Over the past few years, quite a few filmmakers have expressed their frustration that when their movie is sold directly to a streaming service, there’s no physical media release. Why would the streaming site release a DVD, Blu-ray or 4K UHD since they want you to keep paying your monthly subscription fee. That’s fine for most viewers. But things get tricky when the streaming site removes your film for whatever reason. Where are people going to see the movie? The service doesn’t sell the digital version. Your film is in limbo until it comes back up as a selection. Block Island Sound was a hit when it arrived on Netflix in March of 2021. The low budget thriller by the McManus Brothers scared a lot of people who were hoping to Netflix and chill on their sofas. Now the good news is you can get a copy of Block Island Sound on 4K UHD so you don’t have to worry about letting your Netflix subscription lapse. Or you can give it to your friend who needs to see the film and doesn’t subscribe to Netflix.
Things are not feeling right during winter on Block Island. The tourist destination is beyond its usual bleak self. The beaches are being covered by wave after wave of dead fish. What’s happening in the sound that’s cause these schools of fish to drop dead and wash up on a daily basis. Tom (Neville Archambault) is a fisherman who wakes up on his boat a bit disoriented. Does this episode have anything to do with the fish? Audry (One Tree Hill‘s Michaela McManus) gets to visit with her dad when the EPA assigns her to investigate the fish kills. She brings her daughter Emily (Station Eleven‘s Matilda Lawler) along so she can hang out with grandpa and her brother Harry (The Maze Runner‘s Chris Sheffield). But this isn’t a happy family reunion. Dad is a bit off after his incident on the fishing boat. The fish kills get bigger. Things go downhill from there as whatever is happening in Block Island Sound takes a deeper hold on the community.
I don’t want to spoil what’s going on in Block Island Sound other than to say that the McManus Brothers amp up the creepiness with just the right pacing. They take an eco-mystery to the next level and it works. What makes it work the best is that they don’t blow us away with special effects that makes us forget this is a family drama. The connections between the family members are what gets tested as the strangeness elevates. The thing with a lot of straight to Netflix movies is they become rather forgettable. Block Island Sound sticks out. The story goes places in subtle ways worthy of being rewatched. Block Island Sound deserves to be released on a 4K UHD so it can have its own space on the shelf near your HDTV and not merely be a button on the streaming site.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. The 4K UHD (2160p) presentation in HDR-10 brings out the beach in the winter. The Audio is DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround. The creepy audio track will wrap around you. The subtitles in English.
Audio Commentary with Matthew and Kevin McManus is something you won’t hear on the Netflix version.
A Practical Apocalypse (3:23) gets into how they shot on a shoestring to make things feel huge. We learn how he was able to get the massive fish die off on the beach. For people concerned about animal welfare, they didn’t kill all the fish for the sake of the movie.
Finding The Cast (9:22) has the discussion of how they found their actors. A few are close to the directors.
Filming on The Water (6:55) gets into how the camera man shot in the same waters as Jaws. Shooting on a boat does have a lot of safety issues. Plus you have to deal with the boat rocking. You don’t want the audience in the theater getting seasick. There was also an issue with the boat.
Special Effects on a Shoestring (8:03) dips into how to make a “dumb” version of a moment to sell the abduction scene without having their budget gets sucked into space. This is a good primer if you’re wanting to make a film without losing your house. Remember that the actors sell the effects.
Los Angeles Behind-the-Scenes: Super 8MM (1:42) gives a glimpse of the production.
McManus Family Home Movies (5:59) has the McManus siblings talk about growing up in an artistic household. Mom acted in community theater. They made movies as kids. Many of their family members appear in the film since part of a shoestring budget is hire people who don’t want to get paid in advance. One of them used their newborn daughter in a surprising role.
Teaser Trailer (1:25) gives us the fish kill and strange activity.
Synapse Films present Block Island Sound. Directed by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus. Screenplay by Kevin McManus and Matthew McManus. Starring: Chris Sheffield, Michaela McManus, Neville Archambault, Jim Cummings, Jeremy Holm, Matilda Lawler, Ryan O’Flanagan, Willie C. Carpenter & Heidi Neidermeyer. Running Time: 99 minutes. Rating: Not Rated. Release Date: December 10, 2024.
