The Innocents follows four children who become friends during the summer holidays. Out of sight of the adults, they discover they have hidden powers. While exploring their newfound abilities in the nearby forests and playgrounds, their innocent play takes a dark turn and strange things begin to happen.
For in-depth thoughts on The Innocents (2022), please see my colleague Devin McGrath-Conwell’s review from its theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The Innocents (2022) debuts on Blu-Ray with a 1080p presentation in its original aspect ratio that delivers a sterling experience. The movie occasionally ratchets up tension with darkness which is aided by deep black levels that hold together nicely. There is never a point when you are following the action where the illusion of the experience is broken. The transfer provides a tremendous amount of detail and clarity even in the shadows. You do have a slight loss of fine detail during more unsettling moments, but these instances are supposed to feel a bit disorienting. Objects hold up well in the shadows and retain their depth with banding rarely showing up in any capacity. The movie itself has a crisp, natural palette that renders beautifully on screen, especially when the kids adventure into the woods. No damage or digital noise was detected that would detract from this transfer. RLJE and IFC Films really did some top tier work.
Audio Quality
The film comes to Blu-Ray with an effective DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Norwegian, as well as a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio dubbed English track that is atrocious – please stick with the original language. The dialogue and sound effects are balanced well with the score where nothing sounds muddy. The movie makes substantial use of environmental sounds to ratchet up the anxiety of potential violence with a very enveloping atmosphere. Surround channels get some detailed activity during the exterior scenes around the building and with the ambiance of certain interiors. The low end adds some much desired texture that enhances the atmosphere. Fans will appreciate how substantial this is from beginning to end. There are English subtitles provided.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on the disc.
Final Thoughts
The Innocents (2022) is oftentimes an extremely disturbing portrait of youthful indiscretions in the face of adversity. Every young character is carrying their own bit of baggage which can garner your sympathy for at least a little bit. That is not to say you are completely on board for any of them, as the extreme cruelty can be a lot to process to the point of disgust. Yet, this just goes to illustrate the intensity and discomfort that comes with growing up and facing certain harsh realities. The storyline is bleak yet effective in this one, and the movie does not make any big missteps outside of not using certain characters to their full potential. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation but no special features. If you are in need of an uncomfortable thriller with a vicious streak, give this a watch. Recommended
The Innocents (2022) 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.
