The Friendship Game follows a group of teens as they come across a strange object that tests their loyalties to each other and has increasingly destructive consequences the deeper into the game they go.
For in-depth thoughts on The Friendship Game, please see my colleague Mike Vaughn’s review from its original theatrical debut here.
Video Quality
The Friendship Game debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that captures the film quite well. The movie itself has a cooler color palette that pops off the screen when it comes to specific lighting choices. There is a great amount of detail and clarity even in the darkest sections of the frame. The carnage that pops up provides some striking visuals that bring with them a grotesque vibrancy. There is slight loss of detail in fast panning shots, but it is not pervasive throughout.
For a movie that often relies on darkness to build tension at various points, it is important to have deep black levels, which this thankfully does. There is some intermittent banding in some of the darkest moments, but objects hold up pretty well in the shadows and retain their depth. There are certain digital visions where the detail becomes less crisp for obvious reasons. There is no damage or digital noise detectable in this transfer. There are not very many moments that are going to jump off the screen, but this is a solid video presentation for what the film is offering.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with a formidable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track. The movie provides a surprisingly intense workout with environmental sounds providing a very immersive atmosphere for the story. The low end of the track is particularly active during moments of violence, frights and music with a bit of sofa shaking happening. Dialogue and sound effects are balanced well with the music where nothing gets muddled in the mix. Surround channels get some nice activity during the outdoor outings as well as interiors during any lead up to an unsettling reveal. This track is precise and effective, and it is one that will be appreciated by horror fans who pick up this disc. There are English SDH and Spanish subtitles provided.
Special Features
- A Conversation with Peyton List: A five-minute on-set interview with the star in which she discusses her thoughts on her character, bonding with the cast on set in Canada, working with prosthetics, what she hopes people get out of the film and more.
- Deleted Scenes: There are five unused scenes totaling nearly ten minutes provided here which finds Zooza talking with Courtney, Zooza talking with her mom and other moments with the main character.
Final Thoughts
The Friendship Game feels very lazy during a time in which horror films have become especially innovative. Even when tackling familiar narratives, there needs to be something fresh or exciting to latch onto for the audience. This film takes a step backward in that respect by creating a script with dialogue that feels so far removed from authenticity that it is laughable. There are sporadic moments that do not fall as flat, but very little about this movie works. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a few passable special features. Unless you are in love with the cast, most will be okay skipping this.
The Friendship Game 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 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.