James (Noel) and Vanessa (Coleman) seem to be the perfect couple – happily married, successful, and comfortable. One night, their lives are rocked to the core when, after watching a tragedy play out on the evening news, they realize their neighbor (Hartley) was involved. In a state of shock, and with opposing viewpoints on how to address the issue, they embark on a highly combustible journey to ‘do something’ about it. Mo McRae dazzles in his feature directorial debut, with a keen visual eye and a fresh, compelling voice.
For in-depth thoughts on A Lot Of Nothing, please see my colleague Tristian Evans’ review from its original theatrical debut here.
Video Quality
A Lot Of Nothing debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio which provides a lovely viewing experience. The movie has deep black levels which hold firm outside of some occasional banding in some of the darkest moments. Objects hold up well in any shadowy moments and retain their depth throughout. There is a great amount of detail and clarity even in the darkest sections of the frame. The movie has a natural color palette with elements of the clothing and production design that pops off the screen. The crisp cinematography allows for an eye-popping amount of clarity and texture within the house. There is no damage or digital noise detectable in this transfer. The viewing landscape is clean and stable thanks to a solid encode from RLJE Entertainment.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with a steady DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that more than gets the job done. Environmental sounds provide a well-rounded atmosphere for the story. Dialogue and sound effects are balanced well with the music where nothing gets overshadowed in the mix. Surround channels do not get an intense workout, but they do allow the world to feel more three dimensional. The low end of the track adds some texture in a few moments. This track is not too showy, but it is precise and as effective as it needs to be. There are English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Behind The Scenes of A Lot Of Nothing: An eight-minute piece with the cast and creative team in which they discuss the inspiration for the narrative and character, individual facets of the characters, the journey of a first time filmmaker, the goals of the film and more.
Final Thoughts
A Lot Of Nothing is very ambitious in its examination and confrontation of societal preconceptions and racism. Director Mo McRae establishes a heightened, lightly satirical tone that allows for well-rounded discussion of various topics in a way that does not feel like a lecture. The movie nails many of its larger ideas, but there are some threads that get a bit unfocused in the end. The performers do a terrific job of bringing some weight to the material even though the execution could be handled a little better. RLJE Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a brief supplemental feature. This is a really solid debut effort from Mo McRae, and we cannot wait to see what he does next. Recommended
A Lot Of Nothing will be available to purchase on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital on April 11, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films 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.
