United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker September 17, 2026

In time for the 20th anniversary of the film, a tale of heroism on 9/11, 'United 93', arrives on 4K UHD disc courtesy of Universal. Directed by Paul Greengrass ('The Bourne Ultimatum'), the film stars David Allen Basche ('A Complete Unknown'), Olivia Thirlby ('Dredd'), Liza Colón-Zayas ('The Bear') and Polly Adams ('We Need to Talk About Kevin'). The release features a Dolby Vision color grade and an immersive Dolby Atmos audio track. Most of the meaningful legacy supplemental features have been brought forward to the 4K UHD disc, but no new segments have been created. A Blu- ray disc, a Digital Code redeemable via Movies Anywhere, and a foil-enhanced, spot-glossed, and embossed slipcover are also included.

On the morning of September 11, 2001 a group of passengers on a United Airlines flight embark on what they believed would be a routine trip. When their plane is hijacked, and they learn of the other catastrophic events of that morning, a group of passengers and crew members take heroic action to make certain that their plane would not be used to carry out another terrorist attack.

For an appreciation of this modern tale of heroism on one of the United States of America's darkest days, please follow this link.

United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As with the Blu-ray release before it, the 2160p presentation with Dolby Vision is a bit hit and miss, but generally speaking, it's more hit than miss and proves to be a noticeable upgrade over that now fifteen-year-old release. At the the start, and at various other times, there is a graininess present, that, when coupled with the hand-held shooting style lends a sense of documentarian authenticity to the action. At other times though, such as in the air traffic control center and some shots onboard the plane, the image borders on pin-point accuracy. Here, woodgrain is detectable, as is wear and age on controls, stitching on seats, and the like. Facial particulars are also available, with fine lines, wrinkles, stubble, razor burn, and various other imperfections all detectable. Skin tones are generally healthy and realistic, but there are instances when they can appear a bit washed out. Colors are also generally well-saturated and vivid within the film's natural palette. Image depth is pleasing, offering a properly dimensional image, but crush remains an issue in some darkened areas. It's the best the film has looked.

United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Atmos audio track presents some clear improvements without any tradeoffs over the previous release's well-done DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. While the film is instantly and consistently immersive, for me the first real sonic highlight comes at about the 31-minute mark when United 93 takes off. Realistic rattling and whining engines erupt from the surrounds and envelop the viewer as a deep and impressive rumble shakes the room before the plane takes to the air. Once aloft, the ambient whine and rushing noise familiar to frequent fliers is a constant companion of plane-bound shots. The chaos of the air traffic control center is also wonderfully recreated as a cacophony of voices fills the stage. As in a truly crowded and noisy space, some of these peripheral voices and conversations are detectable, while others contribute to the indistinguishable din and business of the space. The underscoring impresses, with percussion elements being pushed to surrounds as the dialogue remains housed front and center. Dialogue is clean and clear, and is reproduced without defect or issue. While many of the scenes get increasingly chaotic the further into the film we get, I never had an issue understanding the dialogue intended to be the primary focus of the on-screen action. On the whole, track is persistently realistic and richly immersive, adding to the documentary feel and the urgency of the film. Fans of the film should be quite pleased.

United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD release of United 93 brings most of the legacy on-disc supplemental material forward here, as below.

• United 93: The Families and the Film (59.50)

• Chasing Planes: Witnesses to 9/11 (48.02)

• Flight 93 National Memorial (8.36)

• Feature Commentary

Though listed on the packaging, the "Memorial Pages" feature is not included on the 4K UHD disc. The "Twin Towers" documentary trailer is also missing. As the included Blu-ray is identical that of the previous release, they are still available on that disc. For more information about all of these segments, please follow this link .

United 93 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While I am a fan of horror, and can watch all manner of fictional atrocities, I've always found it difficult to watch films based on real horrible and tragic events. While I will generally work through such films once, they're typically not ones that I choose to revisit. This film is one of the few exceptions to that rule, and while I don't revisit it often, it finds its way onto my screen every few years. The twenty-fifth anniversary of that fateful day has just passed, and for those who lived through it, it's a day none will likely ever forget. I remember with exacting clarity the conference room I was in as I and three others received the news from our counterparts in London that first one, and then a second plane struck the World Trade Center, and the rapidity with which we ended the meeting to learn precisely what was happening that morning. While it took some time to understand what had transpired, we knew that the world had changed forever, and the ripples of those changes are still felt today. In the intervening years since it's release, the film has lost none of its power, with Greengrass' hand-held/fly-on-the-wall shooting style imparting the film with crackling energy and the cast that keeps their raw emotions on their sleeves. The upgrade to the video presentation is most welcome, though it seems there may yet be room for further improvement, and the Dolby Atmos audio track impresses from beginning to end. For fans of the film, United 93 4K comes highly recommended.