Devi Danger is a music driven cyberpunk thriller about a hard rocking singer coerced into becoming an electronically enhanced new-music diva by her high-tech billionaire patron. Set in the near future, her singing voice is used to control and energize the brains of employees that are being used as external processors for the corporation’s high-tech clients. Devi Danger explores the conflict between high-tech and high-touch, and what it means to be human in a digitally enhanced future.
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Video Quality
Devi Danger arrives on Blu-Ray with a fetching 1080p video presentation that captures the stylized aesthetic with care. The modestly futuristic production design unlocks clear textural details that make the world appear more tactile. The flesh tones are natural with a resplendent amount of detail present in close-ups. The image is undeniably clear with the sumptuous color palette permeating the screen. The film offers some deep, complex hues within the costumes, lighting, and production design. The highlights are preserved to avoid blooming, but black levels reveal slight signs of banding in a few scenes, although largely they maintain their depth. The presentation conjures a nice sense of scale even with the conservative budget. This Blu-Ray is a first-rate representation of this movie.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes this material with ease. One of the most rewarding parts of the film is the handling of the music, which flows through the room with confidence and peerless fidelity. It balances well with the dialogue which never struggles to maintain its proper prominence so information comes through clearly. Environmental sounds play well in the surround speakers to a richly immersive effect. Numerous distinct ambient details flesh out the setting in a way that benefits the viewing experience. The low-end response is not particularly aggressive, but it wakes up when it needs to. The soundscape appears to be accurately realized throughout the narrative. The audio track leaves us with no complaints.
Special Features
- Intro Message: A nearly minute-and-a-half-minute intro is provided that is fashioned as a PSA.
- Director Interview: A 16-minute interview recreation with Robert McGinley in which he discusses his journey to Devi Danger, why he wanted to tell this story, the influences on the story, meeting lead actress Molly Sides, his interest in technology, and more.
- Trailer: This disc provides a Rock n Roll Trailer (2:32) and a Sci-Fi Trailer (2:28) for Devi Danger.
- Photo Gallery: A slideshow of stills from the film and production is provided.
Final Thoughts
Devi Danger is an ambitious narrative to be tackling on a smaller budget, and it gets good mileage out of its practical developments. There is a hand-made quality to the world in a time when so much appears to be glossy digital creations. Unfortunately, the individual pieces we admire about the production do not amount to a completely satisfying feature. The film struggles with consistency among the performers, and the script is messy in an uninteresting way. We love a good ode to radical ‘70s bravado, but this does not quite hit the mark. ETR Media has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a welcome assortment of special features.
Devi Danger 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: ETR Media 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
