Picnic At Hanging Rock on DVD

With stellar casting and stunning visuals, the critically acclaimed Australian Victorian thriller PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK makes its DVD and Blu-ray debut on November 27, 2018 from Acorn, an RLJ Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ: RLJE) brand. Enigmatic Hester Appleyard (Natalie Dormer, Game of Thrones, Hunger Games films) runs a finishing school for young ladies in an isolated mansion. On Valentine’s Day, 1900, several of the schoolgirls attend a field trip to Hanging Rock, but three of the girls and one of their teachers mysteriously disappear. As the police search the Australian wilderness for the missing women, Hester struggles to keep her college afloat amid the rumors and speculation that overtake the town.  The DVD and Blu-ray 2-Disc sets feature 6 episodes and bonus cast interviews (20 min.), crew interviews (24 min.), and behind-the-scenes footage (39 min.) ($39.99, Amazon.com).

A penetrating re-imagining of the iconic and timeless Australian novel, Picnic at Hanging Rock depicts the mysterious disappearances of three schoolgirls and their governess on Valentine’s Day, 1900. The complex, interwoven narrative charts the subsequent investigation and the event’s far-reaching impact on the students, families, and staff of Appleyard College and on the nearby township. Theories abound, long-held secrets are exposed, and paranoia and hysteria set in, as in vastly differing ways their lives are changed forever.

Natalie Dormer is “spectacularly mesmerizing” (The Boston Globe) as the school’s enigmatic headmistress, alongside an excellent cast that features Don Hany (East West 101, Serangoon Road), Samara Weaving (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, SMILF), Anna McGahan (The Doctor Blake Mysteries), and Yael Stone (Orange Is the New Black).

Street Date: November 27, 2018                    SRP: $39.99

DVD 2-Disc Set: 6 episodes – Approx. 319 min., plus bonus – SDH Subtitles – UPC 054961269099

Blu-ray 2-Disc Set: 6 episodes – Approx. 319 min., plus bonus – SDH Subtitles – UPC 054961269495

My Thoughts

Picnic at Hanging Rock is an exciting thriller set in Victorian Australia. Based off the novel of the same name, the series centers around a group of school girls who disappear. The audience is taken through the investigation. Hester Appleyard runs the college, and struggles to keep it going as terrible secrets are brought to the forefront.

1 - Hester starts the school, but six years later the girls start to disappear.

2 - Locals search for the missing girls. An aristocrat makes a terrible discovery.

3 - One of the girls is found but she doesn't remember anything that happened. Rumors spread and Hester grows paranoid.

4 - Hester tries to keep people from panicking. A visitor comes to the school and brings back unhappy memories for Hester. An orphan escapes from the college.

5 - A governess grows suspicious of Hester. The inspector interviews Irma.

6 - Hester believes her husband is attacking the girls and tries to flee. All the secrets are revealed.

This was a chilling series. The secrets that are revealed really took me by surprise, and there was lots of suspense. I also enjoyed the backdrop of Victoria Australia. The costumes and locations were all spot on and make you feel like you stepped back in time. You can grab a copy of this amazing DVD set on Acorn media or online at Amazon.