In this stunning horror romance, Maja, a has-been actress in Denmark, falls in love with Leah, a young Jewish academic visiting from the UK. When Leah suffers a mysterious seizure, Maja follows Leah back to London where she lives with her overbearing, secretive mother, Chana. There, Maja notices strange occurrences in the building, and begins to suspect that Chana’s secrets could be much darker than first anticipated.

For in-depth thoughts on Attachment, please see my colleague Mike Vaughn’s review from its original festival release here.

Video Quality

The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio which proves to be an effortlessly wonderful representation of the work. The movie has a subdued color palette that is faithfully saturated in what is mostly muted interiors with flashes of notable lighting. Occasional colors make an impression, especially in the opening elf costume, but we are more impressed by the detail and clarity. With this transfer, you can appreciate the detail on display, especially in the production design and makeup effects replete with unique textures.

The movie utilizes darkness to ratchet up tension, and the transfer provides deep black levels that do not experience crush or other shortcomings. There is no damage or digital noise on display in this transfer. Objects hold up favorably in the shadows and retain their depth with minimal banding at hand. There is the slightest loss in detail when it comes to some of the panning shots in the shadows, but it is not a major issue throughout. We are grateful to have this in HD after only having DVD as an option for far too long.

Audio Quality

Attachment arrives on Blu-Ray with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original mixture of English and Danish. Dialogue and various sound effects stay admirably balanced throughout the duration. All elements play well with the score where nothing gets muddled in the track. Surround channels provide some creepy activity with the interior tones and other bumps in the night during any build-up to an unsettling development. The track’s low end provides some vital texture when the tension is building. The movie digs deep when it needs to, and environmental sounds provide an immersive atmosphere for the story. The experience matches the thrills of the narrative and will be appreciated by horror fans who pick up this disc. Optional English (Danish Dialog), English (All Dialog), and English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: Two new commentary tracks are provided that tackle the film from both a personal angle and an analytical lens. The filmmaker provides some great insights into the production process and his background with the talent, and the film critic highlights some details that are worth giving a second look at. There are stretches of silence on both of these, but they are worth a listen.

- Audio Commentary #1: Writer/director Gabriel Bier Gislason

- Audio Commentary #2: Film critic Lindsay Traves

Jewish Folklore & Mysticism in Horror Films – A Video Essay by Samm Deighan: A 14-minute video essay from the film historian in which she discusses the history of Jewish folklore on film, how it has been used in horror, what sets Attachment apart from other modern depictions, and more.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “How Attachment Detaches the Religious and Romantic Expectations of Horror” from film critic BJ Colangelo is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis of the themes of the film.

Final Thoughts

Attachment is an engaging bit of horror that takes time to build up its characters and get you invested in their dynamic before things truly start to hit the fan. In fact, it lulls you into a bit of a false sense of security, wishing you could watch a proper rom-com with these two and the amazing chemistry they have with one another. The film takes a unique approach to the genre by injecting Jewish lore in a way that keeps building up the tension with every development. The finale does not completely deliver on the horrific promise of the impeccable build-up, but the creepy vibes are strong enough to keep you satisfied. Shudder has released a Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a favorable assortment of special features. Recommended

Attachment is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

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

Disclaimer: Shudder and OCN Distribution 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.