NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Utopia Blu-ray (July 2021): Utopia have transferred Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby to Blu-ray. It was shot with an Arri Alexa XT Plus camera and looks as clean and crisp as you might expect a modern to film to appear in 1080P. It has a level of high detail notable in the film's close-ups. There is plenty of depth and the HD presentation is, predictably, pristine.

NOTE: We have added 24 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Utopia use a robust DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. Shiva Baby has no aggressive moments - mostly a dialogue-driven film with a few separations in the shiva get together. It is as clean and tight as the video with consistent dialogue in the lossless transfer. with a unique score by Ariel Marx (American Horror Stories TV Series - 'Drive In' episode (2021) having done a number of shorts and some documentary work.) Utopia offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Utopia Blu-ray offers a commentary with writer/director Emma Seligman and some of the cast. It has weak audio - almost like over a phone. No one is really introduced and its very laid-back - with them mostly enjoying the film. Discussions include the short made prior to the feature, improvisation, Mike Nichols The Graduate and other details of production including the framing, the claustrophobic aura and specific scenes / lines they appreciated. There are gaps where they are watching the film. It was funny when they talked about a neighbor getting angry with the filming and say "I'm a Gemini and when I flip - I flip!". Also included is a 36-minute Q + A with Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott and moderator Rachel Handler. We also get the official trailer, a Red band trailer and the package has a double-sided poster and reversible cover artwork.    

Emma Seligman's Shiva Baby has amusing inter-personal conflicts showcasing the superficial behaviors of the family and friends of the Jewish wake adding a stressful situation for Danielle. As the day progresses, her attempted disassociation, breaking the social rules as much as she dare, surfaces with the anxiety realized wonderfully by Seligman. It's a good film that you are unlikely to see outside of a festival or streaming. The Utopia Blu-ray (who also did Selina Miles' "Martha: A Picture Story" that we reviewed) is a very pleasing package and we hope they cover more modest-budgeted, lesser-seen, features in this format. I enjoyed my viewing and there are supplements to indulge in.

Gary Tooze