One of Brittany Murphy’s final films gets a muddled Blu-ray release.

Hollywood has had plenty of fallen stars to eulogize over the past few years, but Brittany Murphy’s tragically early death last month was one of the most shocking. Like the loss of Heath Ledger, Murphy’s passing seems both unfair and unreal, as is the case anytime a young talent is unexpectedly extinguished. Unlike Ledger, however, who bowed out with an award-winning, maniacally inspired turn as the Joker in The Dark Knight, Brittany Murphy’s last few films— which include the low-budget thrillers Deadline, Across the Hall, and the yet-to-be released Abandoned—haven’t been among her most memorable work. Nonetheless, she leaves behind an impressive legacy, with unforgettable performances in Clueless, 8 Mile, Sin City, and Girl, Interrupted, among many others. Here, in the initially suspenseful but ultimately inert Across the Hall, she plays a Hitchcockian blond caught between two lovers.

