From writers Nick Antosca (Channel Zero) and Michelle Dean comes The Act, based on Dean’s 2016 Buzzfeed article “Dee Dee Wanted Her Daughter To Be Sick, Gypsy Wanted Her Mom To Be Murdered” and explores the tragic relationship between young Gypsy Blanchard (Joey King) and her overprotective mother Dee Dee (Patricia Arquette, in her Primetime Emmy winning performance). As Gypsy strives to break free from her mom’s controlling influence, she begins to uncover a host of secrets that propel her down a deadly path.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/66A22AvMBjM?si=Xoz4fwLadQauYsuj&t=1356]

Video Quality

The Act: The Complete Limited Series comes to Blu-Ray with a first-rate 1080p presentation that allows the series to look the best it possibly can. The series consists of eight episodes spread across two discs that allow for no egregious instances of compression artifacts. Black levels are resolute and never lose the edges of the objects on the screen. Many spots within the house could have potentially been a murky mess if not for the benefits of high definition.

From the daytime scenes in the yard to the prevalence of darker, shadowy enclaves, the skin tones and facial details are carefully rendered in a way that brings the most nuance out of the cinematography. The series captures this very interior world with great care. Colors from the environments and clothing make an impression on the screen. The transfer allows for textured environments that are presented with faithful clarity on this disc. Universal has given this series a wonderful life on Blu-Ray.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray sets come with a strong DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that translates the sonic journey with ease. Dialogue largely stays planted in the front center channel and comes through crisp and clear at all times. The track is diligent when it comes to ensuring neither sound effects nor the score or music ever overwhelms any exchanges. This show provides some surprising environmental effects that keep the surround speaker filled with dynamic sounds. The music sets the appropriate tone that saturates the room on this track. While not a notable aspect of the track, some texture supports the low end to help enhance unique moments. There is some rich ambient activity in the rear channels, as well. This audio experience accomplishes everything it needs to. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

There are no special features provided.

Final Thoughts

The Act remains one of the better dramatizations to come out of the true crime world in recent memory. While the culmination of this story is shocking, this series strings along the dread and discomfort from beginning to end as you explore the psychological manipulation at play. This is all expertly sold through the performances by Joey King and Patricia Arquette, who make you deeply uncomfortable in the best way. It is deeply disturbing yet endlessly captivating. Universal Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray set featuring a nice A/V presentation but no special features. Recommended

The Act: The Complete Limited Series can be purchased on Blu-Ray directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Universal Home 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.