Red Krokodil Blu Ray Review (Unearthed Films)
Red Krokodil is a 2012 independent psychological horror film directed by Domiziano Cristopharo (House of Flesh Mannequins, Dark Waves, Bloody Sin, Doll Syndrome, & more). Codeine, benzine, paint thinner, hydrochloric acid, & red phosphorus are the ingredients that make Red Krokodil drug that originated in Russia. Barely dressed dirty in a filthy home he (played by: Brock Madson from Cherrywood) just struggles to get through the day. He sees possibility outside the window in a post apocalyptic world where he thinks he might be the only one left. Addicted to the mind numbing drug, he is lost inside his head. What he sees in the mirror he barely recognizes. His isolation from society drives him a little more crazy every day. He has visions of a man in Bunny mask but is he real or is it just the drug playing tricks on his distorted mind?
He’s having withdraws so he gets his fix to go back to routine. He is slowly losing his grip on reality & keeps hearing stuff. Talking to himself to keep awake & entertained as he waits for nothing. He starts picking apart his flesh as he suffers through his pain. He is seeing & hearing a monster going inside his place. He takes the Red Krokodil to escape all of this & to get back to his high comfort zone. Bleeding all over & puking his guts out. He tries to drown himself in the toilet as the voices continue to haunt his thoughts. He starts hurting himself just to feel anything. It takes 76 minutes into this for him to actually get dressed which is definitely bizarre. He destroys his drugs & he’s now looking for redemption, Is it too late to change his disastrous ways?
Red Krokodil is probably the hardest film that I’ve had to review so far. It doesn’t paint a clear picture for anyone. It’s one of those slow burns that consumes your mind & thoughts for further exploring. It can be seen in many different ways depending on the viewer. It’s very claustrophobic in it’s study of one character’s madness & drug infused world. I would say it has a twisted art house vibe to it & it’s definitely one for a certain audience. It takes time to show glimpses of insanity & visual chaos but it’s worth sticking around for. It requires more focus than your typical feature but it keeps you thinking & wondering about the universe this takes place in.
Let’s talk about the high definition presentation & special features from Unearthed Films. This 1080p (1.84:1) transfer is a huge upgrade compared to the original DVD on this blu ray release. Plus it’s the unrated Director’s cut of the film. It’s production design & dirty surroundings makes your eyes wonder around this dirty existence with curiosity captured in here. It’s definitely the best you are going to get for Red Krokodil when it comes to quality for a low budget experimental flick like this. The English: LPCM 2.0 track is very solid on this Unearthed Films release. The dialogue is crystal clear & the music has a solid boost to it. Let’s discuss the extras for this. You get an Alternate Music Ending, Deleted Scenes, & Nuclear Test CGI. Last but not least you get an Unearthed Films trailer reel which features this, American Guinea Pig series, Atroz, & Dreaming Purple Neon. If you are looking for cinema that pushes all boundaries, I recommend looking into Unearthed Films & it’s catalog. It’s available everywhere right now, CHECK IT OUT!!!!
