SONY has released “THE ROOMMATE,” a film aspiring to be a thriller, but never succeeding. Minka Kelly stars as Sara, a beautiful student, just arriving to her college dorm, when her neighbor, Tracy, whisks her away to a party and she meets a new boyfriend. Upon returning to her dorm room, Sara meets her roommate for the first time. Rebecca(Leighton Meester) is also attractive and seemingly compatible. In rapid succession, events demonstrate Rebecca is obsessed with Sara, and so needy, she will stop at nothing to keep her perceived “relationship,” going.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s because the “ROOMMATE” is a dopey revision of “SINGLE WHITE FEMALE,” a notably better, although still not great, thriller starring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason-Leigh, released by the same studio nearly 20 years earlier. That film, under the direction of Barbet Schroeder, offered a gritty atmosphere and more than a few surprises. “THE ROOMMATE” offers no surprises, and some scenes are virtually identical to those from the earlier film, with a more polished look, but devoid of any thrills. Nothing about “THE ROOMMATE” feels realistic. In fact, it offers the kind of college environment only a youngster with no experience of college-life, could imagine it to be like. The main character, Sara, along with the rest, feels so fake, it’s impossible to care about them or their situation. Well, maybe we are about Cam Gigandet, the boyfriend, only because he’s the least annoying of the characters, and cast. Another thing hurting the film is its rating, PG-13. It’s close to impossible to make a thriller meant to titillate without an “R” rating. So, “THE ROOMMATE,” again, feels like a teenager’s fantasy. Make that an unimaginative teenage girl’s fantasy.

SONY has provided a 2.35:1 aspect ratio for this AVC MPEG-4 encoded 1080p blu-ray. Colors are solid, although less vibrant than we’d expected. Detail is impressive, in spite of the image appearing flat in most scenes. Blacks are inky, retaining terrific detail in every dark scene.

SONY has provided a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix. From the opening sequence and consistently throughout, this is an immersive, fun mix.  Music, especially the soundtrack, is engaged with great fidelity and bass. Discrete and panning effects are utilized in numerous scenes, without feeling manufactured. It’s a really good lossy presentation.

An audio commentary with the director is surprisingly more entertaining than one would’ve thought from the person responsible for such a poor film. His love for film and sharing of background, makes him amiable enough to hope his next project starts with a really good script, rather than the drivel he was given to work with here.

3 featurettes in 1080p are offered, offering cast and crew interviews and even costumes(?). Deleted scenes and alternate scenes are offered, but only in standard resolution.