The Film (3.5/5)

Under the Tree, known as Undir trénu in its native country Iceland is a black comedy drama film directed by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson. Taking place in the suburbs this 2017 tale is about a tree causing problems.

The film at first comes across as a tale about adultery. A young mother, Agnes (Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir) witnesses her fiancée Atli (Steinþór Hróar Steinþórsson) watching himself having sex with another woman that he videotaped. She immediately believes that he is having an affair (what woman wouldn’t?) and refuses to listen to any of Atli’s excuses or reasons. Not only does she throw Atli out, she completely locks him out of their home, and she also forbids him to see their daughter. He is forced to move back with his parents, Baldvin (Sigurður Sigurjónsson) and Inga (Edda Björgvinsdóttir). While fighting for custody of their child, Atli gets involved with his parents’ drama. They are having issues with their next door neighbors Konrad (Þorsteinn Bachmann) and Eybjorg (Selma Björnsdóttir). They are complaining about an old tree in their backyard casts a shadow over their sundeck which they don’t like or want. At first it’s a minor disagreement between the neighbors but it escalates into violence, especially when Konrad is threatening to take the tree down with a chainsaw. 

Under the Tree is a pretty amusing satire film with some nudity and violence done in a somewhat tongue in cheek way, at least that is how it was supposed to have been perceived as. Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson’s direction for the film goes for a deliberately slow lethargic pace, by design, without music. It will remind you of a Coen Brothers film. The performances by the actors are excellent. The woman responsible for the beautiful cinematography is Monika Lenczewska and just her lavish shots alone of the scenery are worth watching this picture.

Audio/Video (5/5)

Eureka debuts the Icelandic classic Under the Tree on Blu-ray and it’s a beauty. The picture quality on this release simply looks breathtaking, which should come as no surprise as the film is only two years old. The colors are rich, vibrant, robust and sharp with a lot of detail throughout. Outdoor scenes during the day look phenomenal with great details and deep textures. Skin tones are highly detailed. The image is flawless from start to finish.

The audio provided is Icelandic DTS-HD master audio 5.1, and it is also flawless with dialog, and other sounds coming in crisp without it being overly aggressive or too timid. English subtitles are available for this release.

Extras (1.25/5)

There isn’t much in the way of supplements for this release. The main extra, "Making Under the Tree' is what you would expect, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film and is an excellent, informative feature. Other than that, the only other extra is a trailer. The package also has DVD with the exact same content.

Overall (4/5)

Under the Tree is one of those under the radar films that is certainly worth a look for those seeking a quirky film. The audio and video presentation from Eureka will make for a fantastic viewing experience. Despite the lack of extras, this is a terrific release and is highly recommended.