The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		1.5
Video		4.0
Audio		2.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 7, 2015

“The Unwanted” is inspired by “Carmilla,” an 1872 Irish novella about vampirism that predated Bram Stoker’s “Dracula.” A brew of lesbianism and domestic dysfunction, the picture is certainly ambitious, with director Bret Wood cranking up the Southern Gothic atmosphere to the best of his ability, filling the feature with smoke, shadows, and bloodletting. Unfortunately, “The Unwanted” can’t shed its amateurish execution, with stiff performances trying to make sense of a confused screenplay, while editing woes and budgetary restraints tend to muzzle anything of worth in the effort.

Christen Orr and Hannah Fierman star as tentative lovers with taste for blood during their lovemaking sessions, while William Katt portrays a concerned father with more on his mind than simply protecting his daughter from the creatures of the night. “The Unwanted” aims to be a romantic journey of sexual awakening and intimate connection, yet Wood isn’t big on forward momentum, lingering on scenes of seduction and confession that are handled poorly by the cast. The horror elements are hazy at best, striving to strike a Tony Scott-esque mood of lustful need but mostly register as absurdity, especially when the screenplay connects the very real disorder of self-harm with the passion of monsters. For added ick, incest and graphic murder are included as well, trying to beef up the picture’s shock value when nothing else seems to be working.

The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation looks normal for an HD-shot feature. Sharpness is impressive, bringing out incredible detail on faces, with Katt's creases highlighted and Fierman's bulging eyes offering a reflective surface. Textures on sets and locations are also welcoming. Colors aren't emphasized, but what's permitted to break through is treated respectfully, showing stability. Delineation has its struggles with evening encounters, solidifying on occasion. A minor amount of banding is detected as well.

The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Confusing is the 2.0 LPCM sound mix, which contains almost no secure balance between music and voices. Volume riding is required throughout the listening experience, with blaring soundtrack cuts unleashed without warning, while dialogue exchanges are impossibly quiet, frequently threatened by atmospherics, which are unusually amplified. The track is weird to begin with, with interiors retaining crisp exterior noise, so perhaps the mix never had a fighting chance to arrange its spookiness.

The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Making Of (9:22, HD) is a brief look at the production's history, with cast and crew interviews helping to illuminate creative choices. Some BTS footage is included as well.

• Deleted Scenes (13:29, HD) provide additional dimension to the relationships and add more spooky events with a shadowy boogeyman.

• "The Other Half" (17:19, SD) is a 2008 short film from Bret Wood.

• And Trailer A (1:23, HD) and Trailer B (:59, HD) are included.

The Unwanted Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Unwanted" snakes through flashbacks, dreamscapes, and desires, biting off way more than it can chew with its limited budget and clouded casting imagination. All this flesh and sexuality feels utterly cold to the touch, while dramatic encounters fall flat as the story struggles for clarity, often pushed aside entirely so Wood can indulge his interests in horror without ever earning the carnage.