Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

SPOILER ALERT: It's pink.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III February 22, 2020

NOTE: The screenshots on this page are sourced from the included Blu-ray disc. For 25 more 1080p screenshots, please see my separate review of the stand-alone Blu-ray release.

Based on H.P. Lovecraft's short story of the same name, Richard Stanley's Color Out of Space marks a long-overdue comeback for the director. Stanley's last major work, although it barely qualifies, was 1996's infamous The Island of Dr. Moreau: the director was replaced by John Frankenheimer one week into production...so technically, this is only his third film since Hardware and Dust Devil, aside from a trio of documentaries produced since that time. It's also his most accessible work to date, thanks to an adaptation of Lovecraft's story that feels timeless and grounded -- two phrases I never thought I'd use to describe something (a) based on a 92-year-old story, and (b) starring Nicolas Cage.

For a full synopsis of the film, please read my Blu-ray review and our own Brian Orndorf's favorable theatrical review. RLJ Entertainment has also issued Color Out of Space on 4K (packaged with a Blu-ray copy) at a similar price point. Unless you have absolutely no intention of switching to 4K in the foreseeable future, this one's a very safe bet.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Color Out of Space benefits greatly from RLJ Entertainment's excellent 2160p transfer, largely in part due to its source material being native 4K rather than an upscale. There's a fantastic amount of organic detail to be found during the film's beautiful outdoor scenes, whether those lit naturally or pierced by more extreme lighting in all shades and hues. It's a uniformly attractive image with loads of texture, excellent depth, strong black levels, and an overall level of detail that clearly outperforms the Blu-ray during many key stretches. From practical effects to CGI, Color Out of Space looks a great deal more consistent than expected with absolutely no flagrant compression artifacts or unnatural softness and only trace amounts of banding on extreme gradients (flashlights, lightning, etc.). Having watched this 4K presentation back-to-back with its 1080p counterpart, the former comes out ahead in all expected areas.

Perhaps the biggest controversy about this 4K disc -- although it barely qualifies as such -- is a lack of High Dynamic Range, especially given the film's title. But I'd argue that HDR may not be as necessary as you'd think in this case: the use of color is very purposeful here and, while it may have given an attractive boost to certain shades here and there, HDR may also have threatened to over-saturate others and potentially smother fine details in the process. And just for the record, while this 2160p transfer technically shares the same color space with its 1080p counterpart, the 4K disc often does appear slightly more vivid at times due to the increased resolution and better encoding.

As mentioned earlier, a Blu-ray is also included. For my thoughts on its 1080p transfer, see my Blu-ray review.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For an overview of the 4K edition's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, please refer to my Blu-ray review.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Color Out of Space arrives in a two-disc keepcase with poster-themed cover art and an enhanced matching slipcover. Surprisingly, no digital copy is included. For a list and overview of the supplements, please refer to my Blu-ray review. Also note that, unlike most major studio 4K releases, these bonus features appear on both discs in HD format.

Color Out of Space 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

H.P. Lovecraft's influential work has been notoriously difficult to translate on film, but Richard Stanley's Color Out of Space adapts its 92-year-old source material quite well. Nicolas Cage is perfect for the lead role and the supporting performances range from good to excellent, while its measured pace and heady, hallucinogenic effects create an effectively off-balance atmosphere. Even those unfamiliar with Lovecraft's work will find this to be a largely accessible film, assuming they're at least casual fans of John Carpenter or David Cronenberg. And that's essentially what Color Out of Space feels like: a throwback to 1980s sci-fi/horror with a heavy dose of cosmic dread -- not surprising, since its reclusive director all but retreated from filmmaking almost 25 years ago. RLJ Entertainment's 4K package offers a great A/V presentation (which lacks HDR enhancement, but is still excellent) and a few light but enjoyable bonus features, which makes Color Out of Space an easy recommendation for established fans of the genre and director.