BLU-RAY REVIEW

Adopt A Highway

Featured In Issue 247, January 2020

Picture4
Sound3.5
WSR Score3.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
RLJE Films
(Catalog Number):
LTF10827BD
(MPAA Rating):
Not Rated
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$29.96
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Dual Layer (BD-50)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
(Running Time In Minutes):
88
(Color Type):
Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
(Disc Release Date):
12/24/2019
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
(Director):
Logan Marshall-Green
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(Subtitles):

In "Adopt A Highway," Russ Millings (Hawke) has just been released from prison after serving 21 years for a third strike conviction for possessing an ounce of marijuana. As he tries to adapt to a world he doesn't recognize––including trying to learn how to use the Internet––he finds an abandoned baby in a dumpster behind the fast food restaurant where he works as a dishwasher. Unsure of what to do, and caught between impulses of kindness and panic, Russ soon realizes this could be his chance at redemption. (Gary Reber)

Special features include

The 1.78:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format. The framing shifts from 1.78:1 to 2.0:1 toward and during the ending scenes. While a low-budget digital production, the imagery is nicely captured and presented. The imagery tends to be very darkly saturated in tone, though, the brief daylight scenes appear natural. Throughout fleshtones are rendered naturally. In some segments, nighttime and indoor sequences are heavily shadowed. Otherwise, color fidelity is generally well saturated and natural. The prison scene and other scenes do exhibit a blue-tinged cast but the bus ride scenes of the passing countryside are scenic and naturally saturated. Resolution varies from poor to excellent. Facial features are generally finely detailed with respect to lines, skin pores, hair and beards. Clothing also is generally defined. Overall, this is an engaging presentation. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack has an active music score that at times sounds distorted. Atmospherics nicely enhance the realism. Weather-related sound effects engage the .1 LFE channel with deep bass and extended surround envelopment. Dialogue is spatially integrated. Overall, this is an effective soundtrack that supports the haunting storytelling. (Gary Reber)