The Lingering Blu-ray Review

"The Lingering" Blu-ray is presented by Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. The film, likely captured digitally and finished at a 2K resolution, exhibits a range of visual styles thanks to its varying color schemes, reflective of different time periods and settings. The scenes set 30 years in the past have a dusty, desaturated look, while Dawa’s future sequences are vibrant and clear. The modern time periods have cooler blue tones with added green tints, lending a clean but slightly soft appearance.

Detail levels are exceptionally sharp overall, although they fluctuate due to the film's dim lighting and aggressive color grading typical of the horror genre. Despite this, the presentation maintains strong fine detail in more naturally graded scenes. Notably, banding is a recurring artifact, frequently visible and common for Well Go USA releases. CGI elements within the movie can appear out of place, sometimes detracting from the otherwise immersive experience.

Overall, "The Lingering" provides a visually engaging Blu-ray experience with its precise detail and varied color schemes, although certain technical limitations are evident.

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track of "The Lingering" delivers an engaging audio experience that's particularly effective in creating tension through intermittent jump scares. This track tends to be front-heavy, but the ambient effects—such as the spirits moving things around or jump scares—are executed with authority, drawing the listener into the eerie atmosphere of the film. Dialogue is crisp and clean throughout, providing clarity in both the quieter, dramatic moments and the more intense scenes. Despite being primarily front-centered, there are key moments where the bass really amplifies, especially during ghost scenes, adding a resonant shake that enhances the horror elements.

However, the overall sound design heavily relies on startling effects that occasionally lack follow-through, with sudden explosions into the surround channels that quickly subside. While this can briefly heighten tension, it gives away too soon, somewhat diluting the impact. The spooky and cavernous sonic quality of the house is effectively captured intermittently, contributing to the film's atmosphere. Despite these occasional shortcomings, the presentation remains problem-free, with clean dialogue consistently maintained. If there's a minor critique, it would be the rather reserved use of the LFE and surround channels which could have been more fully exploited to enhance the immersive horror experience.

The Blu-ray extras for "The Lingering" deliver a compact but enriching supplement to the main feature. The "Making of Featurette" provides fans with behind-the-scenes insights, revealing the creative processes and challenges encountered during production. The included trailers, while standard for Well Go USA releases, offer a glimpse into both the film itself and upcoming titles from the distributor. Notably, the seamless authoring ensures an uninterrupted viewing experience, with trailers for other Well Go USA releases playing automatically at disc startup and post-film. Overall, these features enhance the viewer's understanding and appreciation of the movie, albeit in a streamlined fashion.

Extras included in this disc:

Making of Featurette: Behind-the-scenes look at the production process.

Trailers: Standard promotional trailer for "The Lingering" and automatic trailers for other Well Go USA releases.

"The Lingering" presents a puzzling narrative structure, presenting two separate but loosely connected stories set 30 years apart. The film's first part follows Qingyi (Athena Chu), a young mother grappling with her son's disturbing ability to see dead people. With eerie sequences and visions of death, the segment heightens the ghost story genre's suspense. The narrative then abruptly shifts to decades later, focusing on Xinzhong, who returns to his hometown after his mother's death. This second part transitions unexpectedly into a poignant exploration of dementia and filial care. Despite its disjointed storytelling and incoherent editing, this final segment does offer moments of touching emotional depth.

Technically, "The Lingering" can be bewildering for viewers as the timeline frequently flits between past and present without clear demarcation, adding to the confusion. The screenplay leaves viewers straining to find connections between the two story arcs, especially with character name inconsistencies like Dawa/Xinzhong. This narrative fragmentation destabilizes the viewing experience, causing plot lines to fall by the wayside and generating an overall feeling of dissatisfaction. However, Athena Chu's performance in flashback scenes remains a strong point, eliciting genuine emotional responses despite the film's otherwise confounding execution.

Overall, while "The Lingering" aims to deliver a ghost story intertwined with a heartfelt family drama, it ends up being an uneven mix due to its narrative disjunctions. The horror elements are compelling but are undermined by the abrupt tonal shifts and loosely tied threads between the two plot lines. Though the final act is touching, it feels out of place amidst an otherwise fragmented and confusing storyline.

"The Lingering" is a perplexing blend of genres, diverging dramatically in narrative and tone between its acts, creating a confusing yet occasionally poignant experience. The film starts with what appears to be a horror setup but transitions unexpectedly into a mother-son drama during its third act. This abrupt shift leaves the audience disoriented and questioning the consistency and coherence of the storyline. Despite the whiplash effect caused by these genre jumps, the later segments of the movie deliver emotional depth and character development, offering a form of redemption, albeit one that may not justify the preceding confusion.

From a technical standpoint, the Blu-ray release is commendable. Presented in a 2.39:1 AVC aspect ratio, the visual quality is sharp, with well-balanced contrast and minimal artifacts. The Cantonese DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track provides an immersive soundscape, accentuating both the eerie atmosphere of the horror elements and the more subdued emotional beats later on. However, the extras are notably sparse, which might deter those looking for a more comprehensive home media experience.

In conclusion, while "The Lingering" boasts solid technical performance and peaks with an emotionally charged finale, its disjointed narrative structure and disorienting genre shifts make it a challenging recommendation. The film has moments worth watching, especially in its portrayal of family dynamics, but its overall inconsistency could be off-putting for some viewers. A tentative rental is advisable for those curious about this unusual cinematic endeavor.