Parasite 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Parasite 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Only months following its original Blu-ray release, Universal brings Oscar's Best Picture 'Parasite,' directed by Oscar winner Bong Joon-ho, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio. No new supplements are included. See below for coverage of the new video and audio presentations.

Parasite 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Parasite was reportedly photographed at a resolution of 6.5K and finished at 4K, and on Universal's 2160p/HDR presentation, it shows. This is a striking presentation, a clear high point for digitally captured films on the UHD format. The new presentation boasts a shinier sheen. It's slicker and cleaner than its predecessor, sometimes vastly sharper and more effortlessly defined. Detailing is ridiculously high throughout. Individual hairs and pores are majestically clean and revealing. It's breathtaking. Practically very close-up is a showcase for how digital is done right, for how and why it's a viable format for striking, beautiful motion art in a world transitioning away from film. Some of the simplest shots are the most telling of the UHD's improvements. Look at a wide street shot at the 12:29 mark. It perfectly illustrates the improvements to both color accuracy and textural clarity. The green ivy leaps off the screen with a newfound color depth that appears comparatively dull and flat on the Blu-ray while the white building right of center takes on a more luminous, intensely crisp appearance. Likewise, sharpness abounds throughout the shot. In the UHD, the gray road and the various structural surfaces enjoy a tangible uptick in clarity that is nowhere near so pronounced on the Blu-ray, and those aforementioned leaves are also cleaner and better defined, looking soft and clumpy on the 1080p disc but individually sharp here. Expect this level of clarity and accuracy throughout, and find that the UHD trounces the Blu-ray in practically every shot.

Color saturation is terrific here, too. The HDR grading brings new depth and tonal intimacy to the movie that the Blu-ray cannot reproduce. Whether in intensely well lit exteriors or warm low light interiors or all the way into the darkest nighttime scenes, the picture finds greatly improved saturation and color command compared to the Blu-ray with every clothing fabric, home accent, art work, blood, and flesh tone beautifully full and fabulous. Black levels are impeccable: perfectly deep and delightful and boasting flawless shadow detail. There are a few other noteworthy elements, too. Noise management is improved, appearing less invasive here in comparison to the Blu-ray, though certainly the 1080p image handles its low-light affairs well enough. Additionally, there are no source or encode issue of note in play here, either. The true 4K resolution and the HDR color expansion both bring new life to the proceedings that, combined with the superior textures at this resolution, make Paraiste's UHD a greatly superior presentation next to the Blu-ray.

Parasite 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Parasite's new Dolby Atmos soundtrack expands on the 5.1 issue from earlier in the year with a more fluid and naturally occurring surround integration thanks to the added back channels while finding a few opportunities to integrate the overhead speakers into the mix (so to speak) as well. Music is a highlight. Listen in chapter four for a very large, expansive, energetic, impeccably detailed extravaganza of sound. Throughout the film, the feelings of immersion, clarity, and balance are superb. Every note brings lifelike vitality and clarity through the entire range. General effects -- sliding doors, footsteps, little odds and ends -- are always proportionally balanced and highly detailed no matter their placement or prominence in the track. Surrounds, and sides, carry some critical discrete effects, such as a coughing fit heard in chapter five and a heaving, wheezing sound off to the right in the 66-minute mark, which also delivers some excellent low end depth as a heavy shelf is moved to reveal a hidden passageway. Meanwhile, the overheads engage with some prominence at several key junctures, notably in support of thunder (the 46-minute mark) and falling rain (the 64-minute mark). Dialogue is clear and primarily remains stationed in the front-center channel, though there are occurrences when it is necessary for it to move or play from a different location. This is a fantastic audio experience that compliments the visuals to a high degree of excellence.

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

Parasite's UHD disc includes the same scant assortment of extras included on the original Blu-ray. It's a bit disappointing that, following the film's big night at the Oscars, a more thorough special edition was not ordered. A Blu-ray copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Parasite -- Fantastic Fest 2019 Q&A with Director Bong Joon Ho (1080p, 19:03): The director fields a couple of moderator questions, followed by audience interaction. In both English and Korean.
• Trailer #1 (1080p, 2:22).
• Trailer #2 (1080p, 2:03).

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

Parasite should have released to UHD right out of the gate back in January. There's going to be a lot of double-dipping that could have been avoided with a more timely launch, but at the same time fans will find the added expense well worth the upgrade. The UHD picture quality is perfect in every way and greatly superior to the 1080p presentation. The New Dolby Atmos track is a delight, too, offering a more fine-tuned experience over the Blu-ray's 5.1 presentation. Sadly, no new extras are included, and Universal didn't release a SteelBook or other premium packaging option, but where it counts this UHD is a beast and one of the best in the business. It earns my highest recommendation.