TRAFFIK Blu-ray Review

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Brea is a journalist for a paper in Sacramento and she just had a story that she has been researching for a year scooped by a reporter in her office. With her career uncertain and just being frustrated, it has made for a great birthday. Her boyfriend John has made arrangements with a friend Darren to stay in a really nice house for the weekend in the country so that he can propose to her. On the way up, they stop at a gas station and she meets a girl who seems off. After a man in the gas station store makes Brea spill her slushie all over her, she goes into the bathroom to clean up and the same sketchy girl from earlier is in there. She seems like she desperately wants to say something to her but she is made to leave by the man she is with.

After Brea and John settle in at the house, their friends Darren and Malia show up to surprise them. They’re all drinking and having fun when a phone beings to ring. It is a satellite phone in Brea’s purse and it definitely isn’t hers. The girl from the gas station must’ve put in there and after the group unlocks it, they figure out that the pictures are from a human trafficking ring. There is a knock at the door and the same girl from the gas station is standing there in the dark. She wants the phone back and she isn’t alone.

TRAFFIK is written and directed by Deon Taylor. He has directed SUPREMACY and MEET THE BLACKS. This movie is focusing on the serious subject of human trafficking but it is more of a subplot to the story of the couple in a weird place that get terrorized but a group of criminals. Yes, the main character has some predictable things happen to her but the plot is really about this group surviving this attack. It as a little misleading and not what I was expecting. It isn’t on the same par as SUPREMACY but I think the message gets a little lost in survival movie tropes.

Cast
Paula Patton – Brea
Omar Epps – John
Laz Alonso – Darren Cole
Roselyn Sanchez – Malia
Luke Goss – Red
Dawn Olivieri – Cara

VIDEO QUALITY:

The video is a 1080p AVC presentation and it has a fairly decent look to it. The images are clean but there are inconsistencies in the contrasting. The daytime shots are bright with some well-defined lines. The problems are in the darker scenes where the dark doesn’t make objects stand out. There is one scene in particular where you can barely see what’s happening so there is some guessing. The colors can be bold at times but only where it is approbate. It is seen in the clothing and some of the items in the background.

AUDIO QUALITY:

The audio is a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix that has some really nice parts to it. The music in particular has bold LFEs and clearly delivered vocals. The SS Chevelle’s engine is throaty and sound phenomenal. Other effects with the dialogue have been processed well with the score coming out at appropriate times.

SUPPLEMENTS & PACKAGING

-Journey into the Depths: Making TRAFFIK: This is featurette has some interviews with the cast and crew plus some clips from the movie.

-Deon & Dante: The Look of TRAFFIK: This extra is with the director Deon Taylor and cinematographer Dante Spinotti.

Disc Details
1 Blu-ray Disc
digital copy

Running Time
96 mins

Edition Ratings
Rated R

Region Coding
Region A

Video Resolution
1080p AVC MPEG-4
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1

Audio Mixes
English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Subtitles
English
English SDH
Spanish

THE BOTTOM LINE:

TRAFFIK is the kind of movie that Paula Patton fans will enjoy but the story is very superficial. The plot gets to the point and plays out the way you would think. The Blu-ray has a pretty good video transfer and a slightly better audio mix. The extras are very few but you do get the director’s point of view as to why he made the movie in the first place. I say give it a rent before you purchase.

About the author

MEDIA JOURNALIST | Michael is a fanatic about all both cinema old and new. He collects anything from 1:6 Scale, 1:12 Scale, and vinyl Collectibles plus Slipcovers and Steelbooks. He loves pop culture, writing, reviewing films & collectibles, and journalism. An avid Batman, The Joker and anything comics junkie, he will also chat it up about pretty much anything. Go ahead and ask...