Marnie 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		2.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Marnie 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Universal has released the 1964 Alfred Hitchcock film 'Marnie' to the UHD format. The disc is currently available individually (this release) and as part of a larger five-film UHD boxed set along with Shadow of a Doubt, Saboteur, The Trouble with Harry, and Family Plot. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video. No new audio track is included. No new extras are included, either, but the UHD disc does house all of the legacy supplements.

Marnie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Universal brings Marnie to the UHD format with a stunning new 2160p/HDR presentation that far exceeds the previously middling Blu-ray experience. Gone is the uneven grain and less than flattering details, replaced with a sure, confident presentation that boasts a far more naturally inclined grain structure which is properly managed here and very flattering to the textural grace and elegance now on display. While the image might not reach top pinnacle for absolute format clarity, the level of improvement over the Blu-ray in revealing razor-sharp details and finer textures is quite clearly in evidence. Viewers will be delighted with a far more stable, naturally sharper, and organically cinematic experience. The HDR color grading offers a transformative experience as well, not simply fine tuning the palette but offering a more richly realized color yield that holds to original parameters but does so by tightening and refining the experience. Colors are now deeper, more vivid, more accurately inclined. The picture is quite striking for tonal boldness with very strong contrast and natural temperature settings. Black levels are excellent, whites are punchy and vivid, and skin tones are very healthy. The picture is free but from only a trace of source wear and there are no serious encode issues of note, either. This is not the best looking UHD from the second Hitchcock wave, but it is the most substantial upgrade from Blu-ray amongst them.

Marnie 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Universal leaves well enough alone by simply porting over the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 lossless soundtrack. A remix to Atmos or DTS:X would have simply robbed the original elements of their simple graces and diverted attention to where it is not needed. As it is, the track is fine, with clear and center imaged dialogue commanding most every scene. Musical presentation is solid for front side spread and detailing. Light supportive content is grounded and accurate. For a full review, please click here.

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

While no new supplements have been added for this release, the UHD disc itself does carry over the legacy extras, which are outlined below (please click here for full review coverage). As it ships individually, the legacy Blu-ray disc is included. A Movies Anywhere digital copy code has been included with purchase. This release features an embossed slipcover.

• The Trouble with Marnie (1080p, 4x3 & window box, 58:25).
• The Marnie Archives (1080p, 4x3, 9:01).
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 1.78:1, 4:45).

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

Marnie's value is not in a polish job over the Blu-ray but rather in its status as a complete overhaul of the Blu-ray. While still imperfect here and there the picture is vastly superior to the uneven and disappointing Blu-ray, offering here a more stable, delightful picture that accentuates the best qualities of the film medium and the UHD format. Universal has opted to leave audio and supplementary content as-is, but the disc is well worth the purchase price for the new visuals alone. The film is solid, too, even if it's far from Hitchcock's finest. Recommended.