Trash Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Trash Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman July 21, 2024

Trash is an excellent yet sobering film about everyday poverty and political corruption and the intersection of the two. The film, from decorated filmmaker Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot, The Hours, The Reader), offers a story that blends sociopolitical commentary with high tension and quite a bit of action and even some mystery, building a very simple and linear, yet nevertheless emotional complex and structurally exciting, story that draws in its audience as much into it setting as its story and characters, vital because the physical setting is very much a catalyst for the emotional structure that the film builds and explores.

Trash follows the story of three poverty-stricken youth in Rio de Janeiro: they are Raphael (Rickson Tevez), Gardo (Eduardo Luis), and Rat (Gabriel Weinstein). They spend their days picking through trash at the dump in hopes of finding a scrap of food or something discarded that still holds even a smidgen of value that they might keep, sell, or trade for a bit of money or a bite of food. One day, they discover a wallet with some cash but, more importantly, a few other items that hold a secret that the corrupt authorities want back at any cost, even at the children's very lives. As they are pursued by a dark and corrupt police force, led by the viscous Federico Gonz (Selton Mello), they find respite only with the help of the kindly Father Juilliard (Martin Sheen) and Sister Olivia (Rooney Mara). As they pursuit intensifies, the boys seek a way to discover the truth behind what the police want from the wallet and why so much is at stake.

One thing that Trash does very well is to draw the audience into the darkness that defines the film. Whether that's the darkness of poverty, the darkness of corruption, or the darkness of even the human soul, there's no mistaking that the film explores the worst of humanity in a myriad of ways, some overtly, some more covertly. But there is also an underlying sense of hope. Despite their living conditions, despite the pursuit, despite the dangers, despite everything stacked against them and going against them, the boys press forward not for pride, but out of a sense of duty and doing right, in refusing to conform and comply. Of course, they are young, and of course their life experiences are limited, but their time in the trash and in poverty has not robbed them of some semblance of a moral code and compass that allows them to press ahead to do what they believe is right, and they are able to support that decision by using the street smarts and cunning they have learned over the years to help them in their cause.

The movie is very dark and violent. One of the children, for example, is tied up in the back of a police car which drives in very fast circles, tossing him about like a rag doll and leaving him bloodied and beaten to within an inch of his life. The film is not timid in terms of putting forward an air of realism, as uncomfortable as that may sometimes be. And for audiences in the first world, much of the film will prove shocking, but also sobering. It's genuine in its depictions and while maybe not directly relatable for many audiences, there is no mistaking the common themes of depravity and darkness, but also hope, that permeate the movie which are very relatable. The film is well acted, and much of the dialogue is in Portuguese, but even apart from the spoken word the movie is propelled forward by tangible emotional responses and visual aids that tell the story as richly as the dialogue.

Trash Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The 1080p transfer is solid all around, certainly not standing up or standing out as anything above and beyond the norm, but offering audiences a solid, enjoyable experience. The picture shows only a few slight flaws by way of aliasing, jagged edges, and banding, all very light, few, and far between. Overall, the picture is pleasantly sharp and clear, offering nicely defined landscapes that are roughhewn and raw, never refined but very real, and the 1080p muscle allows for audiences to really feel like part of the environment and story, especially in daylight. Additionally, facial and clothing textures are excellent. Colors push a bit warm, but the palette appears full and satisfying throughout. Black levels are solidly deep, white balance is good, and skin tones are healthy enough. This is a good presentation from Universal.

Trash Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is terrific. The track is nicely spaced and delivers fine music with deep beats and excellent surround stretch. Clarity is wonderful as well, making for a rich and satisfying full-on musical experience. The goodness does not end there. For example, the track offers very deep and rich fireworks explosions at the 79-minute mark, standing as one of the absolute best sonic moments the track has to offer. Indeed, the track is always full saturating, filling the stage with the aforementioned musical goodness but also other elements such as police sirens, and other sound effects moments later, as well as in many spots through the rest of the film. This 5.1 track is nearly as big and rich as they come. The final shout out goes to the dialogue which is as expected: superbly clear, grounded in the center, and always well prioritized. This is a very solid track from Universal.

Trash Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Trash contains no supplemental content. The main menu screen is one of those "symbols only" menus with no text. It's manageable but...is it really that much of an inconvenience to add written text or is there really any cost-saving measures associated with not adding text? Anyway, the disc did originally ship with a slipcover. Your mileage today may vary. A digital copy voucher which may now be expired is also included. No DVD disc has been bundled in.

Trash Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Trash is a very solid film about the dark realities of the world but the rays of light that can penetrate even the deepest darkness. It's a sobering, but also satisfying, journey through peril and poverty. It's well made, strongly acted, and consistently engaging. Universal's Blu-ray is disappointingly featureless, but the video and audio qualities are rock solid. Recommended.