Soon after moving in with her aging aunt Dora, Adele meets Beth, seductive and mysterious, who tests the limits of Adele’s moral ground and sends her spiraling down a psychologically unstable and phantasmagoric path.
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Video Quality
Sweet Sweet Lonely Girl makes its Blu-Ray debut with a solid 1080p video presentation that represents the source well. The interior of the house and the surrounding suburban locales provide exquisite subtle details. The presentation shows off a substantial amount of depth while exploring each location. Black levels reveal subtle signs of banding in some of the shadowy moments, but largely they maintain their depth. Skin tones are natural with a respectable amount of detail present in close-ups such as fine lines and makeup. The image has a textured quality to it with the subdued color palette saturating the screen. The film deploys some deep colors in the natural world which delivers a very stunning image. This Blu-Ray delivers exactly what is needed.
Audio Quality
Yellow Veil Pictures gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that represents all of the sonic details admirably. The careful sound design accentuates the discomfort that the story increases throughout. When the characters are moving through the house, numerous distinct ambient details flesh out the setting. The use of music is effective and well-balanced while maintaining absolute fidelity. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. There are no major moments to engage the low end, but a few instances add texture to the proceedings. Environmental sounds engage the surround speakers in valuable ways. The audio track bring this narrative to life exactly as intended. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.
Special Features
- Introduction: An optional nearly three-minute introduction from director A.D. Calvo in which he welcomes you to the release and teases some of the bonus features on the disc.
- Audio Commentary: Two commentary tracks are provided from the creative figures in which they discuss the movie and production in depth. The solo track is somewhat dull with major stretches of silence, but the group track digs into some interesting moments.
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Alex Calvo
- Audio Commentary #2: Director Alex Calvo, Composer Joe Carrano and Producer Mike S. Ryan
- Alternate Opening: A three-minute alternate opening is provided with optional audio commentary from the director.
- Alternate Ending: A two-minute alternate ending is provided with optional audio commentary from the director.
- Interview with Director Alex Calvo: A new 23-minute interview with the director in which he discusses the origins of this project, his work with the performers, inspirations he brought to this film, how the script evolved, and more.
- Interview with Actress Quinn Shephard: A new 17-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses working with Calvo to find her character, how she prepared for the role, the themes of the picture, the atmosphere on set, and more.
- Interview with Actress Erin Wilhelmi: A new ten-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses what drew her to the script, collaborating with Calvo, what she brought to the character, and more.
- Theatrical Trailer (1:17)
- Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “The Gothic Trope of the Lonely Girl” from writer Samm Deighan is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis of the themes and plot developments of the film which strengthens your comprehension overall.
Final Thoughts
Sweet Sweet Lonely Girl is a low key psychological slow burn that gets you invested in the character dynamics before things start unraveling in grand fashion. This is not the most terrifying outing, but the narrative is very entertaining with strong performances anchoring things quite nicely. Those looking for nightmare fuel may be slightly underwhelmed, but those who love a classic spine-tingling tale should value this one. Yellow Veil Pictures has released a Blu-Ray featuring a first-rate A/V presentation and an excellent assortment of special features. Recommended
Sweet Sweet Lonely Girl 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: Yellow Veil Pictures 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.
