Uninvited, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: May 19, 2009
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Charles Guard, Thomas GuardRelease Date(s)
2009 (April 28, 2009)Studio(s)
DreamWorks (Paramount)- Film/Program Grade: C-
- Video Grade: B+
- Audio Grade: B-
- Extras Grade: C-
Review
Yet another in a long line of Hollywood remakes of Asian horror films, The Uninvited is effectively unsettling in its way, but one can’t help thinking that the original South Korean tale was more interesting.
The film finds a pair of troubled sisters, Anna and Alex (Emily Browning and Arielle Kebbel), struggling to deal with the death of their mother – a task made more difficult when their father (David Strathairn) becomes engaged to their mother’s young caretaker (Zack and Miri’s Elizabeth Banks, who seems to be everywhere these days). Complicating matters further, Anna begins to see her mother’s ghost... and you can pretty well expect that things start going south from there.
The HD video presentation on Blu-ray is very good looking, with outstanding detail and contrast. Color is somewhat muted as you’d expect from this genre, but it’s accurate, and there’s very light but visible grain in the image. The TrueHD audio mix is a little more front-biased than you’d like for this type of film, but the dialogue is clear and there’s good ambience and surround play when necessary to jangle all the proper “fright” nerves.
In terms of bonus material, included are a set of 4 deleted scenes, an alternate ending and a 19-minute featurette, Unlocking the Uninvited, all in HD. In short, it’s not much, but then the film really doesn’t demand more.
The Uninvited is a well-paced and moody little thriller, though it’s probably not one you’re likely to want to revisit after the first viewing. The Blu-ray version certainly delivers nice quality, but unless you really love the film, it’s probably a better as a Saturday night rental.
- Bill Hunt
Additional Notes