Rating summary
| Movie |  | 3.5 |
| Video |  | 4.5 |
| Audio |  | 4.0 |
| Extras |  | 1.5 |
| Overall | | 3.5 |
Vacancy Blu-ray Movie Review
Sony brings a little seen but well crafted thriller to Blu-ray
Reviewed by Ben Williams August 16, 2007
Vacancy, from Sony Pictures, arrived in theaters this past April and if you blinked, you probably missed it. With the relative deluge of slasher flicks that have hit cinemas over the past year, it’s easy to see how this smaller, more suspense-oriented film was easily lost in the shuffle. Now that the film has made the transition to Blu-ray, audiences now have a chance to make time for a film that is deserving of more attention than it received in theaters.
David and Amy Fox (Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale) have had a rocky marriage, to say the least. With the recent death of their young son and the tension that it has caused within the marriage, the couple has agreed to divorce. As luck would have it, only mere hours away from finalizing their divorce, David and Amy are forced to seek refuge in a seedy motel after their car breaks down. Once inside, they will discover that they are intended to be the latest subjects of a snuff film made by a gang of thugs that prey on weary travelers.
Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson star in this taut psychological thriller
While the plot might sound a bit contrived,
Vacancy succeeds in creating a palpable sense of tension. I was impressed with both Beckinsale and Wilson, in that both rise above the clichéd performances that usually accompany these types of roles. The film itself is well crafted and focuses more on building suspense and off camera brutality rather than by piling on the gore. It’s a nice change of pace and definitely a welcome break from all the heavy, gut-wrenching bloodletting that seems to be all-to common in theaters these days. While the film does have its fair share of problems, the effectiveness of the story is what drives the film home.
Vacancy won’t please everyone, but I do recommend it on the strength of its strong performances and its commitment to story and suspense.
Vacancy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
Sony brings Vacancy home on Blu-ray with another top-notch AVC encode. I wasn't able to see the film theatrically, but what is presented here is a very natural and film-like transfer that is free from any noticeable compression artifacts and other nasty video anomalies. Color fidelity is exceptional and I found that many of the darkly lit scenes in the film still had a nice colorful pop in the occasional wash of color that pops up from time to time. Black levels are also outstanding in Vacancy with a truly remarkable amount of shadow detail. All in all, this is a very nice transfer that reinforces Sony's commitment to quality, even on smaller films and catalog releases.
Vacancy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
Vacancy isn't going to win any awards for sound design, but the film does a surprisingly effective job of creating the spooky atmosphere necessary in a tension-based thriller. This uncompressed PCM track is primarily ambient in nature, with surround channels being used to add a subtle amount of rear fill and the occasional directional element. Dialog is also nicely represented here in a crystal-clear form that is always easy to understand and never muffled. This track is further proof that uncompressed audio is beneficial on even the smallest, low-budget films and isn't only a necessity on big-budget special effects extravaganzas.
Vacancy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Here's what's included:
-"Checking In: The Cast and Crew of Vacancy"
-Extended Snuff Picks
-Alternate Ending
-Deleted Scenes
It might look, at first, as though this a pretty in-depth set of extra features, but the reality of the situation is that these extras are pretty boring. While the entire set (with the exception of a single deleted scene) is presented in high definition, what we are left with are scraps from the cutting room floor and a standard fluff piece of a behind the scenes documentary. The alternate ending is of some interest, but most viewers won't give these supplements more than a first viewing.
Vacancy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
Vacancy was overlooked in theaters this past April, and that's a shame, as the film is surprisingly effective. Viewers looking for a thriller with less of a focus on gore will find this to be a very taut and well-crafted film. The video presentation of Vacancy is truly outstanding and the audio portion of the film is also nicely atmospheric. Vacancy is definitely worth a look!
