In SHE LOVED BLOSSOMS MORE, three brothers build an unusual time machine in order to bring their long-dead mother back to life. When their delusional father comes into the picture, the experiments go awry, and they descend into a psychedelic hellscape where the past and present fuse in a comedic yet deeply disturbing exploration of grief.

For in-depth thoughts on She Loved Blossoms More, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original festival release here.

Video Quality

She Loved Blossoms More makes its Blu-Ray debut with a fetching 1080p video presentation that captures each visual peculiarity with ease. Director Yannis Veslemes and cinematographer Christos Karamanis blend styles seamlessly while always supporting the evolution of the story. The image is largely clear when it is supposed to be and hazy, somewhat kaleidoscopic when the characters are conducting experiments and exploring other possible universes.

The multifaceted color palette saturates the screen with valuable depth and accuracy. Some lighting choices open up a world of brilliant hues. The film taps into deep colors in moments that will stick in your mind. Black levels reveal the slightest indications of banding in a few moments, but they largely maintain their depth even in the most challenging environments. The inventive makeup effects, costumes, production design, and other visual elements provide exceptional textural details that make the experience more memorable. Skin tones are natural with a healthy amount of detail present throughout. Dark Sky has treated this film very well.

Audio Quality

Dark Sky gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Greek that executes the sound design with care. As our protagonist succumbs more to this nightmarish spiral of desperation, stark ambient details wake up the setting to make things more disconcerting. Environmental sounds of the world emerge from the surround speakers, memorably elevating the viewing experience. Dialogue is rendered clearly, although some characters mumble, and the trance-like ruminations of a key character would probably be hard to decipher without subtitles. The music aids in establishing a tone, and it stays balanced while maintaining great fidelity. There is some texture in the lower registers when it comes to some of the more trippy moments and some of the bass in the music. The audio gives you what you want at every turn. Optional English subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director Yannis Veslemes provides a commentary track in which he explores his motivation for telling this story and the production of the film, including various inspirations, the use of practical effects, working with performers, and more.

Interview with Director Yannis Veslemes: A 20-minute conversation with the filmmaker in which he discusses the dream logic of the film, why he chose the title, the gestation of the family, the place of family within this story, and so much more.

Pinhole Camera Test (2:30)

Practical Effects Featurette: A nine-minute behind-the-scenes look at the creation of various effects in the film.

Storyboard to Scene: A couple of side-by-side looks at the storyboards for key sequences as compared to the finished version.

- The Seance (3:13)

- Travel to the Other Dimension (6:01)

Greek Teaser (1:00)

Greek Trailer (2:12)

U.S. Trailer (1:27)
Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring an essay from film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas is provided here.

Final Thoughts

She Loved Blossoms More is a nightmare of grief and desperation as you follow characters who are determined to get a loved one back at any cost. It is difficult to get a firm footing in this story, as the majority of the film feels like you are in a psychedelic trance where you are never sure of what is real and what is not. The penchant for keeping things practical yields incredible results, as the visual horrors contained within stick with you much longer than any digital creation ever would. The pacing can be a bit inconsistent, but the runtime is brief enough that you never feel too impatient. This leans closer to existential horror more so than traditional thrills and chills, but it is very effective in what is aiming to do. Dark Sky has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a decent amount of special features. Recommended

She Loved Blossoms More 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.