6.5 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Two dysfunctional couples rent a modern luxury desert home for the weekend hoping to sort out their messed-up lives. Just as they are about to settle in for a fun night, a neighbour turns up at their front door saying she has car trouble. And that's when the murderous trouble really starts.
Starring: Angela Trimbur, Zach Avery, Janel Parrish, Jonathan Howard (III), Carlo RotaThriller | 100% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
It’s hard out there for a home invasion thriller. There’s a lot of competition for the horror hound’s dollar, and the subgenre has been exhausted. “Trespassers” (previously known as “Hell Is Where the Home Is”) has something interesting brewing underneath its ultraviolence, with director Orson Oblowitz trying to inject as much visual variation as possible while working with very little money, and screenwriter Corey Deshon has a germ of an idea to help subvert expectations, which is more exciting than any offering of bodily harm. “Trespassers” doesn’t remain in the realm of promise for long enough, soon switching over to a formulaic understanding of terror from masked men. It’s certainly inspired at times, but not particularly brave.
Faced with very little money to make his movie, director Orson Oblowitz tries to expand the visual potential of the endeavor with extreme lighting. The AVC encoded image (2.39:1 aspect ratio) presentation explores a great deal of natural light with the remote location, offering bright sunshine and illuminated interiors, but when the story turns to dire events of survival, property light comes into play, bathing the frame in washes of purple, blue, and green, often at the same time. Trips to a darkroom also permit red to dominate. More restrained elements of domestic design are balanced as well, finding white kitchens and warmer living areas preserved. Hues also deliver with bloodshed and skintones, which find their natural appeal. Delineation survives stretches with limited lighting. Detail is strong throughout the viewing event, with a sharp look at the characters, focusing on facial particulars in close-ups and bodily wounds when violence enters the tale. Household tours are equally textured, and exteriors are dimensional, offering depths for a largely claustrophobic film.
The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix brings the intensity of "Trespassers" to life, leading with scoring cues, which provide a crisp synth throb, supporting the mayhem without overwhelming it. The few soundtrack selections are equally present, including some opening Tejano that contributes some rare tuba weight, giving low-end some life. Dialogue exchanges are clear, securing emotionality and surges of distress. Surrounds are strong with atmospherics and music, providing a full sense of envelopment at times, with some channel effects to support suspense.
Certain elements of "Trespassers" register highly, including electro-throb scoring from Jonathan Snipes (who also pays tribute to Ennio Morricone), and cinematography by Noah Rosenthal. Oblowitz also does well with a few visceral highlights, keeping raw hands on sharp blades and exposed feet on broken glass. However, the final 20 minutes, where all hell breaks loose, is fairly routine, filled with feverish chases, aggressive men, and moments of torture. "Trespassers" loses its nerve when pursuing frights, relying on the familiar to appeal to audiences when it has a golden opportunity to create a more original nightmare.
2016
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