5.7 | / 10 |
Users | 2.0 | |
Reviewer | 2.5 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
A young woman who recently graduated from engineering school travels to a remote location to supervise the demolition of a mysterious building. She soon discovers the horrifying secrets of the building and its past inhabitants, many of whom were victims of a vicious murderer who entombed his prey alive within its walls. Now she must turn the tables on the killer before she becomes his latest victim.
Starring: Mischa Barton, Cameron Bright, Deborah Kara UngerHorror | 100% |
Thriller | 54% |
Video codec: VC-1
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
None
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.0 | |
Audio | 2.5 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 2.5 |
This is like the Bates motel -- only bigger.
No offense to Walled In, seeing that it's not a particularly dreadful movie, but the Horror
genre doesn't really seem to have much left in the tank, and this film is a fine example of a genre
picture running on fumes. It's certainly more reserved in approach than some random Saw movie and a bit
more bold than watered-down PG-13 Horror flicks, but in
the end, Walled In finds itself trapped in a seemingly inescapable prison of generic,
indifferent, and inconsequential Horror outings. Topping things off is the film's direct-to-video
release, a sure sign that there's was never much hope for or confidence in movie from the
get-go, and for every Slumdog Millionaire
that's almost dumped straight to the home video marketplace but winds up winning the Best
Picture Oscar, well, that's a one-in-a-million occurrence. Walled In isn't bad for what it
is;
that's not necessarily high or even moderate praise, but more a sign of the state of a genre in
desperate need of some fresh approaches.
That's either red paint or...THE WALL IS BLEEDING!
Walled In builds a decent foundation on Blu-ray with a 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The film often appears somewhat fuzzy and indistinct. Details are soft in some places but sharply resolved in others; the building's roughly-textured walls add a nice visual element to the film, but the transfer only handles them suitably to a point; the transfer lacks that last bit of definition to make this a truly strong transfer. Nevertheless, facial detail is consistently impressive but not on par with any number of superior transfers. Additionally, the image appears particularly flat. Grain is minimally visible throughout, and flesh tones can occasionally take on a slight red push. Most disappointing in Walled In are poorly-realized blacks. Crush is evident throughout, and gradation is poor. Blocking hinders many of the darker corners of the image, and banding is also a frequent and unwelcome guest. Walled In's transfer is by no means a poor effort, but it can be rather sloppy in places, the result a passable but ultimately disappointing Blu-ray image.
Walled In features some shoddy construction in the audio department; the disc houses but a lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack with no lossless or uncompressed option. The soundtrack does deliver a good range, from some suitably loud and aggressive musical cues to subtle outdoor ambience. However, the track's better elements are saved for later on as some of the admittedly trite Horror sound effects come into play with a decent sense of space across the front and a hint of surround support. Sam hears the distant echos of children playing, for instance, the sounds scattering about the soundstage to decent effect. Stronger sounds do more to accentuate the film; a deep, throbbing hum makes for a solid sonic tone-setter, and more powerful effects -- the slamming closed of a heavy door -- deliver some nicely pronounced lows. Surround presence is limited but enjoys a bit more use in the film's final act. Dialogue reproduction is suitably rendered with no difficulties in clarity. The lack of a high definition soundtrack is disappointing considering the opportunity to further accentuate some of the film's atmospheric sound effects. As it is, this is a passable listen only.
This Blu-ray release of Walled In contains no extra features. In fact, it doesn't even offer a top- or pop-up menu. Truly a bargain-basement release.
Walled In feels like a picture trapped in genre confines; it plays things rather safely but at the same time shies away from one extreme or the other, settling into something of a pleasant but not particularly memorable or gratifying middle ground. The story's strong enough, the performances decent, and the visuals and tone solid, and the film's otherwise strong sense of atmosphere is mostly nullified by a slightly confused and not particularly memorable conclusion. All said, Walled In is a forgettable -- but not necessarily substandard -- genre outing that's worth a watch but little more. This Starz Blu-ray release disappoints. Featuring a decidedly average transfer, a mediocre lossy soundtrack, and no extras (not even a pop-up menu), Walled In is best enjoyed as a rental.
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