Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Station Eleven 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 17, 2023

Love it, like it, or really not care for it, one must at least appreciate Station Eleven for approaching what is becoming a fairly well-worn genre from a different perspective. The HBO MAX miniseries, which premiered in December 2021, is sourced from Emily St. John Mandel's novel of the same name. The program follows the story of a young girl's life through the trials and efforts at rediscovering normalcy in the decades following a deadly pandemic with an exceedingly high mortality rate. But rather than a The Last of Us-style journey through physical terror, this show is more concerned with picking up the pieces in the aftermath, though with much of the pain, destruction, and emotional upheaval still lingering freshly on the surface. It's rock-solid content and it is translated exceedingly well to the miniseries medium.

Offical synopsis: A post-apocalyptic saga spanning multiple timelines, this limited drama series tells the stories of survivors of a devastating flu as they attempt to rebuild and reimagine the world anew while holding on to the best of what's been lost.

That is a rather terse summary that does not do justice to the show's deeper themes, mysteries, interconnected timelines, and character arcs, but in a way it offers just enough of a foundational backbone that presents the gist of the story without corrupting the secrets, surprises, and serious drama that is in store for the audience that enters the series more or less blind beyond "post-apocalyptic." The show is well conceived, sourced from standout material, obviously, from the novel, and equally well translated and executed for the screen. The show bounces around through various timelines both in the hours before the pandemic (most of episode one) when most of the world was living in ignorant bliss of the destruction to come, and in various points in time afterwards, notably in the months following the outbreak, one, and a couple of decades after, two. It is in the latter where the show spends most of its time, but through that future prism circa 2040 comes a fuller picture of the events, stories, and lives that unfolded within the larger picture narrative leading up to that moment in time. It's easy to follow and the show weaves together its story with effortless switch. Each timeline reinforces concepts, character traits, and themes across the entire spectrum of events.

The brief synopsis also fails to set the stage, literally as the case may be, for what the show's central forward propellant is, which is a travelling theater act in which the lead character is also a frontline performer. The material digs deep into the human psyche and the larger narrative structure through the performances on the stage, and the irony, symbolism, and parallels of the Shakespearean productions to the show's "real world" narratives are not lost on the savvy viewer. Throughout the group's physical travels comes a paralleling journey through their own souls, capturing the broad spectrum of humanity, human emotion, and human response to the changed world and the changed people inside of it, both as the world impacts them in the moment and as it has evolved them over the decades. It's rich, layered stuff that is given just the right time to breathe through the ten episode run.

The cast is uniformly excellent throughout the series as well. Mackenzie Davis leads with a depth of personality and character evolution (and seamlessly tied back to her younger self, which is played equally well by Matilda Lawler) that allows the audience to not just see, but also to experience, the new world through not just her eyes, but her soul, which is laid bare throughout the series. The support cast is likewise brilliant. The ensemble is too large and dense to single out any one performer because of the sense of richness that courses through the players cannot be singled out into a specific actor; there's a harmony to the performances that creates a seamlessly realistic portrait of camaraderie, survival -- and more -- within the full cast and character roster.

Station Eleven 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

The menu screen doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things, but the improvements to resolution and color grading are evident even at this juncture, offering hope that actually watching the show at the 2160p resolution and with Dolby Vision color grading applied will result in an image better than even the well-regarded Blu-ray. Upon beginning the show, this transfer's wares are evident right out of the gate. Look at the overgrown auditorium. A shot at the 50-second mark is particularly noteworthy as an early example that shows the sharper resolution's benefits to more exactingly clear and robust foliage while the Dolby Vision grading reveals superior greens illuminated by random points of overhead sunlight, contrasted with superior shadow details and black level depth in the image's darker corners. It's a beautiful shot and fine example of the UHD's improvements over the Blu-ray. Similar gains for the UHD are in evidence throughout. The picture thrives on this format, offering super-sharp definition across the full spectrum of elements, including the well-worn odds and ends that have been weathered and not well maintained over the years, allowing the audience a very real, tangible sense of how the world has changed through the precisely crafted production design elements. Of course, facial features and basic clothing elements are a wonder and well beyond the Blu-ray for razor sharpness and textural precision. Colors remain energized for vividness and fullness but also depth and accuracy through both low-light interiors and sunbaked exteriors as well. Black level depth, which was one of the main drawbacks from the Blu-ray, is much better here. Source and encode artifacts are practically zero. This is a very positive step forward and assuredly worth the small upcharge from the Blu-ray.

Station Eleven 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Paramount seems to be inching away from Dolby Atmos with some of its new releases (Devotion being another recent example) but this more traditionally oriented DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is nevertheless every bit the delight one would expect. The track offers some significantly impactful audio cues throughout the ten episodes. Listeners will be frequently impressed by depth and subwoofer's usage and management, the ability for the surrounds to carry a significant load without overpowering the fronts, and the overall balance with which the track presents its wares. Enviornmental supports are delightful as well, including dense sounds on a subway in the first episode and various exteriors throughout the show, whether in calm moments, during stage productions, and through some action in other spots. Surround engagement is always welcome and balanced here and overall elemental priority is in good working order, including with dialogue, which is always clear and center positioned.

Station Eleven 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

No supplemental content is included. No Blu-ray or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover. Beyond a basic menu screen, it's as bare bones they come.

Station Eleven 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Station Eleven takes the favorite post-apocalyptic genre and weaves together a tale that is at once both familiar and novel. It looks at how the world moves on, even in devastation, and how important past normalcy is to forward progress in the wake of disaster. Of course, nothing is normal, even within the appearance of normal -- theater, in this case -- and the show's lifeblood is in that contrast between the familiar and the unfamiliar. Character depth, production values, acting, and visuals are all also top-of-the-line, making this one of the better shows of the year, and of its kind. The UHD is featureless, sadly, but the video is fantastic and the audio presentation is also very good. Recommended.