‘Destroy All Neighbors’ Blu-Ray Review – Oddball Horror Outing Has A Throwback Spirit

William Brown, a neurotic, self-absorbed musician determined to finish his prog-rock magnum opus, faces a creative roadblock in the form of a noisy and grotesque neighbor named Vlad. Finally working up the nerve to demand that Vlad keep it down, William inadvertently decapitates him. But, while attempting to cover up one murder, William’s accidental reign of terror causes victims to pile up and become undead corpses who torment and create more bloody detours on his road to prog-rock Valhalla. DESTROY ALL NEIGHBORS is a twisted splatter-comedy about a deranged journey of self-discovery full of goopy practical FX, a well-known ensemble cast, and LOTS of blood.

For in-depth thoughts on Destroy All Neighbors, please see my colleague Gaius Bolling’s review from its original streaming release here. 

Video Quality

Destroy All Neighbors comes to Blu-Ray with an impressive AVC encoded 1080p transfer that brings this movie to life with bold precision. The cinematography features some vibrant pops of color that conjure a somewhat throwback ethos. The saturation throughout allows for deep hues that bring a frenetic energy to the picture. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few of the darkest and most chaotic moments. The transfer retains an impressive level of detail in the array of environments. Nearly every element, from the smallest facial details to the texture of the gnarly special effects, is quite impressive. Skin tones are natural throughout with some exquisite details present in certain shots. Shudder has done an ideal job with this release. 

Audio Quality

Destroy All Neighbors comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that brings the momentous quality necessary for this story as it expands this world sonically. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being burdened by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low end comes to play once things hit the fan. Directionality is quite accurate, so sounds consistently render as natural when coming from their respective points. One of the most memorable aspects is the soundtrack which comes through with a nice fidelity. Environmental effects play a prominent role in the film, and this track brings every element to life with the expected force. This track delivers a fully immersive world full of distinct sonic details. Shudder has delivered a top-tier track that does everything that is asked of it. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentaries: Five commentary tracks are provided that tackle the film from nearly every angle you can imagine. 

• • Audio Commentary #1: Director Josh Forbes and actors Thomas Lennon and Jon Daly
  • Audio Commentary #2: Director Josh Forbes, co-writer Charles A. Pieper, actor Christian Calloway and actress Randee Heller
  • Audio Commentary #3: Director Josh Forbes and special make-up effects designer Gabe Bartalos
  • Audio Commentary #4: Musicians Ryan Kattner and Brett Morris
  • Audio Commentary #5: Radio personality Phil Hendrie

• Featurettes: A collection of brief featurettes is provided that explores the special effects work featured in the film.

• • Destroy All Makeup FX Featurette (4:13)

• • Introducing Gabe Bartalos Featurette (2:08)

• • Designing Skeleanor Featurette (2:10)

• • Designing Auggie & Pig Guy Featurette (2:36)

• • Designing Vlad Featurette (7:24)

• Destroy All Neighbors EPK: A nearly four-minute promotional piece is provided in which the cast and creative team discuss the film, the characters, the special effects, and more. 

• Original Trailer (2:07)

• Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “Not Everyone Will Get It But The Right Ones Will” from director Josh Forbes is provided here. This piece gives a glimpse into the musical and movie influences on the film. There are also two postcards provided. 

Final Thoughts

Destroy All Neighbors is an oddball horror outing that feels like a throwback to some of the cult favorite hallmarks from the ‘80s. There is such a respect paid to practical effects that you cannot help but love it. The talent on screen is also comprised of some of the funniest names in the comedy world (and even a few from the world of music). The film gets slightly unfocused as it nears the end, but it proves to be a pretty fun time throughout. Shudder has released a Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation and a knockout assortment of special features. Recommended 

Destroy All Neighbors 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.