In THE APOLOGY, twenty years after the disappearance of her daughter, recovering alcoholic Darlene Hagen (Anna Gunn) is preparing to host her family’s Christmas celebration with her best friend Gretchen (Janeane Garofalo). Late Christmas Eve, Darlene’s estranged ex-brother-in-law, Jack (Linus Roache) arrives unannounced, bearing nostalgic gifts and a heavy secret. Soon, Darlene finds herself caught between reason and ruthless instinct. Trapped together by a dangerous storm, a battle of wits escalates to a violent game of revenge.

For thoughts on The Apology, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/tm8jJkHA-k0?t=4028]

Video Quality

The Apology comes to Blu-Ray with a very strong AVC encoded 1080p transfer that injects the necessary life into the feature. The visual style of the film features some welcome splashes of color that captures the spirit of the holiday. These hues bring about a sense of innocence that juxtaposes nicely with the arc of the story. The picture is pretty clear with only minor instances of murkiness during a few of the darkest portions. The film takes place almost entirely over the course of one night, and the transfer retains an impressive level of detail even in less than ideal lighting setups. Nearly every element from the smallest facial details to the texture in the clothing and production design is quite impressive. Skin tones are natural throughout with some fine details present in better lighting. RLJE Entertainment has delivered some good work.

Audio Quality

The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that replicates the perfect soundscape for this story. Environmental elements are portioned out carefully throughout the film, but when they are engaged this track brings these elements to life favorably. This track allows for a fully fleshed-out setting full of discrete sonic details. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through perfectly clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Activity in the low end is sporadic but delivers some weight when the moment calls for it. RLJE has delivered a rock solid track that handles everything that is thrown at it. There are English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles for those who desire them.

Special Features

The Making Of The Apology: A nearly six-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the narrative, the origins of the story, the performances in the film, the direction of the film and more.

Final Thoughts

The Apology is a fairly compelling slow burn thriller which puts a lot of importance on the performances, and thankfully the small ensemble handles this material exceptionally well. The narrative is not exactly built on huge twists and turns, but rather the intrigue that builds between two people when they are stripping themselves bare emotionally. Some of the turns feel somewhat contrived, but overall this provides an engaging story which keeps you glued to the television until the end. RLJE Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a solid A/V presentation and a brief supplemental feature. If you appreciate a dialogue-driven thriller, give this one a watch. Recommended

The Apology 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: RLJE 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.