Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Queen & Slim 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 3, 2020

The filmmakers behind Queen & Slim tackle the unenviable task of crafting a movie that is both black and white and shades of gray, where everybody is in some ways right and where everybody is in some ways wrong, where there are no heroes or villains, and that speaks to one of the most impassioned topics in today's hot-button response society. First-time feature film Director Melina Matsoukas and Writer Lena Waithe accomplish much with the movie, exploring race and violence and the response to the intersections thereof in the modern world, but they also struggle to offer solutions within the tangled web of right and wrong that defines the movie beyond its violence, romance, road trip, and social exploration angles.

First-time daters Queen (Jodie Turner-Smith) and Slim (Daniel Kaluuya) are pulled over after dinner at a diner for swerving and failing to use a turn signal. What should be a routine stop turns ugly when antagonism boils over on both sides, as the seemingly racist officer and Queen, an attorney, butt heads with Slim, already pulled from the car and being treated as a guilty man for no discernible reason, attempting to be the voice of reason. Queen is shot in the leg and the officer is killed when Slim gets hold of his gun following a struggle. Queen suggests they go hide out at her uncle’s (Bokeem Woodbine) place, in New Orleans, a long drive from cold Cleveland. The two make it with a nationwide manhunt dogging them the entire way, but with a dead officer’s blood on their hands they will find even sympathetic friends can only take them so far away from the law.

In Queen & Slim, it’s never quite clear if the audience is supposed to have a rooting interest for the title characters. Several people they encounter throughout the film do root for them; the two become instant celebrities and inspire winks and nods and smiles but also shape a malleable mind in the wrong way, leading to what is the film’s most tragic scene when a young man, inspired by their actions and fueled by the protest playing out around him, murders a police officer in cold blood. Unquestionably, Queen and Slim begin the story as innocent people thrust into a very bad situation. There’s no denying the police officer’s actions are reprehensible, but it’s also on Queen for verbally escalating the encounter. The police officer shoots first, wounding Queen in the leg, and he is ultimately killed when Slim wrestles the gun from him and shoots him in an act of frantic self defense. They’re not heroes. They are villains. Unwitting villains, absolutely, but the film creates no real rooting interest for, or in, any character. Everything leads toward a downward spiral of violence, which is the film’s point: no good comes from racial tensions and escalating violence. There are no winners, only losers.

The film features terrific chemistry between the lead actors and interplay between the characters. Sharp dialogue, consequential events, and shared adrenaline, fear, and feelings of danger and fate fuel their growing bond. Their growth as individuals and as a couple on the run highlight the movie as they learn more about the world, how it works, who is in it, what they believe, and of course one another. The movie is technically well assembled but questionably edited; it tends to drag, particularly in scenes with little emotional payoff or forward narrative momentum.

Queen & Slim 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Right out of the gate in the first 20 or 30 minutes, the most obvious difference between the 2160p/HDR-enhanced UHD version of Queen & Slim and the companion Blu-ray is a substantial black level deepening. Where there was a feel of lightness, of slightly raised blacks on the Blu-ray -- prevalent in the many nighttime exterior scenes throughout the film's first act -- there's a notable deepening and darkening under the HDR parameters, giving the film a denser, more natural look. But there's no detail devouring or scene absorption in play; instead, everything is impressively balanced and accurate right out of the gate, giving the movie a more intense posture that accentuates the story details and tonal supports beyond what the Blu-ray can produce. Color depth throughout is improved; look at a pair of bright "Chubbies" restaurant signs at the 24:58 mark, one of the first real splashes of intense color in the film. The yellow and red lettering pop with more substantial punch while the color depth has been improved, and it all stands out much better against the more stable and accurate nighttime blacks and low lights surrounding it. Daytime scenes through the second and third acts enjoy the added benefits of more accurate tones as well, bringing new life to natural greens, blue skies, building façades, and clothes. Skin tones are more pleasantly accurate here, too.

Textural improvements are not quite as dramatic, but they are still important increases to the overall image quality. There's no mistaking a feel for added sharpness. The resolution helps bring out finer detailing on skin and environments, even from the 2K digital intermediate. While facial close-ups are the most obvious beneficiaries, there's no mistaking the picture's sharper, clearer, more impressively refined location details, such as around an auto repair shop partway through the movie, a key location and with no shortage of tangible, interesting details to explore. The picture looks a little more filmic and organic on this format, too, a sum total that offers a pleasing level of improvement over a good Blu-ray image. Fans will certainly want to splurge for this superior version.

Queen & Slim 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Queen & Slim's Dolby Atmos soundtrack is a treat. It is impressively full and detailed, spacious and organic in output. It's efficient and powerful, immersive and satisfying. Blues beats inside a bar in chapter 10 deliver the most intense and well defined sound elements in the film. The low end bass guitar notes are supremely dynamic and the environment is lifelike; the soundstage is full of musical goodness. It's a reference quality moment that absolutely transforms the listening area into the soul-soothing environment. Crowd protest din in chapter 14 is also fully immersive and clear, even with the collected cacophony of voices and raucous nature of the event. Intermix it with music and the scene's dynamic nature is brought fully to life, particularly as it's punctuated by a terrifying moment of violence. Light ambient effects are agreeably positioned and music flows with excellent stage stretch, depth, and clarity throughout the entire range. Dialogue is clear and presents with a refined, steady front-center and well prioritized posture.

Queen & Slim 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Queen & Slim includes several featurettes and an audio commentary track. 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.

• A Deeper Meaning (2160p/SDR, 5:55): A discussion of the characters' names and how they fit into the picture's social context, character details and inner complexities, multiple potential viewpoints for the characters, and more.
• Melina & Lena (2160p/SDR, 4:58): The director and producer discuss their collaboration, the film's style and tones, narrative details, characters, and more.
• Off the Script (2160p/SDR, 3:17): A reading of the script, intercut with footage from the film's finale.
• On the Run with Queen & Slim (2160p/SDR, 4:33): Shooting in a freezing Cleveland, changes in visual tone as the characters travel south, filming in New Orleans, and more.
• Audio Commentary: Director/Producer Melina Matsoukas and Writer/Producer Lena Waithe discuss the film's social issues and how technical construction enhances the experience, cast and performances, story details, technical tidbits, and much more.

Queen & Slim 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Queen & Slim has much to say but never quite finds its voice in full. Superb lead performances carry a movie that is otherwise questionably paced and uncertain of what to make of its characters, particularly in how it asks the audience to respond to them. It's worth a watch for its stabs at social commentary but the material never quite materializes with the depth and breadth the story demands. Universal's UHD does deliver first-rate video and audio presentations. A few quality extras are included. Worth a look.