomer who finds herself forced to face her own fears and the family's darkest secrets. Honestly, yawn. It's a decent enough time killer but inventive or invigorating in any way this film is not.
The Turning delivers a fairly standard 1080p transfer for a new digitally photographed midrange picture. The image delivers the usual suite of high yield detail and good color, though both are somewhat limited by the movie's darker, bleaker production design. But even in lower light the picture proves well capable of delivering well rounded skin, clothing, and environmental textures, though of course in the more evenly or brightly lit scenes the viewer will find more stout and sturdy output. Color-wise, there are some interesting design juxtapositions. When Kate arrives at the house under the opening titles, it's bleak and gray – the sky is overcast, the stone is gray, and even the green grass seems to be somewhat depressed – while she's wearing a lively, brilliant red jacket. This is a theme through much of the movie: bleak tones broken up by intense reds, but at the same time there's a further tonal depression that becomes more evident through the film as even the brighter shades are drained with more evident amplification. It's not a particularly creative use of color, but it is effective. Black levels are fine, whether true low light or broken up by high yield beam flashlights. Skin tones range from relatively healthy to pale and ghastly, all by design. Noise only spikes in low light, which is frequent, and there is some banding in a difficult dark underwater scene at the 36-minute mark. Otherwise, this one's pretty well good to go.
The Turning features a relatively robust and nicely detailed Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless soundtrack. The track demonstrates fine command of space: notably, to start, realistic reverb through an empty swimming pool area at the five-minute mark. It's effortlessly large and well capable of transforming the soundstage into the big, mostly empty, location. Several such examples follow throughout the film. Thunder rolls through the speakers, various cracks and whispers linger in the house, and some heavier creaks and crashes always prove exceptionally well defined for detail and fine-tuned spacing alike. Familiar Horror score elements – a mix of high strings and low-end output – prove quite capable for clarity and stage saturation, with precise elemental placement and sound movement. Dialogue is clear and precise with a natural front-center output that only expands when the environment naturally permits.
The Turning includes an alternate ending, deleted scenes, and a featurette. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are
included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.
It's slow going to develop the story, but it's familiar going which ultimately goes nowhere. Pacing is not the film's problem – dripping information and building atmosphere is what these movies do – but rather it's the film's inability to do anything of creative interest or dramatic significance with the story. Some creepy vibes and eerie happenings are simply markers along the way. They come predictably and familiarly. The Turning is a simple recycling and regurgitating of genre tropes that leans on its technical expertise rather than any unique characteristics to sell a movie that isn't worth buying. Universal's Blu-ray does deliver perfectly good video and audio presentations and also brings with it a handful of extras. Rental.
The Secret of Marrowbone
2017
2015
Schock / Beyond the Door II
1977
2017
2014
2018
2018
1988
1964
2018
2016
Eliza Graves
2014
2014
Limited Edition to 3000 - SOLD OUT
1972
2023
Extended Director's Cut
2018
2011
2018
2013
1961