You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.5

You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf January 29, 2020

“You’ll Never Be Alone” is a story about parenthood, and it takes its time exploring the urgency of the job as it’s suddenly called into duty after an act of violence. The 2016 Chilean production has a lot more on its mind than simple fatherly protection, but this simple crisis of doubt gets the picture surprisingly far, creating distinct waves of fear and doubt. Writer/director Alex Anwandter strives to understand the somewhat strained ties that bind with “You’ll Never Be Alone,” which focuses on character, not necessarily incident to best conjure drama, emerging with a heartfelt understanding of protection and all the messiness it brings.

Juan (Sergio Hernandez) is a company man for a mannequin factory who’s learned that his son, Pablo (Andrew Bargsted), has been violently attacked by hateful locals, with one member of the gay-bashing group, Felix (Jaime Leiva), Pablo’s secret lover. “You’ll Never Be Alone” isn’t a study of revenge, as Anwandter is more interested in how these relationships work on a daily basis, touching on parental distance and personal fears. Themes on identity and love run throughout the feature, and there’s cultural commentary as well, taking a look at the state of Chilean business. “You’ll Never Be Alone” doesn’t go sweet, preferring to remain in a gut-rot state of anxiety with Juan, who’s confronted with everything at once after hibernating in routine for years.

You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a defined examination of the original cinematography, preserving facial particulars during heavy uses of close-ups. Age comes through as intended, along with subtle makeup additions. Urban tours are textured, offering a feel for neighborhood and industrial decay, and distances are appreciable. Colors are accelerated during club sequences, pushing purples and reds, and artfulness is secured with deep blues. Skintones are natural, along with greenery. Delineation is communicative. Source is in strong shape.

You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix finds its loudest presence with soundtrack selections, which come through with authority, providing distinct instrumentation and a sharp low-end. Scoring cues are crisp as well. Dialogue exchanges are direct, securing the emotionality of the picture and its many moods of violence and conversation. Surrounds do fine with atmospherics, capturing club moods and exterior activity.

You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• A Theatrical Trailer (1:26, HD) is included.

You'll Never Be Alone Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's no "Death Wish" amplification for "You'll Never Be Alone," though the picture teases a few exploitation interests. Instead, it remains internalized, dealing with a problem of fatherly support that requires a different kind of sacrifice. There's sincerity to "You'll Never Be Alone" that's most welcome, and while it doesn't have a knockout punch when it comes to a powerhouse emotional release, it remains artful and concerned about these personalities as they figure a way out of the darkness.