‘Birdeater’ Blu-Ray Review – Australian Psychological Thriller Offers A Tense Look At Toxic Relationships

A bride-to-be is invited to join her own fiancé’s bachelor party on a remote property in the Australian outback. But as the festivities spiral into beer-soaked chaos, uncomfortable details about their relationship are exposed, and the celebration soon becomes a feral nightmare.

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Video Quality

Birdeater makes its Blu-Ray debut with a favorable 1080p video presentation that showcases the naturalistic cinematography well. The image has a somewhat earthy quality about it with a deep color palette permeating the screen. The film deploys some complex hues in the expanses of the woods which immerse you in the terrain. The presentation displays a fetching amount of depth while the characters roam about the area. The environments provide clear and tactile textural details. Black levels experience subtle signs of banding in some of the shadowy corners, but primarily they maintain their depth. The flesh tones are natural with exceptional detail present in close-ups. This Blu-Ray proves its worth at every turn. 

Audio Quality

Dark Sky gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that effortlessly processes all the sonic nuances of the film. This is not the most kinetic film, but there is a lot of verbal sparring that keeps things lively. Dialogue comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The music is balanced while maintaining its fidelity with some added texture to the proceedings. Environmental sounds of nature engage the surround speakers impeccably with an abundance of ambient details. The thoughtful sound design deploys with enviable navigation of the surround speakers. The audio track provides a dynamic experience that is a treat to experience. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Writer/Directors Jack Clark & Jim Weir, actor Mackenzie Fearnley, and editor Ben Anderson provide a commentary track in which they discuss the movie and production in depth, including the bumps along the way, the collaborative nature of the set, the camera movements, the shooting locations, securing key music rights, and more. 

• Alternate Ending: A seven-minute alternate ending is provided

• Deleted Scenes: A 13-minute selection of unused footage is provided that offers some intriguing moments.  

• Outtakes (2:17)

• Actor Chemistry Tests (11:26) 

• Original Trailer (1:48)

Final Thoughts

Birdeater is a mesmerizing slow burn that gradually reveals the darker undercurrents at play between these characters. While much of the potential drama can be viewed on the surface, there is even more complexity to be found as you stick with it. The performers bring a lot of personality to these characters, and every one of them feels authentic, sometimes to a skin-crawling resolution. The film is slightly overlong with a bit of padding that could have been tightened up, but it proves to be a very strong outing from everyone involved. Dark Sky has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a fine assortment of special features. Recommended 

Birdeater 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: Dark Sky 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.