Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

An underappreciated part of the United States’ push to get men (and ultimately women) into space is detailed in Hidden Figures, a film that is immensely moving and satisfying despite some cliché ridden aspects.

Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc. Watch for 4K screenshots at a later date.

Hidden Figures is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. Shot on film (16mm and 35mm) and finished at a 2K DI, this 4K UHD version presents some of the typical upticks in fine detail in elements like facial pores or even the rough hewn bricks inside the headquarters where the women work, but overall this is a rather subtle upgrade in terms of detail levels. There's also some interesting if subtle new nuances in the palette. The opening segment is a bit more on the auburn brown side than the 1080p version, and the first contemporary (1961) scene has just a tinge of teal that isn't in the 1080p version. Overall, the 4K UHD palette looked just slightly warmer to my eyes, with a somewhat more burnished appearance that, while different than the 1080p version, looked accurate and appealing. Some slight deficits in shadow detail in the 1080p version, as in a scene where the women drive home in the dark, have incrementally more information visible now. On the flip side, the upgrade in resolution doesn't do any favors for the archival video that's used (especially around the first launch), nor does it really help some of the CGI elements, which have more of a slightly cartoonish look. There's a really interesting difference in at least some of the grain resolution, as well—keep your eyes peeled as the opening 16mm sequence (whose grain can look just a little noisy) segues into the 35mm material as the credits begin and there's a rather subtle transformation and diminution in grain which isn't quite as evident in the 1080p version.

Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 4K UHD disc sports the same great sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track assessed in our original Hidden Figures Blu-ray review.

Note: As tends to be the case with Fox Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases, the audio and subtitle specs are different on the different formats. The specs above are for the 4K UHD version. See the review of the 1080p Blu-ray for the specs on that version.

Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc offers an Audio Commentary by Theodore Melfi and Taraji P. Henson. The 1080p Blu-ray also included in this package also features that commentary, along with the rest of the supplementary material detailed in the Hidden Figures Blu-ray review.

Hidden Figures 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Hidden Figures is an immensely moving film, even if it's patently manipulative at times. Bolstered by pitch perfect performances and an almost unbelievable story, the film has subtle but noticeable upticks in detail and some also subtle but noticeable variances in the palette from the 1080p version. You can't go wrong with either version of this film. Highly recommended.