Binding, The

Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: August 2nd, 2016.
Director: Gus Krieger
Cast: Max Adler, Larry Cedar, Amy Gumenick, Josh Heisler, Leon Russom
Year: 2015
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The Movie:

The feature length debut of writer/director Gus Krieger is 2015's The Binding, a movie that, on the surface at least, seems like another in the seemingly endless line of exorcism/possession films that bring nothing new to a tired subgenre of horror. Don't let that dissuade you. There's a lot more here than jump scares, growly demonic voices and pea soup.

The story follows a minister named Bram (Josh Heimler) who, on the night that his younger daughter is to be christened, receives a vision from God. Bram sees this not only as confirmation that God is looking out for him, but as a great honor and while the details are vague, his wife Sarah (Amy Gumenick), also a minister, tries to be a dutiful wife and support him in this endeavor.

It soon comes to pass that Bram believes he's been instructed by God to sacrifice said daughter in much the same way that Abraham was tested in the Old Testament. Bram also believes that, as when Abraham was tested, an angel will stop him before he has to actually commit infanticide and that by doing this he'll prevent the apocalypse. Bram also has a past - one that involves alcohol abuse in a big, big way. As Sarah learns what her husband really has planned, she has to take action to prevent it - leading her to wonder if he's drinking again, simply lost his mind or has somehow become possessed.

Very much a slow burn picture, but so too is it an interesting one. It really brings to light the issue of faith and how people can and do accept things on faith alone. While this can result in a lot of people doing a lot of good, it can also result in some seriously questionable behavior, like the kind we see demonstrated by Bram. As Sarah tries to figure out just what exactly is 'wrong' with her husband, her faith is tested as well, albeit in a very different way than his. She tries to talk to him. A lot. This is a dialogue-heavy film to be sure. She also tries to have others talk to him - a psychiatrist, fellow members of their faith. Bram is rock solid in his convictions, which makes him dangerous even if he clearly does feel he has the best of intentions. The doctors can't find anything wrong with him, and at one point another minister tells her if she's really that concerned about Bram's behavior to simply call the cops. She doesn't want to do that, she loves him and cares about him - but the closer she comes to the realization that her daughter's life really is at stake, well… she finds herself running out of options.

Amy Gumenick is very good here. As she wrestles with these issues of both faith and morality, we feel for her. There are a couple of times where you question why her character would react and respond the way she does (although these scenes defy logic, spiritual beliefs and logic rarely go hand in hand), but this ties back to the script, not her performance. Josh Heimler is also good. There's something off about him, it almost seems like his character is trying too hard too often, but in the context of the story that Krieger is telling here, it makes sense to portray Bram that way. As things build in intensity towards the ending, both leads deliver strong work and the characters evolve in interesting, unexpected ways. The movie is not flash in its visual style, though the compositions are good and the locations used for the set appropriately mundane, giving all of this a very grounded sort of common look - again, in the context of the story being told, this makes sense. Sarah and Bram are regular people in many ways, so their lifestyle should reflect that. A cheap 'boo' scene that hits before the end credits roll seems completely unnecessary and actually takes away from the palpable ambiguity that played such a big part in the build, but aside from that this is an impressive debut.

Video/Audio/Extras:

The Binding is presented in a nice looking AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfer that shows off plenty of detail and features impressive color reproduction. The movie is quite nicely shot and the transfer brings that out really nicely. Texture is solid, colors are nicely reproduced and all the grit and grime in the bars and dives that much of the movie takes place in is visible. Black levels are solid and skin tones look good. The image is free of noise reduction or compression issues. Things look very good here.

The main audio option for the feature is an English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, though a 2.0 Stereo option is also provided, also in DTS-HD format. This isn't always the most aggressive mix in the world but the film doesn't necessarily need it to be. Things sound very good and when the movie calls for surround activity, you'll definitely notice it. Dialogue is clean, clear and succinct and some well-placed sound effects take advantage of the surround channels at various times throughout the movie. Hiss and distortion are never a problem and the audio is properly balanced throughout the movie. Subtitles are provided in English only.

The main extra on the disc is a commentary track with writer/director Gus Krieger who takes us through pretty much his entire creative process as far as getting this picture made is concerned. He discusses where some of the story ideas came from, the locations, the casting (noting that he had pre-existing relationships with everyone in the cast), the themes and ideas explored in the film, why certain scenes are put together in the distinct way that they are and a fair bit more. This is complemented by a collection of interviews with the cast - Amy Gumenick, Josh Heisler and Leon Russom - that cover what it was like working on the film from an actor's perspective. They discuss their characters, their thoughts on the film and working with Krieger on the project and there's just under eighteen minutes of content here.

The disc also includes a trailer for the feature, approximately thirty minutes of deleted scenes (that play with commentary from Krieger introducing each one explaining why they were chopped), menus and chapter selection.

The Final Word:

The Binding is a smart film and while it stumbles a little bit here and there in the middle part, the ending brings everything back together in a big way. The performances are solid and the cinematography quite strong. The Blu-ray release from Shout! Factory is a good one, presenting the movie in excellent shape with a few decent extra features.

Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!