Endless Summer Syndrome - Altered Innocence (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Czechia/France, 2023
Director: Kaveh Daneshmand
Writers: Laurine Bauby, Kaveh Daneshmand, Gem Deger
Cast: Sophie Colon, Mathéo Capelli, Gem Deger, Frédérika Milano

Release Date: February 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 96 Minutes 27 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Stereo French
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $27.95

"A lazy late-summer weekend is disrupted by a shocking allegation when Delphine gets an anonymous call from her husband's colleague about an alleged affair with one of their adopted children. Before leaping to conclusions she decides to quietly observe her family for a shred of evidence; anything to subside her fear and erase doubt. After the truth presents itself in an unexpected, shocking manner, Delphine choses to look past the blame for a permanent solution."- synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Endless Summer Syndrome comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 22.8 GB

Feature: 21.6 GB

The source looks excellent, colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are solid, and compression is very good.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD stereo mix in French with removable English subtitles and removable Spanish subtitles. The audio sounds clear and balanced throughout. That said, Endless Summer Syndrome is a dialog-driven film, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include the International trailer for Endless Summer Syndrome (1 minute 52 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), U.S. trailer for Endless Summer Syndrome (1 minute 37 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), interviews with Sophie Colon, Mathéo Capelli, Gem Deger, Frédérika Milano (17 minutes 12 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo French with non-removable English subtitles), and reversible cover art.

Other extras are trailers for Eat the Night, Grand Jeté, Astrakan, and The Strangler.

Summary:

A mother is devastated when she discovers that one of her two adopted children is having an affair with her husband.

What starts off as an idyllic family day sitting in the sun enjoying everyone's company takes a dramatic turn when the mother receives a phone call. Though she is at first hesitant to believe what the caller is telling her, the more she uncovers, the more reality sets in. Instead of coming right out, she uses deception to get the answers to what really happened. All the while, she is suspicious of her family's every action.

Though there are a few secondary characters like the one on the phone, the performances are essentially the four cast members who portray the family. All around, they are all outstanding, with Sophie Colon, who portrays the mother, doing most of the heavy lifting. What makes their performances all the more impressive is that only Mathéo Capelli has more than two acting credits.

Endless Summer Syndrome is a film of modest resources, and yet it far exceeds them. Framing the image in a 1.33:1 aspect ratio instead of a wider one gives the film a claustrophobic tone. The narrative is perfectly constructed; it does a phenomenal job concealing the who's and the why's. Ultimately, Endless Summer Syndrome is a film that challenges the viewer with uncomfortable subject matter, and its gut-punch finale leaves so much unresolved.

Endless Summer Syndrome gets a solid release from Altered Innocence.

Written by Michael Den Boer