Aitana returns home for the first time in three years, excited to introduce her wife and their adopted infant son to her extended family and celebrate Christmas together. The family villa in the Spanish countryside is exactly as she remembers – except for the addition of Nadia, a Romanian refugee who has claimed Aitana’s bedroom, her clothes, and her family heirlooms. Why have Aitana’s conservative parents, long suspicious of immigrants, embraced the mysterious Nadia with such uncharacteristic warmth? Is Nadia a shrewd usurper, or an unwitting vessel for darker forces spreading across the land? A twisty thriller that locates the uncanny in the reflexive cordiality of the holiday season, YOU ARE NOT ME is a dark and disturbing dispatch from the most irrational realm: family.

For in-depth thoughts on You Are Not Me, please see my colleague Phil Walsh’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

You Are Not Me arrives on Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that provides a stellar viewing experience. The film is not overflowing with bold colors, but the shades of some of the production design and clothing elements stand out in a favorable way. Even with the film taking place on Christmas Eve, you will not find an overwhelming amount of holiday hues. This film uses lighting effectively as it establishes the mood of the evening to conjure tension. The highlights are handled capably, along with the deep blacks that do not appear to stumble with any compression artifacts. This is a visually compact film with plenty of shots where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The transfer retains the intended aesthetic where subtle elements of the costumes and production design are able to come through. The skin tones and makeup look very detailed and natural throughout. This presentation represents this film to ideal effect.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track in the original Spanish that expertly handles the creepy atmosphere built here. The environmental effects create a really eerie experience that transports you to this abode. This is not a particularly raucous film, but activity in the low end is stirred intermittently thanks to the music and some third-act developments. The film uses the score in really unnerving ways that fill the room with sturdy fidelity. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being suppressed by the sound effects or the music. The sound design is just as faithfully deployed as the on-screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned thoughtfully in the mix. This track gives you everything you need. Optional English and English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas provides a thoughtful and informative commentary track in which she gives background details on the talent, the underlying themes of the feature, the political context of the film, and more.

Interview with Roser Tapias, Moisés Romera and Marisa Crespo: A four-minute interview from the Bilbao Fantasy Film Festival in which they briefly touch on the narrative, the qualities of the characters, the production of the film, and more.

9 Steps – Short Film: A nearly eight-minute short film about a young child who is afraid of the dark.

11/11 – Short Film: A two-minute short film that ends with a nice subversion.

Deleted Scene: A 34-second unused sequence is provided in a slightly unfinished form.

Image Gallery

Theatrical Trailer (2:10)

Final Thoughts

You Are Not Me conjures up some psychological thrills that prey on feelings of insecurity and isolation within spaces you should feel safe. The film is fairly predictable in its story beats, but it is executed well enough to keep you invested in the journey. Hardcore horror fans may come away underwhelmed by the lack of overt scares, but there is enough tension to get your pulse pounding in key moments. Even with its flaws, it is worth delving into this holiday-tinged nightmare. Music Box Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a worthy assortment of special features. Recommended

You Are Not Me 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: Music Box Films Home 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.