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Blu-Ray : Skip It
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Release Date: April 5th, 2016 Movie Release Year: 2015

#Horror

Overview -

You’ve got followers… cyberbullying goes offline during one deadly night. #Horror follows a group of preteen girls living in a suburban world of money and privilege. But when their obsession with a disturbing online game goes too far, virtual terror becomes all too real.

In #Horror, Chloë Sevigny (American Horror Story, American Psycho) leads an ensemble cast that includes Timothy Hutton (American Crime, The Dark Half) and Natasha Lyonne and Taryn Manning of Orange is the New Black.  This shocking chiller is written and directed by actress and designer Tara Subkoff (The Cell, The Last Days of Disco).

OVERALL:
Skip It
Rating Breakdown
STORY
VIDEO
AUDIO
SPECIAL FEATURES
Tech Specs & Release Details
Technical Specs:
25GB Blu-ray
Video Resolution/Codec:
1080p MPEG-4 AVC
Length:
98
Aspect Ratio(s):
2.40:1
Audio Formats:
English: DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles/Captions:
English, Spanish
Special Features:
Theatrical Trailer
Release Date:
April 5th, 2016

Storyline: Our Reviewer's Take

Ranking:

Perhaps one of the biggest vices in the United States today is the obsession with social media. It seems like you can't escape the essence of social media wherever you go. You see it on your live television programs, sporting events, business meetings, concerts, video game consoles, restaurants, and feature films. I bet you even get at least a dozen updates a day through your phone or tablet about the latest meal your friend had or a political statement by your uncle, and even a new picture of your cousin's baby. Social media is everywhere now, and it's here to stay.

On one hand, it has connected everyone to everyone. We get information at lightning speeds and can see what our loved ones and friends are up to throughout the year. It has also give people a voice to express their opinions, no matter what they might be. Heck, it even gives us fans a forum to praise and critique movies. On the other hand, social media has been used as a weapon too, to bully, stalk, and threaten one another. Not all of social media is used in the most positive of lights.

That's the case with this new film from Tara Subkoff, simply titled '#Horror'. This film is a true slasher film at its core, but it uses the modern day social media realm to kill its victims one-by-one. Subkoff also tried to make this a satire in the online bullying arena, to possibly raise awareness to the young kids who bully one another or talk smack through the safety of their home computer or phone, not fully aware of the consequences that it causes. Unfortunately, '#Horror' doesn't do a good job with any of these issues.

In making a film, you must have or should have some sort of relatable plot device or character. Someone who is likable and passes off as genuine. There is really none of that here in '#Horror'. Instead, this film follows a group of early teenage girls, who seem to have all the money in the world, minus one girl, who come over to this luxurious house for a slumber party. Things start off innocent enough with a fashion show, where all the girls are trying on different clothes and taking pictures of themselves and posting them to their social media accounts. Quickly though, these girls just seem to turn on each other for no apparent reason, other than just be horrible human beings.

The things these young girls say and do to each other is just down right evil, mean, and cruel. It just never seemed real that this type of dialogue or actions take place between friends. As the evening progresses, a masked and hooded killer stalks and kills the girls one-by-one, and posts the deaths online, via social media. That's really all there is to this movie. Yes, there is some sort of twist ending on who the killer is, which is the case with most of these slasher movies, but a lot of it just doesn't add up.

I can't even believe Chloe Sevigny, Timothy Hutton, Natasha Lyonne, Taryn Manning, and Balthazar Getty said "Yes" to this movie. They must have owed someone a favor, but luckily they aren't on screen for very long, as the bulk of the film belongs to the young actresses. None of the dialogue or story is particularly any good and the editing and filming of '#Horror' is a horror in and of itself. There are a treasure trove of super quick cuts with bright flashing lights and tons of hashtags and emojis that pop up on screen. If I was epileptic, I would have probably seized right on up, let alone, try to follow a cohesive story line. This is one horror film that that doesn't live up to its name by any stretch of the means.

The Blu-Ray: Vital Disc Stats

'#Horror' comes with a 25GB Blu-ray Disc from Scream Factory and is Region A Locked. There is no insert or digital download code here. The cover art is reversible if you so desire with other artwork. The disc is housed in a hard, blue plastic case. A couple of trailers play before the main menu.

Video Review

Ranking:

'#Horror' comes with a 1080p HD transfer presented in 2.40:1 aspect ratio. There are a few different things to consider here when it comes to the video presentation of '#Horror'. Some of it looks like it was filmed on a camera phone, where other shots look like it was filmed on a high end digital camera, where other scenes look like it came straight from a computer screen. It's really all over the place. I would say none of it really looks sharp or vivid, with the exception of the very few exterior snowy locations. The bulk of the film is shot inside a house, and there is a fluctuating level of grain throughout.

Some of the time, the grain is heavy, the other times, it is ten times as heavy. It looks rather bad. Colors don't exactly pop either at any point in the film with the exception of when the film goes into insane mode with all the emojis and hashtags that pop on screen, and when that happens, it's almost like a 'Barbie' film with the all too bright pinks and purples. The black levels weren't so deep and inky and the flesh tones looked a little muted in the lower light situations. There was some banding and aliasing throughout as well. This is not the best looking video presentation I've seen.

Audio Review

Ranking:

This release comes with a lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix along with a 2.0 option as well. For being a teenage girl slasher flick, it gets the job done. Just don't expect a full range of sound from the surround speakers on a consistent basis. This is more of a front heavy track with some light ambient creepy noises and crescendos coming from the rear speakers from time to time. The score sounds the best here, as it is full of that haunting and foreboding sound throughout.

The dialogue is clear and easy to follow, even with all of the over-the-top sound effects of pictures flashing and weird social media sounds going off at every turn. These sound effects are made to get your attention, as they are louder than almost everything on screen, which gets a little old when it happens all too often. The bass rumbles here and there, but is never overly loud. For the type of  film this is, you can expect a decent to less than average audio experience.

Special Features

Ranking:

Theatrical Trailer (HD, 2 Mins.) - Trailer for the film.

Final Thoughts

'#Horror' has a good premise and could have been a decent slasher film, but it just eats itself with all of the jumbled dialogue and poor plot and script. You just can't have an entire cast of characters that are all unlikable and expect for us to feel sad when they meet their gruesome demise. I imagine young girls under the age of thirteen might find this to be a fun film, but then again, this might be too adult for them. The video and audio presentations are not that great and the only extra is a trailer for the film. Feel free to skip this '#Horror' film altogether.