Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Moonlight 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Lionsgate’s patently peculiar relationship with their 4K UHD product continues with Moonlight, the surprise (in more ways than one) winner of the Best Picture Academy Award, an honor that would seem certain to engender significant PR hype from the studio about the release of the film in this “new(ish), improved” format. And yet — nada, zilch, bupkis in terms of any outreach that I personally received from the studio in terms of this release. And in fact when I reached out to one of the public relations firms that handles a lot of Lionsgate product, they told me that to their knowledge there was no campaign of any kind supporting Moonlight on 4K UHD. Again, Lionsgate’s patently peculiar relationship with their 4K UHD product continues.

Moonlight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Moonlight is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.38:1. For some basic technical background on this shoot, I refer you to our Moonlight Blu-ray review, but I have to say for a digitally shot feature finished at a 2K DI, this doesn't quite have the pop and overall increase in detail levels that I've seen in other similarly captured and finished releases put out by Lionsgate. There's quite a bit of judder in the many handheld and/or "jiggly cam" shots (and knowing that I'm perhaps more prone to experiencing this phenomenon, I had an "innocent bystander" give me his feedback, and he also was seeing it). There are definite upticks in detail levels on things like facial pores, and a couple of the nighttime scenes, notably the important beach sequences, have noticeably better shadow detail. There is also a definite new richness to some of the graded material, particularly some of those inky purples I mentioned in the review of the standard 1080p Blu-ray version. Occasionally noise tends to intrude a bit more than it did in the standard 1080p Blu- ray, typically when backgrounds are light (a bathroom sequence with white tiles covering the back of the frame is a notable example).

Moonlight 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

This release features the same DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that I described in our Moonlight Blu-ray review.

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

Lionsgate has commendably ported over all of the supplements detailed in our Moonlight Blu-ray review to this disc. Of course, the package also includes a standard 1080p Blu-ray that has the same supplementary material.

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

Moonlight is an emotionally devastating experience, and it may not be a film that many want to revisit with any regularity. I can't say I'd recommend double dipping on this release, not just for that reason, but also I personally didn't find the admitted upticks in detail and palette richness all that overwhelming, at least to the point that I'd spend any great amount on a 4K UHD version. Those who haven't yet purchased the film and who have the appropriate equipment may want to check this out in any case, since, while slight, there are noticeable differences in detail levels.