The Experiment Blu-ray Review

"The Experiment" on Blu-ray delivers a mixed yet captivating 1080p visual presentation that effectively captures the film's stark, cold aesthetic. The MPEG-4 AVC transfer (aspect ratio: 2.39:1) provides an exceptionally clear and detailed image, reflecting every fine detail from facial features to clothing stitches. Throughout the prison-set scenes, the image maintains a sterile quality, dominated by shades of gray and blue due to harsh overhead fluorescent lighting. Although the environment appears visually dull and flat, these aspects seem to align with the director’s intended visual scheme. Despite the limited presence of bright colors, black levels remain consistent and appropriately dark, preserving necessary atmospheric tension.

Furthermore, the video excels in its rendering of exterior scenes that feature a more vibrant color palette. Green foliage and other elements are well-represented with deep saturation, offering a refreshing contrast to the interior prison scenes. Flesh tones exhibit an accurate and realistic quality across the film. Importantly, the transfer is generally free from visual artifacts such as dirt or excessive noise reduction, ensuring an immaculate presentation. Although there are minor instances of background banding and blocking, these are minimal and do not significantly detract from the overall experience.

In summary, "The Experiment" on Blu-ray provides a dynamic and visually pristine experience while remaining faithful to the film's clinical atmosphere. While it may not be the most visually stimulating presentation due to its inherent design, it offers exceptional clarity and detail throughout. The contrast is robust, lending an occasional pop to colors without washing them out, thus delivering a solid and accurate depiction of Paul Scheuring’s vision.

The audio presentation of "The Experiment" on Blu-ray is delivered in an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, maintaining the high standard typically seen in Sony releases. From the onset, the sound mix captivates with a potent and haunting low end that fills the space, proving to be a robust and engaging listening experience. The initial moments offer a tangible sense of space that seamlessly transitions into a more balanced immersive environment as the story progresses. The sound design captures nuanced elements such as environmental soundscapes during a war protest scene and the distinct, tinny resonance of outdated audio devices, contributing to a rich auditory setting.

As the narrative moves into the prison setting, the soundtrack continues to excel, offering both depth and dimensionality. Elements like slamming doors, echoing screams, and the unsettling voices contribute to an encompassing surround experience that goes beyond mere center channel confinement. The bass proves sufficiently impactful to physically resonate, supporting both music and tense sequences with commendable precision. The mix demonstrates exemplary spacial dimension through discrete directional sounds that create an immersive environment, notably during pivotal scenes like the internal monologues in Adrien Brody’s mind.

Dialogues are crisp and well-prioritized, even during overlapping whispering sequences in the prison at night, ensuring clarity and focus throughout. The sound effects maintain sharpness without becoming overwhelming, enhancing the overall atmospheric quality. The score by Graeme Revell is rendered with fullness, although it does not entirely reach the heights of his previous works. Despite the movie’s limitations, the audio mix certainly stands apart for its quality and execution, presenting a comprehensive, full-bodied sonic experience devoid of artificial surround sound gimmicks. Subtitles in English and English SDH are included, ensuring accessibility for all viewers.

The Blu-ray release of "The Experiment" offers minimal extras, highlighting an absence of substantial bonus content. The disc features straightforward BD-Live functionality, along with a series of high-definition previews for various films. This limited offering underscores that the primary focus is on the main feature rather than supplementary materials. The inclusion of trailers may serve as an enticement for broader entertainment exploration, but for those seeking in-depth behind-the-scenes material or intricate additional features, this release falls short.

Extras included in this disc:

• (HD) Previews: 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, Game of Death, Harry Brown, The Secret in Their Eyes, The Pillars of the Earth
• BD-Live enabled

"The Experiment," directed by Paul Scheuring, brings an intriguing premise based on the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment to the screen. Despite the psychological depth promised by such a subject matter, Scheuring's adaptation struggles with believability and emotional impact. The narrative follows Travis (Adrien Brody) and Barris (Forest Whitaker) as they and other participants are divided into roles of guards and inmates in a simulated prison environment, intended to last two weeks. Initial power dynamics quickly degrade, exposing the fragility of human decency in the face of newfound authority. Unfortunately, the film's rapid descent into chaos feels exaggerated and forced, undermining its exploration of the human condition.

Performance-wise, the film boasts a commendable cast, but even their efforts cannot add substantial gravitas to the hollow script. Whitaker's portrayal of Barris is particularly jarring, depicting a devoutly religious man who devolves into a power-hungry brute within hours—a transformation that strains credibility. Brody does his best with an underdeveloped character lacking depth and backstory. The supporting roles, including Cam Gigandet as a stereotypical jock and Clifton Collins Jr. as a white supremacist, are one-dimensional and fail to elevate the film's thematic pursuits.

From a technical perspective, "The Experiment" is competently produced. However, its lack of substantial bonus content and barebones presentation on Blu-ray stymie the potential for a more enriching viewing experience. The film's plot comes off as dramatically contrived, with critics asserting that key questions about morality, power, and human nature are ineffectively addressed. The movie’s inability to convincingly portray these rapid psychological shifts makes it difficult for viewers to invest emotionally or intellectually, rendering the film a missed opportunity in cinematic storytelling.

"The Experiment" initially presents a promising premise, backed by a director with a solid understanding of the prison genre and featuring some notable actors. Despite these early signs of potential, the film ultimately falls short of delivering a compelling narrative. While Director Paul Scheuring demonstrates technical proficiency in creating a visually and audibly engaging film, "The Experiment" fails to resonate on a deeper moral or metaphysical level. The premise, centered around the effects of pressure and power structures on human behavior, devolves into needless violence that feels forced and contrived rather than thought-provoking.

The narrative's execution lacks nuance, opting for bombastic displays and rote theatrics over meaningful commentary or engaging satire. This approach might have been bearable if not for the actors' evident talents being overshadowed by the film's misguided direction. Additionally, the Blu-ray release offers no supplementary features to provide further context or insight into the film's intentions, further reducing its appeal.

Sony's Blu-ray presentation does deliver strong audio and video quality, which might appeal to some viewers. However, these technical merits are insufficient to redeem the overall experience. "The Experiment" might hold some interest for fans of the genre looking for a rental, but for most viewers, it is advisable to pass on this release. The lack of extras and the film's failure to deliver a compelling story make this Blu-ray edition difficult to recommend.

In summary, while "The Experiment" shows initial promise and technical proficiency, its failure to delve deeper into its core themes results in a disappointing viewing experience. The Blu-ray release does little to enhance its value, making it a release best avoided by most.