Richard is a mute ex-con in the custody of a superstitious realtor who pays him to evict a witch-ghost, but if he can’t stay six nights, he goes back to prison. The haunting tortures him, and there’s no telling what he may do.
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Video Quality
I Will Never Leave You Alone makes its domestic Blu-Ray debut with a strong 1080p video presentation that showcases the haunting cinematography well. The image has a somewhat earthy quality about it with a deep color palette permeating the screen. The film employs some complex hues in the expanses of the woods that leap off the screen. The presentation displays a notable amount of depth while the characters roam about the area, and then things become suffocating once Richard is locked up in the house. The backgrounds provide clear and tactile textural details. Black levels experience subtle hints of banding in some of the shadowy corners, but primarily they maintain their depth. The flesh tones are natural with exceptional detail present in close-ups. This Blu-Ray presentation stands tall in most respects.
Audio Quality
Dark Sky gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that carefully processes all the sonic nuances of the film. This outing is more of a slow-burn affair, yet the low end makes an impact once things start going to hell. Even with the main character being (mostly) mute, the dialogue from other characters comes through clearly without being drowned out by any competing sounds. The music is balanced while maintaining its fidelity, adding some texture to the proceedings. Environmental sounds of nature and the creaking of interiors engage the surround speakers impeccably with an abundance of ambient details. The thoughtful sound design deploys with enviable navigation of the surround speakers. The audio track enhances the viewing experience quite a bit. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Writer/Director D.W. Medoff provides a commentary track in which he discusses the movie and production in depth, including the casting of various roles and background extras, creating the film on an extremely low budget, the camera movements, the shooting locations, and more.
- Short Films: A trio of short films from D.W. Medoff is provided that shows a nice evolution of his creative prowess.
- AWOL (5:52)
- I’m Down Here (7:21)
- Yahrzeit (6:37)
Final Thoughts
I Will Never Leave You Alone sneaks up on you with its brutality. The slow-burn approach allows you to fully immerse yourself in the trauma of our lead character before it rips you apart when everything is revealed. It is one of the more quietly disturbing films we have seen recently, and it does not let up once it kicks into gear. If you want a horror film that punches you in the guts, don’t let this one pass you by. Dark Sky has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a fine assortment of special features. Recommended
I Will Never Leave You Alone 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: Dark Sky 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.
