Everyone loves a good mystery, but throw in the some spooky ghosts and you’ll have me in line front and center. Backtrack is a ghost story, with a twisting tale that slowly unfolds through its 90-minute run time. It’s got a few chills to please horror fans and some solid acting from lead Adrien Brody to keep everyone interested. It won’t be winning awards for complete originality, as the overall theme of the movie has a been there, done that feeling, but it’s unique enough to entice you to stick with it. I don’t want to ruin the plot for the flick, so this will be a very light review for the movie. I did watch this on Blu-ray, released by VVS in Canada, which has some special features included. I’ll get into what I thought about the Blu in a bit, but first, the movie…
Plot Summary
Psychologist Peter Bower’s life is thrown into turmoil when he discovers a strange secret about his patients. Risking his own sanity, Peter delves into his past to uncover a terrifying secret which only he can put right.
Movie Review
Backtrack follows Peter Bower (Brody), a psychologist who lost his daughter in a tragic accident. His life is crumbling around him and each day is getting harder and harder to get through. Things are looking bleak for Peter, but things get worse when a mysterious girl shows up at his office with a cryptic message. In order for Peter to crack this mystery, he has to dig deep into his past to uncover a shocking secret he has been keeping hidden for over 20 years.
That’s a very light summary of the plot for Backtrack, as I really don’t want to ruin the movie for you. In fact, it’s probably best to avoid all trailers as well. The only thing you have to know going in is that it’s got a few ghosts coming at you and some surprises. Some of the plot twists and turns can be seen coming a mile away and the plot felt familiar, as it borrows some story beats from other “ghosts in need” horror films. There are also a few questions left floating in the air near the end. However, the surprises you don’t see coming will make you appreciate the flick. On a side note, a shout out needs to be given to actress Robin McLeavy, who I fell in love with after seeing her wacky performance in The Loved Ones. She isn’t given much to do in this flick, but what she does do is welcome. Sam Neill is also in the movie, but his role is criminally underused in my opinion.
Blu-ray Opinion
Backtrack comes out on Blu-ray from VVS films with a transfer that for the most part acceptable. There are some issues with a few dark scenes, with an odd grid pattern appearing in black areas. It isn’t perfect, but like I already said – acceptable. The audio fares better with a solid presentation that works the rear channels. Special Features include deleted scenes, interviews, behind the scenes and a director commentary. The disc has more than you would expect, which was a nice surprise.
Special Features
• Director Commentary
• Behind the Scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• Interviews
Verdict
Backtrack manages to rise above the other ghostly tales that are similar of it’s kind due to the acting and a story that even though felt familiar, still managed to keep me interested. I didn’t guess everything that was going to go down so that there is a big plus in my book. The Blu-ray has some nice features to keep the disc in your player longer than usual, so in my useless opinion, it’s worth a watch and/or purchase.