Shudder has been a godsend for horror fans ever since its inception in 2015. What started as a small streaming service for niche horror fans has blossomed into one of the most prominent production and distribution arms in independent horror, alongside their partners IFC Films. Not content with just streaming older classics, Shudder has persisted due to their content strategy which finds them scouring film festivals and acquiring exclusivity rights for films that otherwise would have a harder time getting picked up. When Shudder started releasing “Exclusives and Originals” we started to get modern classics like “Terrified,” “Tigers Are Not Afraid,” and “Haunt” just to name a few. Another one to add to the list is Damian McCarthy’s “Oddity” which is getting a Blu-Ray release from Acorn Media. Is this oddity worth bringing into your home?

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister's murder at the site of the crime.

HOW IS IT?

We previously reviewed “Oddity” during its theatrical run, and you can read that review here.

“Oddity” was one of our favorite films of 2024, and based on our previous review, we are big fans of Damian McCarthy’s supernatural story of revenge and justice. In lieu of rehashing what has already been said, what we can comment on is how the film holds up after a rewatch. The good news is, extremely well! In fact, this rewatch provided an opportunity to take in more of the easter eggs and hints that McCarthy carefully places throughout the film, like the beginning when Dani is installing the woodblock on the upstairs floorboard and how that connects to other parts of the plot later on.

“Oddity” is still as weird and engrossing as it was when we first watched it, and these words from our initial review still ring true:

“The way all of these characters, and supporting ones like Steve Wall as Ivan operate just a few degrees south of normal elevates the atmosphere in the film makes it feel like something is always off. As if the world that “Oddity” inhabits is a shade darker than our own, but still just as grounded. Maybe that’s just the Irish sensibilities, and to add a bit more nuance to an already impeccable film there are just the subtlest bits of humor sprinkled throughout that provide some much-needed tension relief. It is all so masterfully put together and fun that it is hard to find much fault in it at all and suffice it to say we cannot wait to see what Damian McCarthy will do next!”

HOW DOES IT LOOK?

Acorn Media has become the physical media home for many of Shudder’s releases, particularly those released in the UK. “Oddity” is presented in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio on MPEG-4 AVC codec with 1080p HD resolution. This disc looks to have a 2K scan and given the recency of the production no restorative or reclamation work was required. The colors are deep and rich, and enhance the darker shades and elements that complement both the production design and the story itself with lots of earthy tones and light hues of blue. Based on our testing, despite this disc being sold in the UK it did play on a region A Blu-Ray player, but it has not been officially tested as Region-Free. Images from this release are used throughout this review.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?

In the audio department, there is a 5.1 surround sound track alongside a descriptive audio track for the hearing impaired. We don’t often see a descriptive audio track exclusively, the closest we often get is just a subtitle track with those descriptive elements occasionally, but not always included. The sound balancing is fantastic, which works wonders for the atmosphere of the film particularly in the more tense moments. You can hear the silence and isolation quite well, while the backing music and sound are never overpowering or being overpowered by things like dialogue. There are also various subtitle options as well which make this one of the more inclusive releases we’ve covered with the addition of the Descriptive Audio track separate from the subtitles, a trend we hope to see more of!

ANYTHING SPECIAL?

Thank goodness for Acorn Media for bringing “Oddity” to Blu-Ray, as these Shudder Originals were destined to live on streaming until they started bringing them out on discs. For a film that received such high praise as “Oddity,” it is strange to see how few Special Features are included as well as the lack of an audio commentary from McCarthy. We aren’t sure if this means a more robust release is being planned at a later date, or if this is just the nature of the beast for this particular film, but we did check out two of the three featurettes included. The first was the Storyboards to Screen feature which shows some of the rudimentary storyboards McCarthy used and how those related to actual shots in the film. This is more interesting to see the style of the storyboards, which are far simpler than some may think rather than how they show up as shots. It’s also proof that you don’t need a storyboard artist for this endeavor.

The other feature we took in was the Behind-The-Scenes feature which is a brisk 4-minute watch that functions more like pre-release marketing material as the actors and filmmaker talk about how they got introduced to the script and what they were going for in the final product. This is like an appetizer for a fuller special feature that leaves us wanting more in terms of background and insight while giving us just enough to get a small taste. A full list of special features included is listed below.

Special Features

Behind the Scenes

"Storyboards to Screen"

Image Gallery

LAST RITES

“Oddity” was a shoo-in for one of the best films of 2024, and this Blu-Ray release is your best way to bring this amazing film home. While it is light on special features, this is an easy “must-buy” for fans of the film as well as those who enjoy subtle dark humor and idiosyncratic supernatural stories!

THE GORY DETAILS

Thank you to the fine fiends over at AIM Publicity for providing a review copy for the crypt! Oddity is available NOW and can be ordered via Zavvi US!

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Nov 4, 2020

Matthew Orozco