Directed by: Steven C. Miller
Starring: Ray Wise, Dana Ashbrook, Derek Mears
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed by: Anchor Bay
Release Date: May 29, 2012
Running Time: 85 minutes
Film: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 1.5 out of 5 stars
When I see a film by Steven C. Miller it immediately gets my attention. I have been a fan of his work since 2006’s “Automaton Transfusion”. He is known for his work in the horror genre and in fact is currently remaking the classic “Silent Night, Deadly Night”. Though this film is like nothing he has ever done before and is his most mature film to date. “The Aggression Scale” is a home invasion thriller that goes completely wrong since “Home Alone” mixed with “Rambo”. The film starts slow but once its gets running it is unstoppable.
When mob boss (Ray Wise) finds that that someone has stolen $500,000 from him, he sets out four heavily armed hitmen to search for the people responsible. When they storm the Rutledge family’s home, they get much more than they bargained for. They quickly find out that the family’s kids are more dangerous than the killers, specifically the young son Owen, who is deeply emotionally disturbed.
“The Aggression Scale” not only excels in tension it also is incredibly violent and gory. Dana Ashbrook (“Twin Peaks”) and Derek Mears (“Friday the 13th”) are totally kick-ass in their roles I just wish that the brilliant Ray Wise (“Twin Peaks”, “Reaper”) would have been in it more. Ryan Hartwig also is creepy as hell as the Rambo-esque son with an anger issue. His role was wordless and he really nailed it.
The Blu-ray presentation was impressive for a low-budget film. The video is presented well with its 1080p transfer and 2.40:1 aspect ratio. The audio works really well with the film’s suspense and score, boasting a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track. The special features though are not as impressive. There is only one short behind-the-scenes feature, which runs about 15 minutes. Worth checking out but was hoping for a little more in the extra department.