Blu-ray

The Bay

Anton van Beek  |  Apr 14, 2013

Can the man behind Rain Man revitalise the found footage genre with his new eco horror?

Barry 'Rain Man' Levinson makes a surprise foray into the world of low-budget eco horror with this found-footage flick. Smart and gruesome, with a real message to impart, The Bay is definitely worth a watch. And yet, outside of a couple of clever conceits (and cost-saving implications), it's hard to see just how much was really gained from tackling the material this way, rather than in a more straightforward manner.

Given the mix of video formats used (everything from smartphones to semi-pro cameras), the Blu-ray's AVC 1.85:1 1080p encode isn't exactly a showcase for HD visuals - and the DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix is more concerned with atmospherics rather than dynamics. It's also disappointingly thin on extras, offering up nothing more than a short 9-minute Making of… and the theatrical trailer.

Momentum Pictures, Region B BD, £18 Approx, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 3/5

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