At an international boarding school, an unassuming, yet rigorous, Miss Novak (Mia Wasikowska) joins the teaching staff to instruct a new class on “conscious eating.” Her impressionable teenage students each have their own reasons for joining the class – to improve fitness, reduce their carbon footprint, or get extra credit. Although early lectures focus on mindful consumption, Miss Novak’s discussions soon become increasingly disordered and extreme. A suspicious headmistress (Sidse Babett Knudsen), concerned parents and the failing health of her students lead everyone to question the inscrutable Miss Novak’s motivations for teaching the class. As a few devoted pupils fall deeper under her cult-like tutelage, they are given a new, even more sinister goal to aspire to – joining the ominous “Club Zero.”
For in-depth thoughts on Club Zero, please see my colleague Athina Clarke’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Club Zero comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is in top form. The story takes place primarily inside the boarding school and at the house of the students, and in each space, you can see an incredible amount of detail. The natural color palette holds up well in some of the vegetation and the stark yellow shirts worn as a part of the school uniform. Nothing is garishly showcased here, but Hausner frames the story in a visually rewarding way. Highlights are handled with precision and no instances of blooming, and the deep black levels do not suffer from crush or compression artifacts. The transfer allows for some rich texture within the clothing, production design, and even some gross bodily functions that enhance the picture. Skin tones are detailed and natural all around. Film Movement has made us happy by releasing this one in high definition.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 and an LPCM 2.0 track in the original English that works peerlessly in conjunction with the story. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without ever being overshadowed by competing elements. The environmental effects create a subtle soundscape of the school that makes the world feel more alive. The film features a forward score that radiates through with great fidelity. The sound design remains accurate with sounds positioned perfectly in the mix. This is the opposite of an action-heavy film, but some texture is added to the proceedings thanks to sporadic activity in the low end. This is a favorable release all around. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
- Jessica Hausner Interview: A five-minute interview with the filmmaker in which she discusses the underlying themes of the story, the manipulation of the students, the intentions of Miss Novak, her inspiration for making the film, and more.
- Mia Wasikowska Interview: A five-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her character, her collaboration with Hausner, the impact her actions have on the children, what she hopes people take away from the film, and more.
- Jessica Hausner Masterclass: An in-depth 80-minute conversation with Hausner about her career that explores numerous avenues that reveal a lot of interesting details.
- Trailers: The minute-and-a-half-long trailer for Club Zero is provided here. There are also trailers for Lourdes, Hotel, and Lovely Rita.
Final Thoughts
Club Zero is not a movie for the faint of heart or anyone contending with disordered eating. Yet, if you go into this with clear eyes, you will find it is a pretty effective exploration of cult-like exploitation of vulnerability, the all-or-nothing zeal of burgeoning generations, and the carelessness that some parents bring towards raising their children. This and more within the text are worthy of analysis, but Jessica Hausner does not quite land the thematic content as effectively as needed. You get the setup for the satire, but the point gets muddled along the way. Mia Wasikowska and the rest of the ensemble do a really good job with tricky subject matter. The film has garnered some mixed-to-harsh notices from critics, but it is better than many give it credit for and is worth watching to make up your own mind. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a few worthwhile special features. Recommended
Club Zero will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital on May 28, 2024.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Film Movement 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.
