The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

About five years ago, I did a full review of Craig Zobel's fifth big-screen feature The Hunt (2020) and Universal Studios' BD-50, which can be read here.

This ain't Babe. It's Orwell!

The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While this two-disc 4K Ultra HD + standard Blu-ray set courtesy of Scream Factory is features laden, it isn't categorized as a "Collector's Edition." And unlike the release from five years earlier, this one doesn't come with a slipcover. Scream has advertised this as a 4K presentation "from the original elements." The boutique label's earliest announcement stated the transfer would contain Dolby Vision, but the format was later dropped. Instead, it comes with HDR10. In one of the recent commentary tracks included on both discs, cinematographer Darran Tiernan discusses filming with the Sony VENICE which gave the image a "very realistic" appearance "grounded in reality." Tiernan also said he equipped the VENICE with a Rialto Camera Extension System for shots primarily roving with Crystal (Betty Gilpin). Tiernan describes the Rialto as a "very small handheld camera" which helped track the actors in space during action scenes.

The 2160p presentation replicates the realism Tiernan sought with aplomb. I made direct comparisons between the 4K and the recent 1080p Blu-ray. While the HD transfer delivers the visuals with almost pristine clarity, the UHD retains that and adds three-dimensional depth to group shots with persons framed in foreground and background. I immediately noticed the 3D-like depth for the beginning of the hunt where the hunted are dispersed across the grassy landscape. In addition, I also noticed an uptick in color definition on the 4K. One other important aspect is the minute detail I observed on skin textures, particularly in close-ups.

The UHD delivers a mean video bitrate of 82.0 Mbps while the full disc carries a total bitrate of 96.8 Mbps. Authoring and compression are better on Scream's standard Blu-ray compared to the studio release from five years ago. On Universal's BD-50, the feature occupies 21.6 GB and boasts an average bitrate of 27510 kbps (overall bitrate: 34.47 Mbps). On Scream Factory's BD-50, the feature utilizes 27.2 GB of disc space and sports a mean bitrate of 27996 kbps (overall bitrate: 43.36 Mbps).

Screenshot #s 1-25, 28, 31, 34, 37, & 40 = Scream Factory 2025 4K Ultra HD BD-66 (downscaled to 1080p)
Screenshot #s 26, 29, 32, 35, & 38 = Universal Studios 2020 BD-50
Screenshot #s 27, 30, 33, 36, & 39 = Scream Factory 2025 BD-50

Twelve chapters accompany the 90-minute feature on Scream's discs.

The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Scream has supplied three audio track options to watch The Hunt with on UHD and Blu-ray (in addition to three recently recorded commentaries): a new Dolby Atmos mix (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible with a standard bitrate of 4552 kbps) encoded at an average bitrate of 5192 kbps and a maximum bitrate of 7644 kbps; a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround mix (3935 kbps, 24-bit); and a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo downmix (2036 kbps, 24-bit). I primarily concentrated on the Atmos track. I had absolutely no issues hearing any of the dialogue at regular listening volume on my receiver. The Atmos excels during all the action sequences. The height channels accent gunshots and added f/x with pulsating effect to go along with superbly placed .LFE effects. There's even one shot where I could hear a bullet eject from a handgun and it seemed like it was coming towards me and another instance where gunfire originated directly above me. Composer Nathan Barr employed a 45-piece ensemble for his score, including a pipe organ. His original music makes fine segues and alterations between inserts of pieces by Mahler and Mozart.

I watched The Hunt with the optional English SDH switched on and transcription of dialogue is 100 percent complete sans any typographic errors.

The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout! Factory and Franco Film Works have produced a batch of recent extras. Lighting on the new interviews ranges from fair to very good. Each interviewee appears before a webcam. Lighting during Nick Cuse's interview is noticeably the best thanks in large part to the wide swathe of sunlight shown through the windows. Three of Universal's EPK featurettes are recycled on the second disc.

DISC ONE: 4K UHD

• NEW Audio Commentary with Director/Executive Producer Craig Zobel - the listener gets to hear a funny side of Zobel, who quips about the classical music playing over the Blumhouse Productions logo. Zobel spends considerable time discussing his TV work with Nick Cuse (The Leftovers) and actors he's collaborated with on various productions. Zobel sounds relaxed as he describes and unpacks each scene from his film. He explains his philosophy for carrying out fight scenes. In addition, he delves into sources for production research (such as Architectural Digest). He quits talking at the start of the end credits. There are some gaps throughout this track but there aren't nearly as many as the critical commentary on Track 3. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Director/Executive Producer Craig Zobel, Director of Photography Darran Tiernan, Editor Jane Rizzo, Production Designer Matt Munn, and Stunt Coordinator Hank Amos - Zobel essentially moderates this crew commentary track. It sounds like Zobel's "creative keys" (as he describes his crew members) join him from different remote locales. The ensemble explain the locations, sets, cinematographic choices, and editorial decisions that were part of making The Hunt. Sometimes, the participants get caught up in watching the picture and making cheeky anecdotes about given moments. There are gaps and "dead air" scattered throughout. Each commentarist speaks in English. The track isn't subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Film Critic Emily Higgins - Higgins is a self-described exuberant fan of The Hunt. She explains at the beginning of her track that she wants to be casual and conversational as if the viewer were there with her watching the film. But her apparent lack of scripted notes (she doesn't seem to read from anything prepared) causes a high number of lags. She often watches the film and then comments on it. While this approach is alright, she doesn't really know when to pick up on the next point and pauses for a while. I agree with a lot of her observations and interpretations. But because this track has a lot of gaps, I feel her talk would have been better suited as a video essay. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Director/Executive Producer Craig Zobel - the listener gets to hear a funny side of Zobel, who quips about the classical music playing over the Blumhouse Productions logo. Zobel spends considerable time discussing his TV work with Nick Cuse (The Leftovers) and actors he's collaborated with on various productions. Zobel sounds relaxed as he describes and unpacks each scene from his film. He explains his philosophy for carrying out fight scenes. In addition, he delves into sources for production research (such as Architectural Digest). He quits talking at the start of the end credits. There are some gaps throughout this track but there aren't nearly as many as the critical commentary on Track 3. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Director/Executive Producer Craig Zobel, Director of Photography Darran Tiernan, Editor Jane Rizzo, Production Designer Matt Munn, and Stunt Coordinator Hank Amos - Zobel essentially moderates this crew commentary track. It sounds like Zobel's "creative keys" (as he describes his crew members) join him from different remote locales. The ensemble explain the locations, sets, cinematographic choices, and editorial decisions that were part of making The Hunt. Sometimes, the participants get caught up in watching the picture and making cheeky anecdotes about given moments. There are gaps and "dead air" scattered throughout. Each commentarist speaks in English. The track isn't subtitled.

