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Transfusion Blu-ray Review

Sam Worthington shows he has acting chops in “Transfusion.” 

Written and directed by Matt Nable, the Australian film “Transfusion” begins with a former SAS sniper (Ryan) who was injured in Iraq adjusting to family life. He has a pregnant wife and a young son (Billy) that he is teaching valuable skills. After his wife dies in a car accident, Ryan’s life falls apart. Via a time jump, we see that Ryan struggles with veteran life, finding work, and grief. Billy is also struggling and finds himself getting into trouble with the law. Ryan and Billy are also not connecting like they once did. Feeling lost and in need of money after Billy’s latest mishap, Ryan finds himself enlisting into criminal work through a fellow former army man (Johnny). 

Sam Worthington has taken a fair share of criticism from critics and audiences alike due to some extremely wooden and bland performances in films like “Terminator: Salvation” and “The Shack.” Over the years though Worthington has grown as an actor and has shown range particularly in “Avatar: The Way Of Water,” “Under The Banner Of Heaven,” “Hacksaw Ridge” and now “Transfusion.” While the story itself may be flawed (more on that later), the role of Ryan is an acting showcase for Worthington as this film is very much a character study of a veteran who is haunted by his past, PTSD, and the loss of his wife. He struggles to move forward and can’t seem to shake who he was. It’s also a father-son story about how one horrific and tragic event broke apart the family. Will Ryan and Billy connect or won’t they? That’s one of the main story arcs that plays out. Going back to Worthington, he really digs into this complex character and does a fine job leading the film. Equally compelling here is Matt Nable who plays Johnny. Between his impressive performance as the scarred veteran who has a dark and violent side to his filmmaking skills behind the camera, Nable is certainly a man of many talents. Edward Carmody also shines as the lost teenage Billy.

As for Nable’s script itself, the story is hard hitting and effective when it counts, but the drama is overly telegraphed to the point where there are no surprises. There’s a formula here that could have been shaken up more to deliver a stronger story and less thriller movie cliches. The structure of the story is also clumsy specifically in terms of the flashback integrations.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Gradde: A-

The lone extra is a Digital copy.

May 3, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Australian Film, Sam Worthington, thriller, Transfusion Blu-ray Review