Now on Blu-Ray: WHAT WE BECOME
Out now, Scream Factory's new release for the Danish horror film What We Become tells the story of a small neighborhood in chaos as a viral outbreak happens. Whatever the sickness is, isn't revealed, but that's not what matters here.
Writer-director Bo Mikkelsen revels in the overall picture, not minute details. That's not to say that What We Become isn't good; it's quite enjoyable. It just means that he chooses to focus on the more human aspects of the story and its characters rather than any technical science behind such an outbreak. Unless you've got a vast army of advisors in any given field, focusing on action and emotion rather than the nitty gritty (unless you're Stanley Kubrick) is the way to go.
The story follows the Johansson family, comprised of mom, dad, grade school daughter, and teen son. On a very average day, things start getting a little weird in their neighborhood. Then there's a news report about a viral infection. The little old lady down the street says that her husband's turned blue and he's no longer breathing, but when the paramedics show up, the elderly man is nowhere to be found.
And then things start to take a darker turn. Romantic relationships are forged and broken. Friendships are made and families are torn apart. Blood is spilled and the military turns up to quarantine every home and family under the threat of automatic weapons. It's a scary site, and one can't help imagining that it could happen anywhere. The production design is great --- as is the makeup and acting.
That's the beauty of What We Become; it's a slice of life that could occur in any small town anywhere, at any time in the world. (It just so happens to be present-day Denmark). The film is on par with one of the better episodes of The Walking Dead, and probably surpasses that series. But What We Become sports a similar feel and the same theme --- a rag-tag team of survivors trying to figure out exactly what to do when the zombie apocalypse happens --- and how to deal with all the emotional baggage that comes with that.
It's a decent film, one I can recommend. Sadly, there aren't any special features on the disc, save for the trailer for the film (and for other IFC-distributed films). The physical release comes with both a Blu-ray and a DVD, however.
In terms of image, it looks good, but could be better on the blu-ray; there was a significant amount of flickering over the darker parts of the picture, and that was definitely annoying. The audio sounded fine. Again, I'd have loved to have seen any behind-the-scenes featurette included on the making of the film, but like a Brit once sany, you can't always get what you want.
Check out the trailer below. Intrigued? Head to Scream Factory's site to learn more.
