The Movie
Single dad John James (Kevin Costner) moves to a quiet new town with his teenaged daughter Louisa (Ivana Baquero, who was so wonderful in Pan's Labyrinth) and young son, but he soon begins to believe that something ain't quite right about this place. Curious discoveries give way to subtle changes in Louisa's behavior. We can't help but sympathize with John, not knowing what to do as the girl acts out on puberty, her recent life changes but also erratic moments of vomiting, disappearance, and oh the havoc she is wreaking on the carpet! What's happening to her, and how is it all connected to the mysterious mound on the James' property?
The New Daughter is a surprisingly effective thriller, clearly inspired by The Ring, and with a climax that borrows heavily from Aliens, but with a disturbing theme and well-foreshadowed plotline all its own. The scares come in different forms, and afterward you just might be tempted to flatten out any bumps in the backyard.
The Picture
There's quite a bit of noise in the 2.40:1 image, which is also slightly soft as evident in the lack of fine delineation in the grass and leaves, although Costner's face shows the requisite character. The shadowy scenery doesn't help matters, with visible compression in the frequent nighttime mists, and a few late shots in near-total darkness have a digital weirdness to them. Backgrounds and characters in the distance can be mushy, which can lead to some unnatural blacks, while brights and colors can be a little harsh. None of these qualms are fatal on their own, but together they bring down the overall presentation.
The Sound
The audio on this disc defaults to Dolby Digital 5.1, so be sure to actively select the Linear PCM 5.1 option. It's an extremely well-crafted mix, unafraid to put discrete little nature sounds, doors opening and closing in other rooms all around the multichannel stage. Footsteps and other off-camera noises are particularly jarring, with a sequence of unsettling phasing between the rears, and mighty thunder, big and small. Oscar-nominee Javier Navarrete's score floats in the air with great delicacy, the icing on this cake.
The Extras
In addition to an audio commentary by director Luis Berdejo, the disc offers no fewer than 19 Deleted Scenes plus one Extended Scene, 22-and-a-half minutes total, in high-definition technically (low-bitrate VC-1) but quite soft and compromised by onscreen text. "The New Daughter: Behind the Scenes" (11 minutes, SD) is a somewhat typical on-set exploration: Looks like everyone enjoyed the ride.
Final Thoughts
Really my only gripe with this movie is the title, which doesn't quite represent what's going on here. And while the video could have been better, it's plenty-good to adequately tell this tale, aided as it is by a wicked soundtrack.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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