• NEW Audio Commentary with Film Critic Emily Higgins - Higgins is a self-described exuberant fan of The Hunt. She explains at the beginning of her track that she wants to be casual and conversational as if the viewer were there with her watching the film. But her apparent lack of scripted notes (she doesn't seem to read from anything prepared) causes a high number of lags. She often watches the film and then comments on it. While this approach is alright, she doesn't really know when to pick up on the next point and pauses for a while. I agree with a lot of her observations and interpretations. But because this track has a lot of gaps, I feel her talk would have been better suited as a video essay. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW On THE HUNT with Composer Nathan Barr (17:11, 1080p) - this recent interview with the composer has Barr detailing theh movie's tight schedule and working with Craig Zobel. He explains his job as a composer, coming up with the right tone for The Hunt, writing Crystal's theme, the picture's political subtext, his favorite cue on the soundtrack album, and one of his favorite genres to score. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW On THE HUNT with Actor Wayne Duvall (12:46, 1080p) - in this new interview, Duvall recalls working with Zobel on the series, One Dollar (2018). Duvall shares ideas that he gave Zobel, which were applied to one of his scenes with Betty Gilpin. He also talks jovially about interacting with the pig and how the filmmakers executed one of his key scenes. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW On THE HUNT with Actor Reed Birney (13:10, 1080p) - Birney recalls his initial meeting with Zobel years before The Hunt as well as a play he acted in with Gilpin. More, he looks back at playing "Pa" and shooting an additional scene during the pandemic. He describes the personalities of Ike Barinholtz and Gilpin. Plus, his experiences of working with them. Disappointingly, the interviewer apparently didn't ask Birney to share reflections on performing in the film opposite Amy Madigan (unless footage was cut from the interview?). Birney makes a brief reference to working with Madigan but says nothing about the chemistry they had on screen or his first-hand observations of her as an actor. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW On THE HUNT with Co-Writer/Producer Nick Cuse (26:50, 1080p) - in the disc's longest interview, Cuse lays out the story of how The Hunt began, his preliminary ideas for the film's premise, writing with Damon Lindelof, and the working process with Lindelof. He additionally goes into the actors who contributed to the screenplay and the actors who auditioned for the role of Crystal. Cuse also addresses The Hunt's controversial status as a "political movie." Moreover, he gives his interpretation of the character of Don??? and his favorite scene in the film. In English, not subtitled.

• Crafting THE HUNT (5:04, 1080p) - the first and longest of three very brief mini-featurettes on the making of The Hunt. We hear from producer Jason Blum, director/executive producer Craig Zobel, co-writer/producer Damon Lindelof, co-writer/executive producer Nick Cuse, production designer Matthew Munn as well as actors Betty Gilpin, Hilary Swank, and Ike Barinholtz. Each interviewee explains what s/he thinks the movie is really about. Costumes are also discussed. Some spoiler-filled clips are interspersed between the comments so don't watch this piece until after you've seen The Hunt. In English, not subtitled.

• Death Scene Breakdowns (2:36, 1080p) - a glimpse into how makeup and effects were done for some of the bloodiest moments in the film. We hear more remarks from Lindelof, Zobel, Barinholtz, and Blum. Additional participants include stunt coordinators Hank Amos and Heidi Moneymaker, Lauren Thomas (head of the makeup department) as well as actors Chris Berry and Sylvia Grace Crim. In English, not subtitled.

• Athena vs. Crystal: Hunter or Hunted? (2:42, 1080p) - a look at a major fight sequence in the movie. Several interviewees from the other mini-featurettes give their thoughts here as well. In English, not subtitled.

The Hunt 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The first forty minutes or so of The Hunt is so visceral that the action can be hard to stomach for that long of a duration but Zobel wisely gives the audience some breathers thereafter. The smart screenplay by Nick Cuse and Damon Lindelof presents a lot of wisecracking sociopolitical satire that imbues The Hunt with a substance that counterbalances its action-oriented game of survival. The 4K UHD from Scream Factory looks outstanding! While originally shot on digital, this is a true 2160p transfer and not an upscale. Universal's previously issued 7.1 mix delivered the surround goods but the Atmos track here is more immersive. The quality of the new bonus materials is very good, although gaps are present on all three commentary tracks. RECOMMENDED and a MUST OWN for fans of the film.