The Outfit 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Outfit 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

The Outfit is an intelligent and gripping crime thriller released from Focus Features. Executive produced by Alison Cohen (To Catch a Killer, Red Rocket), Brad Zimmerman, Ashley Fox (Knock at the Cabin, The Young Wife), Johnathan McClain, and Milan Popelka (To Catch a Killer, Down Low), The Outfit first premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival. Produced by Ben Browning (Promising Young Woman, Passengers), Amy Jackson (Aftersun, The Nest), and Scoop Wasserstein (The Last Thing Mary Saw, Hijacked), The Outfit is set in Chicago during the 1950s. Starring Mark Rylance in the lead role.

Leonard (Mark Rylance) is considered an expert tailor by those who come to see him at his own shop. An expert in his field, Leonard is actually an experience cutter and not just a simple tailor as many call him. The clothes of Leonard are far more complex than a standard shop.

Leonard makes things that are meant to last a lifetime. Leonard has far more experience in his craft than those visiting seem to even understand – as he often has to clarify his trade as a cutter is more than the work of a simple tailor. Mable (Zoey Deutch) is the shop’s beautiful and mysterious receptionist.

With a complicated relationship with Mable, Leonard finds himself tossed in to a complicated situation when those visiting his shop are involved in dirty money. A group comprised of gangsters has visited Leonard and made his life all the more dangerous. As a sequence of startling events begins to unfold (with questions concerning a F.B.I. tape recording of their business dealings), Leonard is faced with the highest stakes of his life – surviving the night. Can Leonard live to be a cutter another day or will he see everything he built burn down to the ground?

Mark Rylance is gripping in The Outfit. Rylance is a brilliant actor and one of the most talented of his generation. The actor delivers a first-rate performance and the role was a perfect fit for him (pun intended). The performance provides a sense of dramatic weight and depth to the lead character. Outstanding. Rylance brought the character to life and made the role gripping from start to finish. Without such a first- rate performance by Rylance, The Outfit might not have been such a fantastic feature-film.

The production design by Gemma Jackson (Game of Thrones, The Gentlemen) provides The Outfit with a sense of style that is undeniably sophisticated. The Outfit has an incredible looking production design in most respects. The design showcases a sense of realism and style that is a perfect match for the genre and tone of the film. Jackson did expert work here and the results should be given the right degree of accolades.

The art direction by Richard Selway (Wonder Woman 1984, Allied) is impressively realized as well and further adds to the sense of style inherit in the filmmaking. Alongside set decorator Tonja Schurmann (Oslo), the production team brought together something unique and compelling for The Outfit. The results help to make the film a better experience.

The costumes by Sophie O'Neill (Ali & Ava, Edmund the Magnificent) and Zac Posen (Down a Dark Hall, Mean to Me) are breathtaking. The Outfit certainly is a film that demanded exceptional costuming. An incredible effort from the costume designers. The designs featured throughout the entire film fit the tone and genre perfectly. Given the subject matter of the film, The Outfit would have been a major disappointment without good costuming. The level of attention to detail and care given by these costume designers is essential.

The cinematography by Dick Pope (The Illusionist, Vera Drake) is a highlight of the feature. The cinematography style is complex and beautiful. The visual element is something that adds to the experience. The cinematographic approach for the film feels true to the genre and provides a film noir vibe with modern sensibilities. Pope is an impressive cinematographer with a good understanding of the genre needs.

The score composed by Alexandre Desplat (Asteroid City, The Shape of Water) is sublime and a highlight. Composer Desplat is one of the best film composers in the industry and he has gifted the world with an abundance of incredible music over the course of his career. Desplat is a master composer who has an unyielding sense of creativity throughout his scores. The genius compositions from Desplat make the feature all the more enticing and engaging. The score for The Outfit was one of the best parts of the film.

Edited by William Goldenberg (The Imitation Game, Argo), The Outfit is an impressive effort by the editor. The editing is impressive and well-handled throughout the film. There is a cohesion to the production and the style of the editing. The results are engaging and help with the flow of the storytelling.

Graham Moore, making his feature-film directorial debut after penning the script for The Imitation Game, wrote the script alongside co-screenwriter Johnathan McClain. The directing by no means indicates a first-time filmmaker. Moore already feels like a seasoned professional with this film. Exceptional performances are channeled by director Moore. The visual sensibility of the film is entertaining, intelligent, and classy. Moore made a great transition from screenwriter to writer-director, imbuing The Outfit with the same voice as The Imitation Game. The Outfit is all the more compelling as a result.

The Outfit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Released on 4K UHD from Dazzler Media, The Outfit is presented in 2160p HEVC / H.265 in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.00:1 widescreen. The release has an impressive 4K UHD bit-rate of 72.48 mbps. The transfer is generally impressive looking on the release with exceptional colors. The HDR aspect of the release is one of the best strengths of the presentation. The HDR10 grade is notable. However, despite the obvious strengths of the presentation, the transfer only appears as a minor upgrade over the standard Blu-ray release.

The 4K UHD presentation is pleasing in most respects. Audiences who demand the best in picture-quality (even with modest gains) will find this worthwhile. However, it is not the showiest or most engaging of 4K presentations. The Outfit doesn't seem to eek out as much detail as many other 4K presentations I have seen. Nonetheless, a solid presentation and anyone who wants to purchase the film and is trying to decide between the Blu-ray or 4K – if you are 4K UHD equipped and do not already own the film, it is an easy purchase to recommend the 4K. As a 4K upgrade, it is worth noting the uptick in detail is slight but those who demand the best may still be pleased enough to purchase.

The Outfit 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in Dolby Atmos. The 24-bit depth lossless audio sounds exceptional on the release. Dialogue is crystal clear and well preserved by the encoding. The Atmos sound stage adds considerable depth to the experience. The atmospheric audio made the film viewing experience a more rewarding one. The score is well reproduced on the release as well. An optional DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo option is also provided on the release.

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

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of The Outfit does not contain any supplemental features of any kind. The release is a 4K UHD & Blu-ray combo pack release. The included Blu-ray disc in the set doesn't include any supplemental features. The only aspect of the release that might seem to be "supplemental" is the inclusion of a decent looking o-card slipcover over the 4K UHD case.

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

The Outfit is a compelling and entertaining thriller with gripping performances from the ensemble. Star Mark Rylance is an exceptional actor. Rylance has an undeniably powerful screen presence and a sense of charm even in this type of film. The filmmaking is first-rate and director Graham Moore (screenwriter of The Imitation Game) makes a brilliant directorial debut. The 4K UHD release offers a solid 4K video presentation and impressive Dolby Atmos audio. Though the 4K UHD might seem to offer a modest upgrade over the Blu-ray release, fans of The Outfit who demand the best will want the film on 4K. Highly recommended.