Faith (Chrissy Metz) keeps her troubled teenage daughter (Annalise Basso) on a tightly controlled regimen of experimental drugs, their only means of fending off a mysterious, terrifying affliction. But after two burglars (Scout Taylor-Compton, Connor Paolo) attempt to rob the home on Christmas, they stumble upon a long-kept family secret—with monstrous consequences.
For thoughts on A Creature Was Stirring, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/SKHjJikD7zQ?si=Qhe2GEor9rfWIxkZ&t=297]
Video Quality
A Creature Was Stirring comes to Blu-Ray with a strong AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. The film maintains a dreamy quality throughout, but that does not keep it from exhibiting an impressive level of detail. Everything from the grotesque makeup work to the texture of the clothing and elements of the production design is quite impressive. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances when the murkiness overtakes it during a few darker scenes. This film has some festive splashes of color to contrast with the terrifying nature of the narrative. Black levels are pretty good but could be a bit deeper. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. Overall, Well Go USA has done a fine job here.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that tackles this story effectively. Environmental effects play a pivotal role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life beautifully. Dialogue comes through clearly without being clipped by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low comes alive during much of the presentation. The use of the rear channels to create a fully immersive, unsettling location works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always emanate from their respective natural points. Well Go USA has delivered a formidable track for a film that brings this story to life. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Trailers: A two-minute trailer is provided for A Creature Was Stirring. There are also trailers provided for Your Lucky Day, Infiltration, and Mercy Road.
Final Thoughts
A Creature Was Stirring is a dreamy psychological tale that weaves in elements of creature horror to an underwhelming effect. The film never seems to find its rhythm as the pacing lags throughout with no sense of building tension. Some of the themes appear to be worthy of deeper exploration, but the revelations in the end are so unsatisfying that they squander any small amount of goodwill. The performers are decent, but they are not elevating this to anything special. Well Go USA has delivered a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation but practically nothing in the way of special features. This is simply a disappointment.
A Creature Was Stirring will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on February 13, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Well Go USA Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
