The Loft - DVD

Film: All good things come in threes! Following the 2008 original from Belgium and the 2010 Dutch remake, the U.S. adaptation of The Loft marks the third release of director Erik van Looy's thriller. This is the second time van Looy has directed the film. But he already sat in the director's chair for the injured filmmaker Antoinette Beumer for a few days on the Dutch version. So directing this material should have become something almost routine for him. And that's exactly how the US remake comes across: like a routine but somewhat dispassionate thriller with some good moments of suspense.

The story didn't change in any of the three versions: It was supposed to be the perfect retreat for five married friends: a loft in a luxury condominium complex where the men can do everything their wives better not know about. But when one day they find a badly battered woman's body in the loft, the fun comes to an end. Mutual suspicions and murderous intrigues ensure that the situation soon threatens to escalate...

With the thriller The Alzheimer Case, director Erik van Looy was able to land a small surprise hit at various festivals in 2003. With the sequel Loft, the director had proven that he really knows his craft. And that can still be clearly felt in the US version. With a convoluted narrative that keeps jumping back and forth between the present and various moments in the past, van Looy crafts an elegantly filmed puzzle that keeps the viewer riveted until the very end. Admittedly, there are one or two hangs and some plot twists seem a bit arbitrary, at least at first glance. But in the end, The Loft proves to be a first-class thriller that manages to surprise its viewers more than once - provided, of course, that you haven't seen either of the other two versions. For the US version, apart from a few minor differences and a slightly more chaste treatment of sex and nudity, is a 1:1 remake of the Belgian original.

While the third version of the story still has everything a good thriller needs: an exciting story, a surprising resolution, tingling eroticism and a classy look. The ensemble of actors around Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings) and James Marsden (X-Men) is also well chosen. And yet the film lacks corners and edges that the original still had. The US version seems a bit too slick and the direction lacks the certain passion that van Looy had still revealed in the first attempt. The whole thing just seems like an interchangeable commissioned work, which was delivered solidly in terms of craftsmanship, but also a bit soullessly. Does that make The Loft a bad movie? No, because the story is still thrilling, the look is atmospheric and the actors are convincing, too. Only those who can make the direct comparison will really be bothered by the weaknesses. Because otherwise, this third rehash still offers enough good thriller entertainment. But who has the choice between the three existing variants, should perhaps better reach for the original. Therefore, the following applies: an exciting story in a somewhat too routine packaging, therefore only worth seeing with minor restrictions!

Picture + Sound: The image of the DVD pleases with a high image sharpness, which can mostly be maintained even in the rather dark scenes. The rather reduced color scheme in many scenes underlines the undercooled atmosphere of the film very well. The sound remains rather subdued for long stretches, though here and there music and minor sound effects do provide a bit of surround dynamics. Good!

Extras: In addition to the trailer for the film and other program tips, the DVD still has uncommented B-roll footage of the scene Philip's wedding (about 1:07 min.), as well as seven promo interviews (about 33:16 min.) with the actors to offer. Purely standard programming that doesn't offer any particularly in-depth info.

Conclusion: Loft is a suspenseful thriller, but it can only be recommended to viewers who haven't yet seen the 2008 original from Belgium or the Dutch remake, as the US version is also a nearly identical remake. But for those who don't know the story yet, this also very successful version of the cleverly constructed thriller can be highly recommended. The DVD is technically well realized, the bonus material is okay, but not particularly profound. Overall, there is for this DVD a clear: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp