4K UHD Review – Brimstone & Treacle

Known for his work on “The Singing Detective” and “Pennies from Heaven,” writer Dennis Potter loves to visit dark spaces of the human soul. He returns to such depths in “Brimstone & Treacle,” which was originally conceived as a BBC production before it was turned into a theater piece, and it lives again in a 1982 screen adaptation, directed by Richard Loncraine. The helmer has a particular challenge in this material, which veers into impossibly bleak territory as it offers a sizable psychological study, finding Potter in a mood to poke at religious belief and personal denial in the work. “Brimstone & Treacle” isn’t a raw feature, retaining the feel of a theatrical production, which isn’t always welcome. However, the offering is potent in spots, especially when concentrating on the Machiavellian ways of the main character as he tries to bring complete ruin to a family that’s already fallen apart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com