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Inside (Blu-ray)
[Blu-ray]
Blu-ray ALL - United Kingdom - Icon Home Entertainment Review written by and copyright: Rick Curzon (8th August 2025). |
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The Film
 Transferred from juvenile to adult prison, young offender Mel is taken under the wing of Australia's most despised criminal, Mark Shepard, and Warren Murfett, a soon-to-be paroled inmate. When Murfett is forced into murdering Shepard to pay his debts, he finds a surprising accomplice in Mel. However the transformative paternal love triangle that blossoms between them may be their undoing. A fantastic character study that uniquely subverts prison movie tropes, and a profound exploration of the Australian incarceration system, this superbly crafted drama stars Guy Pearce (Memento, The Hurt Locker), Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun, Persuasion), and Toby Wallace (Babyteeth).
Video
Australian prison drama is brilliantly acted by all, but especially its three leads. As you'd expect it follows a fairly predictable path and doesn't offer any variation on what you'd expect for prison film. It all comes down to one's tolerance for a raft of largely unsympathetic characters. It's brutal, grim, depressing and some of it's characters are stuck in an unpleasant, foul mouthed environment without much light in their lives, although there remains the possibility of redemption and this film ends on a more positive note than some. A recent production shot in 2023, most likely digitally; it certainly looks digital. IMDB offers no detailed information on how the film was produced and there's no information anywhere on this release to indicate the same. It's vividly shot and a film that doesn't seem to eschew bold colours when they appear naturally. Production design and colour choices favour blues, grays, blacks etc as befitting the interior of a prison. There's a definite teal lean on the prison interiors, a brighter grade for flashbacks and scenes on the outside. Black levels are very deep with plenty of shadow detail; detail across the board is very good with textures coming through nicely. Contrast is well balanced and supportive, the encode had no compression issues that I could see and the image is demo worthy considering the visual design and approach ('A'). 1080p24 / AVC MPEG-4 / BD50 / 1.85:1 / 103:40
Audio
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 16-bit) Subtitles: English HoH An effective track. It's never going to compete with a Marvel or Bond blockbuster for sheer oomph and surround powerhouse, but it keeps the drama grounded. Dialogue is always crystal, sound effects well rendered and score delineation active and ever present. The hard of hearing subs are spot on and in the sections I tested comprehensive. As good a presentation of its pristine source as can be expected and it serves the design of its makers to a T ('A').
Extras
Trailer (2:00) Startup trailers: - Strange Darling (1:45) - Day of the Fight (2:18) Nothing to really say beyond that we have. All are 1080p24, in their correct aspect ration and with English LPCM 2.0 Stereo sound (48kHz, 16-bit). There are no subtitle options.
Packaging
Standard blue BD Keepcase.
Overall
If prison dramas are your thing then this is about as good as you can get, if not it offers nothing new superb performances notwithstanding. Image and sound are top drawer but that's to be expected for such a recent film. Extras are nonexistent. A strong, if barebones release ('B+').
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