Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

8 Mile 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The great white hope.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 21, 2022

Unless you're one of those "rap is crap" numbskulls, it's almost impossible not to find some merit in Curtis Hanson's 8 Mile, a wildly popular drama starring Eminem after his meteoric rise to music superstardom earlier that decade. It's a well-crafted and effective film whose performances, music, atmosphere, and visceral authenticity outweigh its limited originality, which pastes a well-worn underdog plot on the urban industrial prison of Detroit, Michigan, where machinist and aspiring rapper Jimmy "B-Rabbit" Smith (Eminem) struggles to fight his fear of performance, aggressive rivals, a dead-end job, and an alcoholic mother (Kim Basinger) who's involved with his former classmate.

For a synopsis and appreciation of the main feature, please see Jeffrey Kaufman's review of Universal's 2009 Blu-ray. This new 4K combo pack, which coincides with 8 Mile's 20th anniversary, somewhat lazily adds HDR enhancement to what looks like a re-encode of that same master, and the included Blu-ray copy is identical to the older disc. This means that no new extras have been added either, which doesn't exactly make it a definitive upgrade in all departments but should at least pique the interest of die-hard fans. A limited edition Steelbook is also available.

8 Mile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: The packaging indicates that Dolby Vision is supported, but this is an error -- it's HDR10 only.

Back in the day, Universal's 25GB, VC-1 encoded 2009 Blu-ray (which, again, is the disc included in this combo pack, as well as the reluctant source for this review's screenshots) was well-reviewed for its visual merits and honestly doesn't hold up too bad more than a decade later. The film's grim and gritty cinematography features a lot of nighttime and low-light scenes with intentionally deep blacks, as well as a mostly muted color palette that perfectly suits its industrial urban backdrop. From what I can tell -- and due to the presence of very occasional dirt and debris -- this new 2160p, HDR10-enhanced transfer looks to be a re-encoded and tweaked version of that master; this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it still shows room for improvement. Even so, there's a noticeable uptick in fine detail and the more efficient compression (combined with a much greater amount of digital real estate) translates to better-refined shadow detail and deep blacks that don't show as much crushing. Colors aren't affected in a major way, whether in overall tone or intensity, but likewise show improvement: the HDR metadata brings more tangible saturation to a few brightly-colored outfits, sickly green-tinted lighting of the club and its bathroom, and of course one-off moments like the intense fire that engulfs a run-down house in Jimmy's neighborhood, not to mention the boost of brighter and better-controlled whites seen in the form of harsh fluorescent lights, incandescent lamps, and vehicle high-beams. Skin tones look a bit more natural now as well, still maintaining a vaguely desaturated appearance that's dependent on surrounding light but a bit warmer than the Blu-ray, where faces tended to have a slight paler and greener hue.

All things considered, this is a capable 4K presentation that may be a bit better than I'm giving it credit for; even with obvious room for tightening here and there, it's at least a solid step above the Blu-ray presentation.

8 Mile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

NOTE: Similarly, the packaging promises Dolby Atmos audio, but this is also an error. What gives?

New to this release -- and likewise exclusive to the 4K disc only -- is a DTS:X audio track that, as always, unfolds to DTS-HD 7.1 Master Audio depending on your receiver's capability. As expected for the object-based format, fans are treated to a more dialed-in and precise audio presentation but, unsurprisingly, it doesn't change the overall experience in a substantial way due to the film's specific sound design. Truth be told, 8 Mile is a mostly front-loaded and narrow affair where close-quarters dialogue does most of the driving; exceptions arrive in the form of group conversations, impromptu cyphers, and of course the bookending rap battles where crowd response and intensity are substantially more enveloping. Tangible atmospheric surround activity is also achieved outdoors as well as in larger indoor locations, like the warehouse where Jimmy works with its distant clang of machinery can be heard in the background. Normally, I might dock a disc for not offering original theatrical audio -- in this case, 5.1 surround, which is the Blu-ray's default track -- but this remix offers subtle enhancement without reinventing the wheel, so it earns an easy pass.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the main feature and applicable extras.

8 Mile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This two-disc release ships in a dual-hubbed keepcase with familiar cover art and a matching slipcover; a Digital Copy slip is also tucked inside. Bonus features are repeated on both discs but identical to the 2009 Blu-ray.

• The Making of 8 Mile (12:02) - A short DVD-era behind-the-scenes piece with interviews.

• Exclusive Rap Battles Uncensored (23:29) - Uncut and extended footage of a few rap battles recorded in the club during production, some featuring local performers not seen during the final cut of the film (including Marvin O'Neal AKA "Marv Won", if you're an old-school GrindTime/KOTD fan.)

• "Superman" Music Video Uncensored (5:02) - "Lose Yourself" would've made more sense, but I'll take what I can get. Please note that the 4K version looks to be in HD, which is great if you like fake boobs.

8 Mile 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Universal had one shot to bring 8 Mile to 4K... and they kind of missed their chance to blow. It's not a choke, but this 2160p transfer looks to have been sourced from the same Blu-ray-era master and, while the HDR adds a nice layer of support and the new DTS:X audio is terrific, it's not quite a definitive effort and the lack of new extras is disappointing. (The included Blu-ray is also a recycled 2009 disc, which may also matter to some.) Still, this is the best that 8 Mile has ever looked and sounded on home video, so once the price is within your budget it's worth picking up.