Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Snowpiercer 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 28, 2025

Since it's a day ending in "y", you know what that means: it's another chance to figure out any number of questions about a Lionsgate 4K UHD release being offered in SteelBook packaging. So for those already acquainted with my long running diatribes about the seeming lack of consistency Lionsgate offers with these releases, here are some relevant answers to frequent questions:

• Yes, it is a "remainder" (i.e., old) 1080 disc included in this set, and in fact it's two 1080 discs, per the now long ago Snowpiercer 1080 release from Starz / Anchor Bay;


• This release offers Snowpiercer in 4K UHD for the first time, now in its correct aspect ratio with Atmos audio, and as of the writing of this review there is no 4K UHD release in standard packaging;


• The SteelBook is an Amazon exclusive as of the writing of this review (a bunch that came out recently were only available on Lionsgate's own Lionsgate Limited boutique site).

As mentioned above, Snowpiercer had a two disc 1080 release several years ago courtesy of Starz / Anchor Bay, and Martin Liebman's Snowpiercer Blu-ray review provides a wealth of plot information and reaction to the discs' technical merits and supplements.

Snowpiercer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: This is another "exception to the rule" review in terms of screenshots, since I prefer to only have screenshots from 1080 discs in 4K packages that have them, since downscaling screenshots from the 4K disc necessitates a reduction to 1080 and (especially problematically in my opinion) standard dynamic range, which completely tweaks the color space (and not in a good way). However, since this release corrects the aspect ratio (however slight that change may be), I've kind of "split the baby" (which sounds like something that easily could have happened on the train), with screenshots 1 through 3 from the 1080 disc and screenshots 4 and 5 from the 4K UHD disc (so those in particular have inaccurate color reproduction).

Snowpiercer is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. Kind of interestingly considering how old the film is at this point, the IMDb still doesn't offer any information on the resolution of the DI, but I'm assuming it was 2K. Marty was pretty enthusiastic about the 1080 disc's video quality, and many of the pluses he mentions in his review get at least some marginal improvements in this version, especially in terms of fine detail on the hardscrabble costumes that many characters wear. As I've repeatedly experienced with a whole range of Lionsgate 4K UHD releases recently, I'd argue that it's in the nuance granted the palette courtesy of HDR / Dolby Vision that this 4K version really makes its most pronounced visual statements. There is a noticeably wider gamut in the blue and green ranges especially, and shadow detail can see at least minor improvements in the many less than fulsomely lit scenes. The "change" Marty alludes to in terms of the look of the second half of the film also has some distinctive highlights in this version, despite the intentionally drab production design. On the minus side, I'm not sure the increased resolution of this format "helps" some occasionally cartoonish looking CGI of the train itself. Grain can be quite thick, but has no real resolution issues.

Snowpiercer 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Marty gave top marks to the 1080 disc's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, so I guess maybe I should see if the site will allow a 5.5 or 6.0 score for the really enjoyable Dolby Atmos track on the 4K disc. The score "upgrade" is evidently impossible, but this Atmos track announces both is surround and verticality proclivities literally from the get go with both the CJ Entertainment and Opus masthead sound effects, and then continuing on to a really consistently immersive listening experience, which (kind of like the track I mentioned in the similarly cloistered Heretic 4K) actually manages to provide consistent engagement of the side and rear channels in particular despite obviously close, confined quarters. There is really exciting layering throughout the sound design, which provides everything from some rumbling and roaring as the train speeds, to sometimes quasi-startle effects with loud booms or other unexpected noises. Scoring resides quite sumptuously throughout the surround channels. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

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

The two 1080 discs in this package sport the supplements detailed by Marty in his Snowpiercer Blu-ray review. The 4K UHD disc has the following supplements:

• Critics' Commentary Hosted by Scott Weinberg


• Trailer (HD; 2:02)

Additionally, this has a really handsome SteelBook design, with an understandable profusion of cool greenish blue tones on the front and rear panels. The front panel features Chris Evans and the train, with the back panel offering Tilda Swinton and some of the other supporting players. The interior panels offer a view of the train that is quite similar to screenshot 5 that I've uploaded to accompany this review. A Mylar O ring outlines Evans' character and adds snow and another view of the train on the front, with production credits on the back. A digital copy is also included.

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

Snowpiercer may have become something of a cliché through no fault of its own, simply because it struck such a chord when it was released, and then went on to become a relatively long running television series. The film still packs a considerable emotional wallop, and its allegorical elements might have even more relevance to today's culture than they did when the film first came out. Technical merits are solid, and there are a glut of legacy supplements included. The SteelBook packaging is very handsome and should be appreciated by collectors of this packaging format. Highly recommended.