DVD Corner

Inside Blu-ray Review

Willem Dafoe shows why he is one of the best actors in “Inside.” 

Not to be confused with the horror film of the same name, 2023’s “Inside” is a survival thriller/psychological drama that revolves around a thief (Nemo) that breaks into a luxury New York penthouse belonging to an art collector. His goal is simple- steal a trio of Egon Schiele paintings. The robbery goes awry, however, when he becomes trapped inside the smart home apartment after a system malfunction occurs. One would think he would be ok, but everything that can go wrong does. The heating and cooling system is broken, there is a very limited amount of food, the water has been turned off (mostly), the phone and internet do not work, and the glass windows are not breakable. As the days pass, Nemo scours every inch of the place for a way out. Will he find a way out? Can he hold on to his sanity? 

Written by Ben Hopkins, “Inside” is basically a one man show although there are other characters that do pop up (won’t go into spoilers about that though). Under less capable hands this may have been a taxing film that would wear out its simple premise quickly, but director Vaslis Katsoupis manages to create a gripping and visual story that has more going on under the surface. It’s a claustrophobic story about art, wealth, survival, solitude, sanity, man vs. manmade, and observing life from the inside looking out. Sure, it may bore some viewers, and yes, 105 minutes might be a bit too long of a runtime for a film like this, but there isn’t a wasted moment here to paint a picture of Nemo’s predicament. 

Speaking of Nemo, Willem Dafoe absolutely owns the screen here. We all know he is one of the best living actors, but this just cemented it. Whether we are seeing the physical transformation or mental transformation of the Nemo character, Dafoe gives a true acting masterclass here. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. How does it look? The print isn’t perfect here as there are some blotchy  frames and image ghosting present. For the most part though, the transfer is adequate.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The 5.1 track fares better here with a clean audio experience.

Extras include 5 ½ minutes of deleted scenes.

June 12, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Art, Inside (2023), Inside Blu-ray Review, Willem Dafoe