When a troubled couple escape to their rural farmhouse for a weekend of reconnection, they realize that their ability to save their marriage will literally determine the fate of humankind itself.

For in-depth thoughts on Ashgrove, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/nCFu9d_qi4Q?t=3413]

Video Quality

Ashgrove comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is quite fetching. This is a visually striking film with beautiful shots of a natural world throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around with subtle facets easily distinguishable. The film is not bursting with vivid colors in every frame, but there are various moments and elements of nature that really pop, especially in some of the lighting choices. The interiors are typically a more dark environment that the presentation represents perfectly with a pleasing richness. The white levels are handled accurately along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. This presentation captures this movie really well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track that conjures a very prickly mood that transports you to this idyllic farmhouse. Dialogue comes through clear without ever being overpowered by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is not terribly complex, but all of the sounds are positioned just perfectly in the mix. Music maintains a solid fidelity that works to aid this movie effectively. The environmental effects create a really immersive soundscape which grounds you in the drama. Activity in the low end is scarce but adds some minor texture to a few moments when necessary. The audio matches the competency of the video side of things. There are English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

The Big Reveal: A 16-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the unique scenario of having lead actress Amanda Brugel in the dark about the twists and turns in the film while they were in production, the lengths they took to keep the experience untainted for her, the emotions surrounding the day where she found out everything and more.

A Day At The Market: A nearly eight-minute piece which takes a look at the experience of shooting in a very public place without much in the way of control in the midst of the pandemic.

Camera In The Water: A ten-minute recounting of the day when a major mishap happened while filming on the river along with footage of the day.

Trailers: The two-minute trailer for Ashgrove is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Alaskan Nets, Carmen, Karmalink and Squeal.

Final Thoughts

Ashgrove is first and foremost a grounded domestic drama about two people exploring the issues of their relationship, but the movie expands upon this premise in really engaging ways. There are some developments that change how you will engage with the movie which sets up a rewarding second viewing. The performances are rock solid across the board, and the movie leaves you with a lot to ponder as you wrestle with resolution for these characters. This is a minor movie in scale, but it is worthy of much more attention than it has received. Good Deed Entertainment and Kino Lorber have provided a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation and a couple of interesting special features. This journey is worth taking if the film sounds even remotely interesting to you. Recommended

Ashgrove is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Good Deed Entertainment and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.