Black Heaven - DVD

Film: Actually Gaspard (Grégorie Leprice-Renguet) and Marion (Pauline Etienne) just wanted to give free rein to their newly budding love. But the discovery of a mobile phone puts a spanner in the works. After listening to the messages, the two follow the supposed owner, only to find the young man dead in his car. At his side is a mysterious woman (Louise Bourgoin), with whom he apparently wanted to commit suicide together. Gaspard is immediately captivated by the beautiful stranger and when he meets her again by chance a short time later, he is completely smitten. In the second life internet game Black Hole he wants to learn more about her. But in doing so, he enters a world that is far more than a virtual game. It is also the beginning of a nightmare that could prove fatal for him.

Black Heaven is a somewhat conflicted affair. On the one hand, the somehow oppressive atmosphere, despite the beautiful scenery, and the genuinely suspenseful story in some aspects quickly draws the viewer in. The good actors and the ominous hypothermic mood are also able to increase the entertainment value of the thriller.

On the other hand, the staging seems a bit overambitious and strained cool during the animated sequences set in the Black Hole. True, some highly talented special effects people worked on the film, having worked on blockbusters like Thor, Harry Potter, and Pirates of the Caribbean. And yet, the moments in Black Hole leave the impression that there could have been a lot more potential here.

After all, there's little to fault about the cyber-thriller in terms of content. The story is exciting and the resolution relatively surprising. Louise Bourgoin is absolutely convincing in the role of the mysterious femme fatale and it is quite understandable why Gaspard is so attracted to her, even though he has a really charming girlfriend by his side in Marion.

So, over long stretches Black Heaven is a successful and effective thriller, which only falls short of its actual potential too clearly in some places. Certainly no masterpiece, but an entertaining and interesting home cinema premiere is the film all the same. Worth seeing!

Picture + Sound: When it comes to the picture, the big difference between the warm colour scheme in the real world and the undercooled, dark atmosphere in the computer world is particularly noticeable. The sharpness level is overall on a good level and also otherwise there is hardly anything to complain about the clean picture. The sound remains rather restrained for long stretches, but the well-inserted ambient sounds and some small sound effects provide a coherent atmosphere. Good.

Extras: In addition to the trailer for the film, there are a couple of insightful interviews (approx. 12 mins), as well as a brief look at the filming (approx. 6 mins). Not much, but quite a nice addition.

Conclusion: Black Heaven is an atmospheric thriller-drama, which does not work in every respect and seems a bit overambitious especially in the animated sequences, but which knows how to entertain due to the story, the good actors and the engaging and somehow threatening basic mood. Technically the DVD can convince, the offered bonus material is meager, but not completely uninteresting. Therefore, the bottom line is: Recommendable!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp