Femke Boot (Katja Herbers) is a columnist who is obsessed with reading the endless abusive messages and death threats posted about her on social media. This obsession consumes her life and prevents her from concentrating on the novel she has promised to her publisher. One day, all her pent-up anger and frustration explode in a moment of shocking and unexpected violence. When this brutal and bloody act inspires Femke to write again, she surrenders to her rage and begins to lead a double life as a daytime writer and nighttime murderer.

For in-depth thoughts on The Columnist, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original festival release here.

Video Quality

The Columnist arrives on Blu-Ray courtesy of Film Movement with a glorious 1080p presentation that perfectly captures the aesthetic of the film. This is a visually sleek feature with some fetching modern production design, and the camera delights in every single moment of it. There is a significant amount of detail in close-up shots, along with wide shots of key tableaus. Colors are favorably saturated and especially vibrant within the lighting and design elements. Skin tones look natural, and there are some wonderful facial details present. Black levels are sturdy with no obvious crush, and highlights avoid blooming under the brighter sources. Compression artifacts and other digital anomalies are avoided throughout. The film looks excellent in high definition.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the original Dutch that sounds lovely. The film makes appropriate use of panning effects to make the action feel more immediate. Environmental sounds come through distinctly in the side and rear speakers. The movie is largely driven by dialogue that is clear without being overshadowed by the music or sound effects. This is not a film that commands a particularly showy low end, but there is some welcome texture at points, such as gunshots. This track does a top-notch job of translating the film to your living room. Optional English subtitles are available.

Special Features

Grady Hendrix: A 15-minute conversation with author and film programmer Grady Hendrix in which he discusses the history of female vengeance in art, trends in the revenge subgenre, the reactions to larger societal issues, and more.

Trailer (1:46)

Booklet: A multi-page booklet featuring the essay “I Will Not Calm Down: Harassment and Revenge in The Columnist” by film critic Shelagh Rowan-Legg is provided here. This piece gives a well-rounded analysis and context for the themes and plot developments.

Final Thoughts

The Columnist is a darkly amusing wish-fulfillment satire that allows you to see what might happen if you were able to take down all the toxic people on the internet. Katja Herbers is key to making this material work as well as it does, as you fully buy into her psychological unraveling, and you root for her even when she is breaking the law in spectacularly brutal fashion. The film struggles to scale up its tension or stakes as the action becomes a bit repetitive in the home stretch, yet the film is smart enough not to overstay its welcome. It is not quite perfect, but it is a fun time that will make you reconsider the next time you want to take down someone on the internet. Film Movement has provided a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation along with a couple of supplements. Recommended

The Columnist 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: Film Movement 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.