Killers Anonymous Blu-ray Review

"Killers Anonymous" presents an AVC encoded image with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, delivering a visually driven experience characterized by its heavy stylization. The cinematography leverages extreme lighting, with the interior settings bathed in intense hues of yellows, oranges, greens, and vibrant neon accents. The meeting sequences and various dreamscapes showcase deep reds and golden tones, enhancing the visual narrative. However, the film's low-budget digital origins are evident in the somewhat uneven sharpness and minor digital noise, particularly during darker sequences, where some shadow crushing and chroma noise are also noticeable.

Close-up shots exhibit commendable detail, capturing skin textures and character body art effectively, while interior scenes reflect the meticulous decoration. Exteriors, although dimensional, suffer from occasional mild banding and aliasing, especially during segments with dynamic cinematography shifts. The encode remains solid without significant artifacts, but the overall flatness and lack of depth in the imagery limit its potential visual impact. While "Killers Anonymous" doesn't achieve standout picture quality, it encapsulates its narrative through a distinctive visual interplay of colors and lighting choices conducive to its thematic elements.

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track of "Killers Anonymous" offers a competent audio experience, with clear dialogue and well-balanced mixing. Various accents are sorted effectively during dialogue exchanges, making the speech easy to follow, even during emotionally charged or intimidating scenes. Action sequences engage the surround channels with reasonable activity, and elements like gunshots and slamming doors carry suitable weight without overwhelming the mix.

While the surround mix isn’t particularly adventurous, it successfully meets basic auditory expectations. The background atmospherics enhance the room tones and group gatherings, while the scoring maintains clarity with defined instrumentation. Directional activity appears sporadically during storytelling sequences, adding depth to the narrative. However, the audio lacks remarkable low-end impact; bass is serviceable but not striking, even in violent scenes.

Overall, the track fulfills its role competently, though it does not stand out for innovation or dynamism. The best auditory moments are delivered through occasional tunes, which offer superior dynamic range and fidelity compared to other elements. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are presented clearly in white font within the scope of the presentation, ensuring an accessible viewing experience for all audiences.

The Blu-ray edition of "Killers Anonymous" features a comprehensive array of extras that enhance the viewing experience. Director Martin Owen and cinematographer Havard Helle provide insightful commentary, shedding light on the film's visual and narrative choices. The deleted scenes, totaling over 12 minutes, offer a deeper dive into character backstories with segments like "After Alice Story" and "Calvin Story," and also showcase some improvisational moments. The alternate ending, lasting nearly 8 minutes, presents an intriguing twist different from the theatrical conclusion. Additionally, the disc includes a theatrical trailer, allowing viewers to revisit the film's promotional material. Lionsgate ensures these extras are easily accessible via a digital copy redeemable in HDX quality on VUDU or FandangoNow, though it does not include Movies Anywhere rights. A slipcover accompanies first pressings for collectors.

Extras included in this disc:

• Director’s Commentary: Insightful commentary by director Martin Owen and cinematographer Havard Helle.
• Deleted Scenes: Additional scenes offering more character depth.
• Alternate Ending: An alternate conclusion to the film.
• Lionsgate Trailers: Theatrical trailer featuring promotional content.

"Killers Anonymous" ambitiously attempts to capitalize on the styles of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie but ultimately falters in its execution. Directed by Martin Owen and written by Owen and Elizabeth Morris, the film aspires to be a clever noir-thriller with rapid cuts, numerous twists, and a stylized presentation that includes CGI blood spray set to loud music. Despite these lofty intentions, the film lacks coherence and feels more like a collection of disjointed audition pieces rather than a cohesive narrative. The choice to infuse elements reminiscent of "John Wick" and "Reservoir Dogs" only serves to highlight its shortcomings, making the end product feel forced and uninspired.

The plot revolves around a secret support group for assassins led by The Man (Gary Oldman) and Joanna (MyAnna Buring). Troubled hitwoman Jade (Jessica Alba) is swiftly dispatched early in the film, which is misleading given her prominent placement in the marketing materials. Oldman's character, too, feels disappointingly peripheral, spending a significant portion of the film seated and observing through binoculars. The central narrative focuses on a botched assassination attempt on a U.S. Senator and the resulting paranoia within the group. Unfortunately, instead of building suspense, the film bogs down in backstory monologues and a bland depiction of conspiracies.

Technically, "Killers Anonymous" garners some attention for its lighting and graphic novel-inspired visuals. However, these elements can’t compensate for the subpar scripting and lackluster performances. The inclusion of genre tropes and attempts at dark humor come across as derivative rather than innovative. With characters that lack depth or chemistry, even seasoned actors like Oldman and Alba are unable to elevate the material. Ultimately, "Killers Anonymous" is a low-budget thriller with high-concept ambitions that fails to deliver on both counts, leaving a sense of missed potential and a narrative that’s more chore than thrill.

"Killers Anonymous" attempts to blend numerous intriguing concepts into a single narrative, but its ambition ultimately becomes its downfall. While the film showcases an artistic approach to its depiction of violence, this results in a convoluted storyline packed with underdeveloped ideas. The 96-minute runtime simply doesn't allow enough space for any of these potential plot threads to be fully realized, leading to an unsatisfying conclusion. The film's erratic nature is further hampered by a series of performances that border on overacting, diminishing any potential enjoyment from the escalating hostilities amongst the characters.

On the technical side, the Blu-ray release is commendable, offering a solid video presentation with a 2.39:1 AVC aspect ratio and robust audio quality courtesy of the English DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. Subtitles in English SDH are included, catering to a wider audience. Despite this, the Blu-ray is let down by its lack of substantial extras, which might have added some much-needed value to the package.

In conclusion, while "Killers Anonymous" has a promising cast and some interesting ideas, it ultimately becomes bogged down by its own ambition and an overabundance of unfulfilled plotlines. The end result is a movie that feels empty and underwhelming. Although the Blu-ray delivers on technical quality, the overall experience is far from satisfying. Therefore, this release comes with a strong recommendation to skip it.