What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray

What Doesn't Kill You

 (2008)

Crime | Drama



Ethan Hawke and Mark Ruffalo lead an all-star cast in this drama about a pair of childhood friends from the gritty streets of South Boston that turn to crime as a way to get by, ultimately causing a strain in their personal lives and their friendship. Also starring Donnie Wahlberg, Amanda Peet and Brian Goodman.

For more details about What Doesn't Kill You on Blu-ray, see the What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray Review

What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


What Doesn't Kill You features one of Sony's better transfers to MPEG-4 AVC. The bloating to the yellows and blues isn't overt--possibly because the entire film has an almost black-and-white feel to it because of the wintery environs and artistic cinematography. Of course, it isn't black and white and contrast and earthtones are spot-on. Skin color and black level are lifelike, contributing to a good depth appearance. The photography and sense of composition on the screen are the highlight of the visual experience. What Doesn't Kill You is shot with an artistic, instinctive feel for the symmetry of each set and the placement of the characters. A wintry Boston itself seems to play a character. With expert cinematography capturing the south side's streets, neighborhoods and buildings, What Doesn't Kill You visually achieves great tension, gritty realism and story movement.

The 1080p presentation is a touch too antiseptic to make you feel as though you are watching projected film rather than a digital medium. The noise is relegated to mere small grain particles that are entirely unobtrusive. Detail is good but not the kind that will make your jaw hit the floor. The overall picture is almost up to par with the most detailed Blu-ray, but since the source material may not be as defined as the immaculate, big-budget production shot on better cameras and produced on better equipment, the end product is not as glitzy. Much of the film is shot in dark areas or at night, for a noir feel, and I noticed no pixelation during these scenes.

What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


Probably the most disarming element of the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack is the sound of snow crunching underfoot and under the tires of vehicles. Rendered with excellent precision and definition, it sounds realistic. When you are tempted to look outside your window in April, during a warm day in California to see if the sound of crunching snow came from outside, it's time to give kudos to a convincing soundtrack. Voices have no less realism. They sound clear and defined with timbral accuracy. Gunshots and other sound effects also appear realistic. The soundstage is a sort of chameleon. It changes depending on the action and intensity of the scene. Mostly it is a narrow soundstage, anchored front and center, but during bursts of action or outdoor scenes, the rear channels come alive. Music plays a small role in the production, but it's a solid delivery of the two Swamp Dogg songs, "Funktastic Galactic Rock" and "Buzzard Luck". The highs sound detailed and extended; mids are lush and midbass is taught and rich. The deep bass never really gets a workout and I had to check my LFE channel to make sure I had remembered to turn it on.

What Doesn't Kill You Blu-ray, News and Updates

• What Doesn't Kill You Announced for Blu-ray - February 17, 2009