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Reviewed by: C.D. Workman
Released by: Shout! Factory
Released on: September 6, 2016
Directed by: Jason Stutter
Cast: Laura Petersen, Jed Brophy, Jeffrey Thomas
Year: 2015
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The Movie:
Inspired by an urban legend about a haunted farmhouse in rural New Zealand, The Dead Room has three paranormal investigators hired by an insurance company to determine whether a country estate, deserted by its tenants, is truly haunted. Liam (Jed Brophy) is the scientist of the bunch and handles the technological equipment, which includes various sensors and tools of measurement. Scott (Jeffrey Thomas), on the other hand, is skeptical, though he does thinks that the energy others believe is ghostly can be effected by sound waves. Holly (Laura Petersen) is the psychic of the group, though when she enters the house, she senses nothing out of the ordinary.
Their second day in the house, the trio realize that their cameras have picked up something in the night, but they dismiss the activity as natural in origin. That night, they are awakened by loud noises at the same time their cameras had picked up the disturbance the night before, only this time, Holly sees something the other two can't. As night becomes day, the three investigators decide to fully explore the house in an attempt to make contact. Nothing happens, but before going to bed, they set their alarms for 3 a.m. Holly again sees something, which this time behaves threateningly. Throughout the group's remaining time, Holly's senses pick up additional changes throughout the house that the others cannot see or feel, but one of Scott's tools does detect a disturbance in the electromagnetic frequency surrounding them. Soon, the ghostly energy is ramping up its attacks, and the visitors debate whether to stay or go, though they ultimately decide to stay to gather evidence. Holly is afraid, however, but their further investigations lead them to a secret room and the horrifying contents within. The police are called, and an all-out supernatural assault begins. Holly manages to banish the spirit, unaware that she has empowered something far more evil.
The Dead Room is an audacious supernatural thriller from New Zealand-based indie filmmaker Jason Stutter. Stutter imbues his film with a sense of palpable menace early on and maintains that menace to the end. The performances are, for the most part, believable, and the script balances science and the supernatural. It seems weird, then, that so many critics have panned the film, seeing in it a story that's simply too staid. But whereas they see long, uninvolving sequences sans action, this reviewer sees a film that's more interested in dissecting the science-vs-supernatural aspects of its tale, at least for the first hour. In that respect, it reminds one of a less intelligent Nigel Kneale work without the British sensibilities. In other words, it isn't brilliant, but it does try for something a little smarter than the average.
The New Zealand locations are striking, and the direction is tight and effective. The Dead Room may not be perfect, and while it may seem redundant in many respects in an age of haunted house movies, it's still an entertaining diversion. (And ignore the cover art; the film isn't nearly as Japanese-inspired as the image suggests.)
Unfortunately, the only extra is the original theatrical trailer, which runs at 1:43. When the disc is first popped into the player, however, it does play an assortment of trailers for other films released by Shout!, including What We Become (2015), Tale of Tales (2015), and Carnage Park (2016).
Video/Audio/Extras:
Shout! Factory and IFC Midnight have released The Dead Room on Blu-ray in 1080p high definition with an MPEG-4 AVC encode. The film is presented in 2.40:1, approximating its original theatrical aspect ratio. To be frank, the image is stunning; it's so sharp, in fact, that it's hard to believe it's 1080p and not 4k. The film was shot on a Red Epic digital camera, which, depending on which version you buy (or rent), can shoot up to 8k, and the final product looks like it. The detail level is so high that it practically comes across as three dimensional at times. The movie was shot in New Zealand, and the landscape is a beauty to behold. Just as marvelous are the interiors of the old dark farmhouse; they don't look entirely realistic (and the insides of the house appear far larger than seem possible given the exteriors), but every detail of the dilapidated wallpaper, rotting woodwork, and crumbling faí§ade can be spied. Colors are sharp without any serious filtering to turn them gray or blue. Shout has utilized a BD25 to house the movie, and given its short running length (approximately 78 minutes), with sparse extras, there's absolutely no problem of compression noise or artifacting. Because the film itself is so surprisingly good, this visual presentation is pretty damned close to perfection. Grain is kept to a minimum; just enough has been added to the foundation to give the movie a slightly filmic look.
The same can be said of the soundtrack. There are two tracks from which to choose: an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track and an English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. Naturally, the 5.1 sound is the way to go. The director does use cuts and shock sound effects to induce frisson and jumps. In fact, the film was recorded in a process (known as Rumble) designed to shake the theaters in which it played. While that effect cannot entirely be recreated on the small screen, the sound does effectively create shivers at the right time, and despite the jumps in sound, dialogue is never difficult to discern. For those who are deaf or hearing impaired, subtitles are provided in both English and Spanish.
The Final Word:
The Dead Room is a gem of a horror film. It's true that it represents yet another haunted house movie in a sea of haunted house movies, but it works, thanks to an interesting script, savvy direction, and naturalistic performances. Shout's Blu-ray release features a stunning, detailed image with nice color and no grain. The only real drawback is the lack of extras.
Christopher Workman is a freelance writer, film critic, and co-author (with Troy Howarth) of the Tome of Terror horror film review series. Horror Films of the 1930s is currently available, with Horror Films of the Silent Era: Book One (1895-1915) and Book Two (1916-1929) due out later this year.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
