Matt Johnson’s impressive and ambitious feature film debut The Dirties is making its way onto Blu-ray and DVD after earning plenty of well-deserved accolades – including winning the Scotiabank Jay Scott Prize for the top emerging artist at January’s Toronto Film Critics Association Film Awards.

The Dirties is an unsettling and unflinching look at bullying through a struggling perspective.  The first-person view follows Johnson and his friend Owen (both using their real names, but taking on different on-screen personalities) as they try to dodge “Dirties” and get through secondary education with as little bruises as possible.

Johnson humours the idea of setting up a shooting for a school project, but it flies off the rails rather quickly.  His charming yet jokingly abrasive presence is a convincing allure for what could be cooking underneath his surface.

It’s a ballsy film that is indubitably affective.  Johnson peppers in bizarre, pop-culture laced cracks in the darkest of situations, which properly breaks up the tension and adds that layer of oblivion to Johnson’s motives.  It’s also an outlook on teenage imagination and anger that’s been driven by an uncontrollable attitude and love of movies.

But, is the initial “wow” factor a flash in the pan?  Does The Dirties hold up and still grasp onto the resonance it kept alive during its theatrical/VOD run?  On this webisode, I take another crack at Johnson’s indie.

The Dirties is now available to purchase on a limited edition Blu-ray/DVD combo pack! If you live in either Canada or the USA, you can snatch up one of these exclusive packs.

I re-watched the flick on Blu-ray, and though the HD quality doesn’t necessarily add anything new, the extra mile is appreciated.  The combo pack also comes with a plethora of special features including five commentary tracks and more making-of specials than you would expect.  You’ll also get to see the final version of Matt and Owen’s film-within-the-film, as well the briefly discussed short The Visitor (y’know, the film those youngsters are making at the beginning of the movie!).

Click here to purchase your copy today!

Read my original review here!

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