Firebite takes a new spin on the vampire genre, following two Indigenous Australian hunters, Tyson (Collins) and Shanika (Barnes-Cowan), on their quest to battle the last colony of vampires in the middle of the South Australian desert.
For thoughts on Firebite: The Complete First Season, please check out my thoughts here.
Video Quality
The first season of Firebite comes to Blu-Ray with a terrific 1080p presentation that represents this show as it deserves. The series features some very distinct locations which are presented with great depth and clarity on this disc. Deep colors from the dry landscapes and costumes make an impression alongside some instances of blood. From the palpable daytime scenes to the darker, shadowy moments underground, the skin tones and facial details are expertly rendered in a way that brings a great immediacy to the material. Small facial features are readily visible, such as the sweat gathering on foreheads under the intense heat. Black levels are very deep without any crush or banding. No instances of compression artifacts crept up during the viewing thanks to a solid encode. Fans should be quite pleased with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that presents this show very well. The dialogue mostly stays anchored in front center channels and comes through clearly. This track never seems to stumble at any point throughout the season. The track does a fine job of making sure neither sound effects nor the series’ music ever overpowers the exchanges of dialogue. The score establishes a tone for the series that properly fills up the room on this track. There is some weight to the low end when bits of action pop up. Ambient activity stands out in the rear channels to help flesh out the world. Overall, this track more than does everything that is asked of it. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features included in this release.
Final Thoughts
The first season of Firebite comes out swinging with strongly defined characters that quickly earn your emotional investment. The show does feature a more rollicking genre tone when it comes to the vampiric confrontations, but it is also not afraid to mine deep character dynamics to make those moments have greater stakes. The Indigenous Australian perspective of this show is not one that you get to see on television every day, and it adds enough character to the show to make it stand apart. RLJE Films and AMC have delivered a Blu-Ray with a fetching A/V presentation but no special features. If you are a fan of vampire shows, this one blazes enough of a new trail to give it a look. Recommended
Firebite: The Complete First Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films 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.
Video Quality
The first season of Firebite comes to Blu-Ray with a terrific 1080p presentation that represents this show as it deserves. The series features some very distinct locations which are presented with great depth and clarity on this disc. Deep colors from the dry landscapes and costumes make an impression alongside some instances of blood. From the palpable daytime scenes to the darker, shadowy moments underground, the skin tones and facial details are expertly rendered in a way that brings a great immediacy to the material. Small facial features are readily visible, such as the sweat gathering on foreheads under the intense heat. Black levels are very deep without any crush or banding. No instances of compression artifacts crept up during the viewing thanks to a solid encode. Fans should be quite pleased with this one.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that presents this show very well. The dialogue mostly stays anchored in front center channels and comes through clearly. This track never seems to stumble at any point throughout the season. The track does a fine job of making sure neither sound effects nor the series’ music ever overpowers the exchanges of dialogue. The score establishes a tone for the series that properly fills up the room on this track. There is some weight to the low end when bits of action pop up. Ambient activity stands out in the rear channels to help flesh out the world. Overall, this track more than does everything that is asked of it. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features included in this release.
Final Thoughts
The first season of Firebite comes out swinging with strongly defined characters that quickly earn your emotional investment. The show does feature a more rollicking genre tone when it comes to the vampiric confrontations, but it is also not afraid to mine deep character dynamics to make those moments have greater stakes. The Indigenous Australian perspective of this show is not one that you get to see on television every day, and it adds enough character to the show to make it stand apart. RLJE Films and AMC have delivered a Blu-Ray with a fetching A/V presentation but no special features. If you are a fan of vampire shows, this one blazes enough of a new trail to give it a look. Recommended
Firebite: The Complete First Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films 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.
