The Forest Blu-ray Review

Universal's Blu-ray presentation of "The Forest" boasts an impressive 1080p transfer that consistently delivers a high-quality visual experience. Encapsulated in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, the AVC-encoded transfer achieves an average bit rate of 34 mbps. The overall clarity and detail are robust, with the forest setting and urban backdrops both rendered in rich, textural complexity. Daylight sequences in the Serbian forests are particularly commendable, displaying intimate and revealing details. Whether observing dense foliage, tree trunks, or manmade structures, the image maintains a healthy and handsome texture. While close-ups reveal intricate makeup effects and facial features sharply, some darker, murkier scenes intentionally soften to contribute to the film's dreary atmosphere.

Color reproduction is efficiently balanced, with the palette predominantly favoring cold tones like greens, blues, grays, and browns to complement the film's bleak subject matter. Colors lack a warm vibrancy but remain true to the atmospheric intent, occasionally popping to enhance specific sequences. Black levels are notably deep and inky, providing honest and stable shadow details that excellently support nighttime and underground scenes. Skin tones appear natural yet slightly pale, resonating with the film’s overarching mood. Compression artifacts and digital noise are minimal, ensuring a clean visual presentation.

Despite its stark color palette, "The Forest" manages to offer moments of visual splendor, particularly with cityscape shots and the Japanese sequences featuring Natalie Dormer. The natural complexity across every surface and balanced color grading contribute to a consistently engaging viewing experience that accurately reflects the film’s intended atmospheric tone. The MPEG-4 AVC encoding ensures that details remain crisp and sharp throughout, while maintaining excellent depth perception across varied environments.

"The Forest" offers an exceptional audio experience with its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, maintaining clarity and immersion. The initial scenes feature pronounced bass that sets a foreboding tone, with the music primarily oriented towards the front channels. However, the surrounds effectively deliver a range of environmental sound effects, from rustling leaves to bustling Tokyo streets, enhancing the immersive atmosphere. Public address announcements are strategically placed, and motion effects like jets exhibit seamless transitions across speakers. Dialogue remains consistently clear and prioritized, perfectly centered without any distortions.

The score by Bear McCreary stands out, marked by haunting crescendos and subtle moments that underscore the film’s eerie ambiance. The sound effects are robust, particularly the nature sounds and ghostly whispers that surround the viewer, contributing to a feeling of otherworldliness. The mix dynamically balances ambient noises and sound effects, achieving notable depth and layering. The inclusion of minor cues, such as the classic squeaky door, adds to the realistic soundscape.

The technical presentation is strong in all aspects. The initial urban Japanese street scenes are notably immersive with streaming rates peaking at 4.4 mbps, while the overall mix averages 3.0 mbps. Despite the center-focused dialogue-heavy portions, the LFE channel and surround sound presentations play a significant role in driving horror elements, particularly during jump scares where strategic bass drops offer a powerful "sonic Boo!" effect. Overall, this DTS-HD Master Audio mix ensures a wide dynamic range and delivers an engaging auditory experience that aligns well with the film's atmospheric intent.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Forest" provide an engaging and comprehensive behind-the-scenes look at the film's production. The featurettes balance insightful commentary from Director Jason Zada with detailed visuals, creating a robust supplementation to the viewing experience. While the brevity of some features might leave a bit to be desired, the depth of content in areas such as practical effects, set illustrations, and the inspiration behind the film more than compensates. Fans will appreciate the informative and even-keeled commentary that enhances understanding without overstaying its welcome. The inclusion of high-definition galleries and thorough storyboard sections offers a well-rounded exploration of the movie's creation, making this disc a valuable addition to any collection.

Extras included in this disc:

• Exploring The Forest: Director Jason Zada discusses various aspects of the production.
• Galleries: Behind-the-scenes photos, set illustrations, makeup concept art, model cave photos, and storyboards.
• Feature Commentary with Director Jason Zada: Scene-specific insight into the film's making.
• Digital HD Copy: Instructions for obtaining digital and UltraViolet copies.

"The Forest" leverages a compelling concept rooted in the real-life Aokigahara Forest of Japan, reputed as a "Suicide Forest" where countless tragedies have unfolded. The plot centers around Sara (Natalie Dormer) who embarks on a harrowing journey to find her missing twin sister Jess, believed to have ventured into the forest. The film opens with eerie promise, utilizing the forest's dense and haunting atmosphere to build suspense. Director Jason Zada crafts a visually captivating horror movie that juxtaposes psychological tension against the serene yet treacherous woodland backdrop. Natalie Dormer performs admirably, portraying dual roles with a nuanced touch that injects some emotional depth into an otherwise thinly veiled plot.

Despite a strong foundation, "The Forest" falters in execution. Its reliance on conventional horror tropes, such as jump scares paired with sharp musical cues, quickly becomes predictable and repetitive. The screenplay, penned by Ben Ketai, Sarah Cornwell, and Nick Antosca, presents intriguing ideas but fails to explore them fully, resulting in a narrative that oscillates between being overtly symbolic and frustratingly vague. Characters navigate through poorly developed subplots and uneven pacing, with key moments of potential revelation ultimately fizzling out due to lackluster storytelling and shallow characterization.

Technically, the film showcases effective cinematography, enhanced by a haunting score from Bear McCreary which adds an unsettling aura. However, the editing is often disjointed, leading to confusion regarding character motivations and plot progression. While Dormer's efforts to bring authenticity to Sara and Jess are commendable, the surrounding cast and screenplay do not support her adequately, leaving the audience detached and uninvested. "The Forest" attempts to forge a psychological thriller from rich material but ends up delivering an uninspired and forgettable entry in the horror genre, more notable for its missed opportunities than its moments of fear.

"The Forest" Blu-ray offers a mixed array of elements that tend to oscillate between engaging moments and missed opportunities. The narrative, centered around an intriguing mythos and set in a unique environment, displays flashes of potential through its well-delineated main character. However, it falls short in execution due to lackluster editing and inconsistent acting performances. The promise shown by director Jason Zada in his debut feature is palpable, yet hindered by a script that fails to fully capitalize on the haunting premise.

Technically, the Blu-ray excels with strong video and audio quality, providing a rich high-definition picture that captures the film's atmospheric visuals effectively. The sound mix enhances the immersive experience, albeit relying on conventional auditory jump scares. Supplementary materials are present, but they vary in substance, with some offering valuable insights while others are rather pedestrian. For horror enthusiasts, the extras might not be captivating enough to warrant a purchase without prior viewing.

In conclusion, "The Forest" never borders on brilliance, but it's a surprisingly engaging movie that toys with good ideas, unfolds in a unique environment ripe for exploration, and is populated by a well-defined central character. It blends outer beauty with inner fear wrapped around a simple mythos that the movie uses, generally, to fine effect. Jason Zada's debut feature shows much promise, and Universal's Blu-ray does the movie right. Video and audio are rock-solid, and the included supplements are of a high quality. Recommended.