Diego (Demian Salomon, Terrified, When Evil Lurks) is a crook and a hooligan for “Racing Club”, one of Argentina’s greatest soccer teams. While sitting in his car in the middle of nowhere and participating in a quiz show about his beloved football team, a man suddenly falls from the sky and into his windshield. When a tough-as-nails female secret agent (Moro Anghileri, On the Third Day) arrives to confront Diego and asks about the dangerous con man keeping a dark secret who happens to be kidnapped in the trunk of his car, all hell is about to break loose!

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[youtube https://youtu.be/ThQZmup1JxI?si=MzdA9QLbEhpQXfhd&t=2670]

Video Quality

Punto Rojo debuts on Blu-Ray with a solid 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio from an HD master that captures the aesthetic intentions of the film without issue. The project has a warmer color palette in the exteriors and a cooler look in the parking garage. Understandably, the visuals leap off the screen a bit more when out in nature while showing off an impressive amount of detail and clarity. There may be a hint of slight banding in certain shots, but it is not pervasive throughout. The look of the parking garage is not as dazzling, but it holds up well for what it needs to achieve.

Despite being fairly low budget, the film maintains a consistent aesthetic across the two different locations. The highlights appear to showcase some intentional blooming to complement the style of the film. Black levels hold up decently as they allow nice depth, but you may spot some crush in the parking garage sequence. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. The stylized look of the film is appropriate for the narrative. Overall, this is a really solid disc that showcases the work well. MVD Entertainment has given this one a favorable presentation.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 track in the original Spanish that brings this soundscape to life mostly well. One of the first things you will notice is the recurring score from Pablo Sala which maintains a strong fidelity and comes through the room effectively. The environmental effects are distinguished nicely with some unique sounds and ambient noises on display. Dialogue holds up consistently, coming through clearly without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. There are a few odd moments that sound a bit crispy, but this is not a recurring issue. This is a track that represents the film to nice effect. Optional English subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Nicanor Loreti and Producer/Storyboard Artist Lucas Accardo provide an informative commentary track in which they discuss expanding from the original short film, the casting of Demian Salomon, the tight production schedule, the shooting locations, shooting during the pandemic, and more.

Pinball Short Film: The 13-minute short film that inspired the film is provided here. This scene is almost exactly the scene in the parking garage in the feature film except Demian Salomon plays the man outside the trunk.

Trailers: This disc provides the minute-and-a-half-long trailer for Punto Rojo. There are also trailers provided for Cutting Class, Vampire’s Kiss, Swamp Thing, and Vile.

Final Thoughts

Punto Rojo is a very quick and dirty crime film that unfolds effectively. While you saw these types of Tarantino-inspired narratives pop up a lot after Pulp Fiction, this one does not feel like it is treading water. It may be working on a small budget and shooting schedule, but the storytelling and deft filmmaking keep this one engaging. The strong performance from Demian Salomon especially aids in keeping the audience locked into all the wild developments. This is worth checking out if you like twisty crime narratives. MVD Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that has a really good A/V presentation and a couple of cool special features. Recommended

Punto Rojo 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: MVD Entertainment 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.