Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		0.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Just "Go" with it.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III March 23, 2026

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UPDATE 4/2/26 - Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and MovieZyng have initiated a replacement program for the audio issue on Sony's 4K edition of "Groove", which was recalled before release day. Customers who received a fault copy weeks before its new release date of April 14 have been instructed to e-mail customerservice@moviezyng.com and include “Groove 4K replacement program” in the subject line, attach a copy of their receipt (from any store), and mention in the e-mail that the receipt is attached. Step-by-step instructions will follow and replacement discs will be sent on a first come, first served basis. In the meantime, please disregard any comments about the audio below, as this title will be reevaluated once a replacement disc is received.

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One of the rare films that skipped Blu-ray entirely, Greg Harrison's Groove catapults right to UHD more than a quarter-century after its DVD debut in 2000. A popular favorite at the Sundance Film Festival that year, this time-capsule drama wears its release year on its sleeve and stands alongside other rave films from that era such as Go, Human Traffic , and Better Living Through Circuitry, although it arrived a little *ahem* late to the party. Coasting on more of a general vibe than a gripping narrative, Groove is still a watchable production that, for those of a certain age, will offer a potent rush of nostalgia that makes it well worth revisiting... or 86 minutes of unique escapism for total outsiders. Sadly, Sony's new 4K edition doesn't include a Blu-ray, which will probably cut the sales of this already niche title in half.

Greg Harrison served quadruple duty on Groove as writer, director, editor, and producer, wisely narrowing its focus to just a handful of main characters during one memorable San Francisco Saturday night in (presumably) the late 1990s. It opens almost like a heist film, with a handful of as-yet-identified teenagers entering an abandoned warehouse that will soon be the location of an underground rave. Spontaneous invitations are sent through the relatively new medium of e-mail in the hopes that a short window will keep any authorities away. Working to turn on the building's electricity and decorate accordingly (and picking up several cases of bottle water), their last-minute planning also includes a revolving line-up of DJs, which loosely breaks Groove up into chapters as the the night burns on.

Our key characters include Goofus and Gallant brothers Colin (Denny Kirkwood) and David (Hamish Linklater); one's a regular raver and the other would rather catch up on homework, so he's basically the entry point for wallflowers. Also along for the ride is Colin's girlfriend of five months, Harmony (Mackenzie Firgens), as well as rave regular Leyla (Lola Glaudini), who they got the invitation from. Add in another several dozen party-goers whose names you probably won't remember, including a gay couple who spends the entire night just trying to get there, and you've got a recipe for late 1990s low-budget filmmaking whose soundtrack mostly exceeds the film itself. Several attempts are made at subplots: David tries ecstasy for the first time, there's at least one short-lived experiment with homosexuality, a potentially near-death experience, and the arrival and return of a curious beat cop who threatens to end the party early (Nick Offerman, in a very early role). As for the revolving DJs, they're played by real-life veterans Forest Green, WishFM, Polywog, and (most notably) John Digweed, who's last but not least and even gets a few lines in the home stretch.

It's the kind of film that feels right at home in the era of '90s indie cinema, an earnest underground-style production shot on location in just over two weeks. There's not a great deal of depth to Groove but it's still memorable, capturing the era and culture in its own unique way even if there's a lingering whiff of whitewashed idealism to the proceedings. The film-shot cinematography is loaded with deep shadows and strong colors, while its intermittent, throbbing music breaks are unsurprisingly expected to carry most of the sonic weight. Sony's new UHD edition isn't a perfect effort in both departments, but at least one of its shortcomings may vary depending on your equipment.

Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced from the UHD disc but downscaled to 1080p/SDR and should not be considered an accurate representation of the 4K picture quality in terms of detail, color, and brightness levels.

Although no studio details were provided in reference to Sony's new 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfer, it reportedly stemmed from a recent scan of Groove's original camera negative. (This was conveyed by the film's cinematographer, Matthew Irving, who posted about it our forum's official thread.) The film's Super 16mm origins can clearly be seen in its slightly chunky grain structure, which is often challenged by strong cross-lighting and extremely deep shadows due to the timeframe and environment, as only a few bookending scenes stand out as "normal" with more of a traditional color palette and softer shadows. Regardless of the specifics, it's a solid end result that's served well by the HDR pass, which feels like a balanced effort that heightens the visual impact of Groove's more dynamic scenes including a lengthy third-act sequence shot at 48fps. The film's relatively brief length means that it runs at a very high and supportive bit rate even on "just" a dual-layered disc and, aside from sporadic black crush and a few traces of speckled damage here and there, I've no outstanding complaints. In short, this 4K disc will offer a fairly massive improvement over Sony's 2000 DVD, which was released early enough in that format's lifespan to be designated as "anamorphic".

Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Groove's DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix offers a mixture of intimate, dialogue-driven scenes and more substantial sonic explosions during the various DJ sets, all of which show off a soundtrack that includes cuts by Symbiosis, B-15 Project featuring Crissy D & Lady G, DJ Baggadonuts, Parallax, Jondi & Spesh, N'Dea Davenport, Dmitri Ponce, Christian Smith & John Selway, and of course the standout single and de facto team captain "Heaven Scent" by John Digweed & Nick Muir AKA Bedrock, which is given almost as much on-screen gravitas as Lucas' Power Glove in The Wizard.

Fundamentally, though, the plot thickens: while I personally enjoyed the level of this release's quiet-load dynamics, it's been reported in our forums (see the thread linked above) that Sony's 4K disc has less pronounced bass than its DVD counterpart, which is likely exacerbated by not having a dedicated discrete channel in the mix. (Just for the record, I did hear activity in my subwoofer, but this was due to crossover settings.) Still, my front, center, and surround channels served up enough LFE that I was genuinely happy with what I heard, but your mileage may vary due to equipment and settings... and perhaps even more dramatically, if you're overly familiar with the DVD mix.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are included during the film and most extras listed below.

Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a keepcase with cover artwork and extras carried over from the 2000 DVD.

• Audio Commentary - This legacy track features writer/director/editor Greg Harrison, producer Danielle Renfrew, and cinematographer Matt Irving, who contribute to a decently chatty and informative track that balances technical details with the pros and cons of indie filmmaking as well as fun and trivial tidbits.

• Behind-the-Scenes Footage (6:34) - Likewise, these rough but watchable videotaped snippets have an enjoyable "you are there" vibe, mostly centering on setting up the main filming location.

• Extended and Deleted Scenes (5:59) - A handful of excised footage presented in rough workprint form and also available with optional director commentary.

• Camera Test (1:21) - A demo of 24fps and 48fps footage to test the third-act slo-mo sequence.

• Casting Auditions (4:09) - Likewise, these short pieces also include optional director commentary.

• Music Video (3:03) - Bedrock's choice cut "Heaven Scent" is paired with SD clips from the film.

Groove 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Greg Harrison's Groove is far from a 100% authentic presentation of the late 1990s rave culture but, as far as low-budget indie productions go, it at least preserves a unique vibe during this era of pre and post-millennium tension. Long available as a Special Edition DVD from Sony, the studio has bypassed Blu-ray entirely for this surprise 4K-only edition, which offers a nice visual upgrade but a potentially questionable audio mix (see above for details).

The latter prevents a stronger recommendation until it's investigated further but, for what it's worth, I still consider Sony's MOD (pressed) 4K disc to be a worthwhile upgrade for established fans, albeit an expensive one.