Blu-ray Review: HOSTILE TERRITORY

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Jun 12, 2022 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

The U.S. Civil War has just come to an end, but for the past two years, Union solider Jack Calgrove (Brian Presley) has been held captive as a Confederate POW. His family had been told that he died in battle, and shortly afterwards Jack’s wife passed away from tuberculosis, leaving thier children—Charlie (Jackson Presley), Lizzy (Emma Grace Presley) and Lily—presumed to be orphans. The children have been placed aboard the Orphan Train, heading from New York to Missouri, where their older brother Philip (Cooper North) will take charge of them. Philip, a former Union soldier, has been assigned a new post. In addition, he has been given land in Montana to start a farm and raise his siblings. However the destination is a dangerous one—the natives in the area who were forced to relocate are still angry and ready to attack those who trespass on their tribal lands.

As Philip and his siblings begin their perilous journey, a newly-freed Jack arrives back home to discover the fate of his late wife, and learns that his children are headed west. He immediately sends notice to try to stop his children from heading into the hostile territory, and rides out to intercept them. However, his attempts to send word ahead to Company K may be too late. Joining Jack on his quest are two former slaves—soldier Desmond Richards (Craig Tate), and single mother Alice Beggs (Natalie Whittle), whose daughter was aboard the same Orphan Train to Missouri as Jack’s children. Can these parents reach the children in time, and reunite their families that were divided by the war?

Given its title, I was expecting Hostile Territory to be an action-packed thriller, but it plays out as more of a character drama, following the intersecting stories of these various characters—a father who returns home from war only to discover his family is missing and sets out on a quest to find them; a mother who managed to escape slavery at great cost who is also trying to reconnect with her lost laughter; an orphaned son/soldier faced with the prospect of becoming a father figure to his younger siblings; newly-orphaned children making the tough railway journey across the country to find new families; and a young woman (Brianna Elias) who moved west with her sister in hopes of finding a better life, only to end up as a prostitute in a brothel, but now sees a glimmer of hope when she meets a young soldier. However, even though it is character-focuses, there are still some action-packed (and often brutal) sequences woven throughout. The film is narrated by an older Lizzy, who is remembering and recounting this ordeal she and her siblings went through after the war, and how her father’s dedication and those who selflessly ran the Orphan Train saved many lives.

The acting and line delivery sometimes feels a bit unnatural and overly-dramatic, more like a play, or some of those lower-budget religious films. While it’s not going to win any awards, I did find the overall story and message to be entertaining and interesting. And there are some solid action sequences, such as the battle scenes that open the film, and some other scenes that show just how rough and brutal it was out there for early settlers. The film is inspired by a true story, and I found a few elements of the period that I was unfamiliar with. With so many people getting killed in the Civil War, lots of children were left orphaned. The Orphan Train program was established to help relocate orphaned children from decimated Northern cities to families in other territories with love to give (and farms to run). The film also takes an added step by including a special needs child on the train, who likely would have been ignored, believing him to be useless to help out on a farm. Another interesting thing that is explored in the film is Company K, a regiment of Native American soldiers who supported the Union Army as sharpshooters, and after the war helped keep peace in these hostile western territories. These are people who are torn between two cultures, but ultimately choosing to help the settlers. Jack and his family rely on these brave men to help them make their way to their new home.

Well Go’s Blu-ray release features a pretty solid audio and video presentation. The picture is generally clean and pleasant throughout, and the film does a nice job of recreating the look and feel of the time period. The audio track provides clear dialogue and makes nice use of the stereo and surround channels to bring the action to life. This is particularly noticeable in the film’s opening battle scenes, with the rumble of explosions and gunfire, as well as later on in some of the more brutal fight sequences when the main characters cross paths with the displaced Native Americans.

The Blu-ray disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase. (Our review copy didn’t include a slipcover.) As for bonus material, the disc includes the film’s trailer as well as a nearly 17-minute behind-the-scenes featurette led by writer/director/star Brian Presley.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:34:14)

1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
Audio: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:
All remaining trailers play back-to-back after starting playback for one item.

Behind the Scenes (16:47)
Writer/director Brian Presley (“Jack Calgrove”) leads this behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. He talks about the real Orphan Train and the inspiration behind the movie, his love of westerns, making the film culturally diverse, the real Company K, the characters, and more. He also talks about casting the film, including several actors and non-actors he already knew and had worked with, including his own kids and a special needs child. Includes behind-the-scenes footage and photos, and interviews with stars Colleen Biakeddy (“Native American Woman”), Anderson Kee (“Quanah”), Dan Nanamkin (“Lakota Sioux Chief”), Lyndell Chee (“Shantu/Company K”), Scott Perez (“Charles Stanton”), Jackson Presley (“Charlie Calgrove”), Emma Grace Presley (“Lizzy Calgrove”), Craig Tate (“Desmond Richards”), Natalie Whittle (“Alice Beggs”), Cooper North (“Philip Cosgrove”), Brianna Elias (“Ingrid”), Brad Leland (“Frank Smith”), and Matt McCoy (“Col. Andrew Lee”).
Trailer (1:43)
Previews
- Row 19 (2:09)
- They Crawl Beneath (1:40)
- Ip Man: The Awakening (1:34)

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Worth a Look

Hostile Territory is a character/family-driven drama set just after the Civil War, following a family’s struggle to find one another and brave a hostile new world as they make their way across the country to start a new life out west. They are joined by several others also in search of a new and better life. Well Go’s Blu-ray release features solid picture and sound, and includes an interesting behind-the-scenes featurette. Some of the scenes may be a bit brutal for younger viewers, so I wouldn’t really consider this family viewing, but may be worth checking out for those looking for a different take on the Western.