On a secluded farm, a man is slowly dying. Bedridden and fighting through his final breaths, his wife is slowly succumbing to overwhelming grief. To help their mother and say goodbye to their father, siblings Louise (Marin Ireland) and Michael (Michael Abbott Jr.) return to their family farm. It doesn’t take long for them to see that something’s wrong with mom, though—something more than her heavy sorrow. Gradually, as their own grief mounts, Louise and Michael begin suffering from a darkness similar to their mother’s, marked by waking nightmares and a growing sense that something evil is taking over their family.
For in-depth thoughts on The Dark and The Wicked, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The film debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that provides a consistency that helps you sink into the terror of the situation. For a movie that is bathed in darkness, it is important to have deep black levels. Thankfully, this transfer offers up strong, consistent blacks so that important information is not lost. Objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. There is also no damage or digital noise detectable in this transfer. The movie itself has a very muted color palette which does not make for an eye-popping experience, but there is a great amount of detail and clarity. There is slight loss of detail in fast panning shots, but it is not pervasive throughout. This Blu-Ray does a really solid job of showcasing the film exactly how it was meant to with very minimal issues.
Audio Quality
The Dark and The Wicked comes to Blu-Ray with a bombastic DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The dialogue and sound effects are appropriately balanced with the creepy score from Tom Schraeder where nothing gets lost in the track. Surround channels get some noticeable activity during the outside scenes on the farm and with the creaky house during any lead up to a terrifying reveal. The movie is mostly on the quiet side with bursts of activity when the family is being terrorized. There are some musical stings that will make you nearly jump out of your skin. The low end of the track is especially active during these moments with a bit of wall shaking happening. This track is very impressive and brings the sinister world to life in a very pleasing manner.
Special Features
- Fantasia Q&A: A nearly 37-minute virtual Q&A between Fantasia Fest Creative Director Tony Timpone with actors Marin Ireland and Michael Abbott Jr. in which they discuss the creative process of director Bryan Bertino, how they came to the project, the themes of loss and isolation, how exhausting it is shooting a horror movie and more. Both actors have a special gift of storytelling which leads to some colorful anecdotes that are more than worth your time. This was a great inclusion for the disc.
Final Thoughts
The Dark and The Wicked is unrelenting in the way in which horrific moments creep throughout the story. The film uses grief and isolation to accentuate the terror in a manner that is very well done. Director Bryan Bertino has proven once again his ability to use the personal to deliver expert-level thrills. Together with the impressive performances from the ensemble, The Dark and The Wicked is a film that will stick with you long after the credits start rolling. RLJE Films have given this film a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a worthwhile special feature. Horror fans that are not afraid to revel in something bleak should definitely check this one out. Recommended
The Dark and The Wicked will be available to purchase on December 15, 2020 on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
