In the pulse-pounding thriller ON THE EDGE, a Spanish subway train operator in Brussels witnesses his estranged son Hugo fall to his death off the edge of a platform. Leo had not seen his son for years, but is spurred to investigate the mysterious circumstances of his passing. He discovers that Hugo was involved in a bloody heist, the discovery of which puts Leo in the crosshairs of the police. Leo’s skills in tracking and apprehending violent criminals, as it turns out, are not those of public transit employee.
For thoughts on On The Edge, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
[youtube https://youtu.be/-PPneOXXT6M?t=3867]
Video Quality
On The Edge comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is quite lovely. This is a visually sleek film with meticulous shots of the city and a bit of nature throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The film maintains a reserved color palette, but there are various moments that make an impression including some of the lighting choices. The interiors are typically a more shadowy, low-key environment that presents with a pale tone that the presentation represents perfectly. The highlights are handled beautifully, along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around. This presentation does a fine job of bringing this film to life thanks to Kino Lorber.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original mixture of languages spoken that represents the material admirably. The score fills the room in a palpable way that only enhances the tonal dexterity of the narrative. The dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is as thoroughly executed as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just right in the mix. The environmental effects create a really visceral soundscape that captures all of the auditory peccadillos. While action is more sporadic, there are instances that dig deep in the low end with certain explosions. This release accomplishes everything that is asked of it.
Special Features
- Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer for the film is provided here.
Final Thoughts
On The Edge is an exceptionally compelling crime thriller which goes more for a decisive slow-build to a rewarding conclusion rather than consistent bursts of full-throttle action. The results may be a bit more meditative than those who love mainstream action films are accustomed to, but the pacing of the film is executed so well that you should not find yourself disappointed if you give it a chance. The narrative holds together well and even pulls off some emotional beats and surprises admirably. Kino Lorber has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a striking A/V presentation and almost no special features. This journey is worth taking if the film sounds even remotely interesting to you. Recommended
On The Edge is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Kino Lorber 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.
