Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie Review

Welcome to Hell is a horror-thriller with supernatural elements. Executive produced by Florencia Franco (To Kill the Dragon, Expansivas), Welcome to Hell is an interesting Spanish horror film with a unique approach to a Satanic cult storyline. Produced by Jimena Monteoliva, Welcome to Hell is a unique offering of international horror – part realistic drama and part supernatural horror and all with a backdrop of black metal music. Welcome to Hell stars Constanza Cardillo and Demián Salomón.

Lucía (Constanza Cardillo) wants to live a simple life away from her past. Lucia is now searching for a fresh start when she meets the strange and mysterious black metal singer Cristian (Demián Salomón). The two connect and an unexpected romance between Lucia and Cristian begins to start.

Things escalate quickly when Lucia finds herself involved in Cristian’s own Satanic group. The satanic group isn’t all just something for show while performing in concert. Now determined to flee from Cristian and his satanic cult, Lucia flees and is determined to save herself and her unborn. Despite her attempt to flee from the satanic cult, a dangerous and horrifying present awaits her – one with ritualistic murder – a sacrifice that could end with her dead.

Constanza Cardillo delivers a strong lead performance. The performance has more nuance and grit than one might expect to find for the film. The performance feels right at home for an independent drama. Sometimes, Welcome to Hell feels surprisingly reserved and like a domestic drama with the leading performance showcasing a woman facing relationship issues and family strife. Cardillo handles the character well and imbues an authenticity into her performance. Opposite Cardillo, Demián Salomón provides a raw anger and anguish to his role as Cristian. The part is well performed and feels believable within the story.

The production design by Catalina Oliva (A Singular Crime, La Exorcista) is a highlight of the film and there is something to appreciate about the aesthetic. The style is raw and real – the film sometimes feels like a documentary (especially with the number of outdoor scenes filmed in a natural landscape) against the backdrop of the production design elements that add some sense of dread to the film, especially in the second half (as the demonic aspects start to take shape).

The costumes by Peta Acevedo (Russian Roulette, El Hombre Inconcluso) work well for the production, too. The costumes are certainly inspired and showcase a sense of gritty authenticity for both Lucía and Cristian. The costuming for Cristian is especially interesting given the black metal music element to the film. The designs are effective throughout the production.

The cinematography by Federico Bracken (Bernarda es la patria, La otra piel) and Georgina Pretto (Death Doesn't Exist, and Love Doesn't Either, How Most Things Work) is a noteworthy part of the feature-film. The cinematography is strikingly beautiful at times (especially with the visuals being capable of highlighting the scenic outdoors in a beautifully photographic way). As the film and story progresses and the demonic and Satanic cult elements enter the equation, the cinematography has a interesting visual style, highlighting the deep reds and the stark bleakness of dark.

The score composed by Demián Rugna (Terrified, You Don't Know Who You're Talking To) is an effective part of the film. The music adds some dread and unease to the film. The soundtrack also features black metal music. The black metal music is surprisingly effective for the story and adds more to the tone of the film than expected.

Written by Jimena Monteoliva and co-screenwriters Camilo De Cabo (Un millón de zombies: La historia de Plaga Zombie, Kryptonite) and Nicanor Loreti (Diablo, Memory of the Dead), Welcome to Hell is an unusual horror film. The script isn’t necessarily one of the finer parts of the production, the storyline seems too simple to praise highly and the dialogue isn’t as memorable. The script does have fun exploring a contrast between domestic life and cult worship that is admirable and compelling.

Directed by Jimena Monteoliva (To Kill the Dragon, All Night Long), Welcome to Hell is well made and has some interesting visuals. Welcome to Hell is all about the atmosphere. The film has a simplistic approach in some filmmaking respects but the bold approach of exploring the domesticity of the beginning of the film against the Satanic cult horrors in the second-half make it stand out more. Engrossing and visually effective, Welcome to Hell is worth a watch – especially for the demonic sequences (which are truly inspired – showcasing good special effects work by the filmmaking team).

Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on Blu-ray by Terror Vision, Welcome to Hell is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high-definition in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The feature-film has a compelling high-definition presentation. The high-definition visuals look great on the release. Colors appear great and are well reproduced. The detail and clarity of the visuals add to the filmmaking experience. The presentation has good detail and the encoding capably handles the needs of the cinematography. Outstanding visuals.

The Blu-ray release by Terror Vision will please fans of the film. One thing that remains vital to the Blu-ray disc format is the fact that it provides superior video bit-rates and encoding compared to streaming video services. Streaming platforms have actually worked to decrease bit-rates in recent years because of the cost of all the data – making 4K streams even "more" compressed and the like. By comparison, Blu-ray remains an option with better encoding and superior detail for those looking for the best presentation of their favorite films.

Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Spanish uncompressed PCM 2.0 stereo (with English subtitles) in 24 bit.  The lossless audio encoding is crisp, clear, and well-reproduced. Dialogue is easy to understand. The score and soundstage are effective during the presentation. The dynamics of the stereo mix are robust and engaging. The lossless audio encoding preserves detail. Audiophiles seeking the absolute best audio presentation quality possible will appreciate the detail on the release. By comparison, none of the video streaming services on the market provide lossless audio presentations (only lossy compressed audio is provided).

Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The release comes with an outstanding limited-edition o-card slipcover. The slipcover design is excellent and the key art on the release looks fantastic. The slipcover looks and feels great in hand. The release is impressively designed and a nice showcase for the expertise of Terror Vision when it comes to putting out quality Blu-ray releases. The artwork underneath the slipcover features additional artwork (and it remains different from the key art on the front of the slipcover). The inner sleeve also features more artwork. These design elements help make the release an even nicer package.

On disc supplements include:

Audio Commentary

Interview w/ Jimena Monteoliva (HD, 7:05)

Interview w/ Constanza Cardillo (HD, 7:19)

Interview w/ Demian Salomon (HD, 5:20)

Interview w/ Nicanor Loreti (HD, 7:39)

Interview w/ Florencia Franco (HD, 7:06)

Interview w/ Camilo De Cabo (HD, 6:48)

El Hada De Las Gallinas (Short Film by Jimena Monteoliva) (HD, 00:57)

Music Video: Pasco – Esclavo Maldito (HD, 3:00)

Trailer (HD, 1:13)

Behind the Scenes Footage (HD, 3:07)

Welcome to Hell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Welcome to Hell is an engrossing blend of realism and terror. The film begins as a sort of domestic drama before spiraling into the madness of a Satanic cult and the sacrificial offerings made by the followers. The performances by Constanza Cardillo and Demián Salomón are excellent and there are some great production design elements. Terror Vision provides quality video and audio alongside a jam- packed supplemental package (with plenty of material for fans of the film to delve into). The release also comes with a nicely designed o-card slipcover. Recommended.