It Was Never Meant to be Opened
Released by: 20th Century Fox
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Production Year: 2016
Region Code: A
Running Time: 1:35:40
Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1, English Descriptive Audio 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: 1080p (2.35:1 Aspect Ratio)
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
A family lives an idyllic existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.
Sarah Wayne Callies (The Walking Dead) and Jeremy Sisto ("Six Feet Under," "Wrong Turn") play the parents who lost their son and both did a fine job in the roles. Much of the movie focuses on Sarah Wayne Callies character Maria and her decision which without, there wouldn't be much of a film to watch. The basic plot is one that a number of people unfortunately can relate to, the death of a child. I do not have children and I cannot begin with fathom what it would feel like to go through what her character had to deal with. I can say I would not have even gone to the temple because it would be too painful to deal with, but if I was actually in that situation, who knows.
"The Other Side of the Door" is more about emotions associated with mourning and guilt and less about violence and gore. So some viewers are sure to be turned off and have been already. But if take it for what it is, a supernatural drama-thriller that totally falls into the horror genre, you should find some enjoyment. So often with films now, if there isn't sufficient gore, a high body count or heaven forbid it's not rated R, a film may be quickly dismissed as rubbish which is totally unfair. But that's a whole other topic of debate and discussion.
AUDIO - [ 4.5 / 5 ]:
The Blu-ray features an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio track. Other language options as well as several subtitle choices are also available. I found the audio to sound wonderful on this release. It may not have a 7.1 audio option some may desire but it does a fine job with what is included. The film makes good use of several jump scares through its use of effective sound effects. Sound levels throughout the film were balanced. Dialogue was clear and easy to hear. The film's score sounded very good and does a nice job of helping convey the emotions of the characters.
VIDEO - [ 4 / 5 ]:
"The Other Side of the Door" comes to Blu-ray thanks to 20th Century Fox. The film is presented in 1080p with a 2.39:1 Aspect Ratio. The video portion of the Blu-ray looks great for the majority of the time. It only falters a bit in some of the rather dark scenes where sometimes I thought there was a noticeable dip in quality in terms of sharpness and clarity. With very little light present, it is bound to happen. Of course in the more well lit scenes, the film looks excellent and settings such as the temple appear quite detailed. Close ups provide an even greater amount of fine detail. Despite being a somewhat drab film without too many bright colors present, those we do see, look strong. Skin tones had a natural appearance and black levels were good except for some of the rather dark scenes.
SPECIAL FEATURES - [ 1 / 5 ]:
Deleted Scenes (7:41) - Six scenes in all. Pet owners may want to skip one of them and you'll know which one thanks to the title.
Behind the Door (1:55) - Producer Alexandre Aja (High Tension) talks briefly about the film with some moments from the movie included.
Still Gallery
Theatrical Trailer (2:25)
Sneak Peek - Includes trailers for several other films that also play when the disc is inserted.
OVERALL RATING - [ 3 / 5 ]
This combo-pack also includes a DVD and Digital HD copy of the film.
