THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME Two married couples collide in Chris Skotchdopole’s beautifully shot and wonderfully wild Crumb Catcher, a truly unique and darkly funny home invasion thriller from the stable of Larry Fessenden’s Glass Eye Pix (The House of the Devil, The Ranger, Depraved). After blacking out during his wedding night, Shane (Rigo Garay) and his new wife, Leah (Ella Rae Peck), head to a remote house for their honeymoon. Their plans to find wedded bliss are hampered when there is a knock at their door. It’s the waiter, John (John Speredakos), and the bartender, Rose (Lorraine Farris), from the reception blackmailing Shane for something he can’t remember doing. As tensions escalate, it soon emerges that the blackmailers don’t just want money. They’re after business partners for their invention, a revolutionary device called… The Crumb Catcher. With terrific performances by the entire ensemble cast, this absurdist and satirical peek under the tablecloth is a chilling, yet hilarious, ode to the failure of the American Dream and “an insanely impressive directorial debut” (Collider) from writer-director Chris Skotchdopole, highlighted as one of the Best Horror Films of 2024 by The Hollywood Reporter.

For in-depth thoughts on Crumb Catcher, please see my colleague Cameron Ritter’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Crumb Catcher debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original 2.00:1 aspect ratio from an HD master that flies as high as any modern movie. You typically can expect a thriller to have a more shadowy aesthetic, and this movie comes through on that front. The transfer holds up especially well with deep black levels primarily free from crush. Objects stand firm in the shadows and retain their depth in low lighting. At worst, you may spot a hint of banding in some fleeting moments. The highlights deliver a welcome stability to avoid blooming. The practical effects are favorably executed with every unique element blending seamlessly. It is a joy to witness how crisp the film is with exceptional textures and fine detail throughout. The pops of colors from the light sources enrich the screen. There are no serious digital issues with this one. This is a top-notch disc that showcases the work perfectly.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track with optional English SDH subtitles that bring this story to life without issue. There are brief sequences that inject some weight to the low end as we barrel to the conclusion that helps sell the intensity of the situation. The ambient activity in the rear channels makes the story feel more three-dimensional. Dialogue is largely anchored in the center channel outside of characters calling off-screen. Every unsettling line is reproduced clearly. The track does a fine job of ensuring neither sound effects nor the music ever overpowers any exchanges. The film is very dialogue-driven, but the reality created within the house is replete with atmospheric effects and an accompanying score that will give your speakers an effective layer of texture. This track delivers on all fronts for fans.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Arrow Video Blu-Ray of Crumb Catcher includes a booklet featuring an introduction by producer Larry Fessenden and new writing on the film by Richard Newby and Tori Potenza. This provides a great analysis of the movie, the creative figures, and the themes of the film. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Director Chris Skotchdopole provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses what he learned during the production, the visual style of the film, working with the performers, stealing shots from his brother’s wedding, and more.

Catching Crumbs – The Making Of Crumb Catcher: A new 38-minute documentary with the cast and creative team that delves into Chris Skotchdopole’s early days at Glass Eye Pix, the development of the story, the complexities of the characters, the chemistry between the performers, the rehearsal period, the location shooting, composing the score, and more.

Short Films: A collection of interesting early short films from Chris Skotchdopole that shows the evolution of this talent.

- Camp Out (2010) (12:55)

- The Egg and the Hatchet (2016) (20:58)

Original Festival Trailer (1:58)

Final Thoughts

Crumb Catcher is a tense and darkly comedic home invasion tale that forces you to question how you would behave when faced with the same challenges. Some of the character decisions are maddening, yet the film keeps things fairly grounded for a pretty engrossing experience. There are a few growing pains with this feature debut, but Chris Skotchdopole has made an entertaining debut and holds a lot of promise for the future. Arrow Video has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a nice array of special features. If you want to discover some burgeoning horror talent, give this one a shot. Recommended

Crumb Catcher will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on July 15, 2025.

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

Disclaimer: Arrow Video 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.