Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

Volver 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman December 5, 2022

Sony has released the 2006 film 'Volver,' directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Penélope Cruz and Carmen Maura, to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. Audio has been remixed to DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. All of the supplements from the 2007 Blu-ray are included. No Blu-ray disc is included; all extras are found on the UHD disc. At time of writing, this release is exclusive to the eleven-film Sony Pictures Classics: 30th Anniversary Collection boxed set.

Volver features a central story line that sometimes feels hindered by various side stories. Although each is consequential to the plot, there is quite a bit going on that requires the audience's utmost attention. Raimunda (Penélope Cruz, Sahara) and her sister Sole (Lola Dueñas) are coping with the death of their mother who perished in a fire. After visiting her gravesite, the sisters pay a visit to their old, seemingly senile aunt who makes an odd claim that her sister (the sister's deceased mother) is helping her around the house. She refuses to move to an assisted living home, but the sister's minds are eased when their aunt's neighbor, Agustina (Blanca Portillo) agrees to look in on her everyday. Upon returning to Madrid, Raimunda's daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) murders her father after a molestation attempt. She and her mother cover up the death and hide the body in the freezer of a restaurant Raimunda is looking after. Later, Raimunda and Sole's aunt dies, and their deceased mother, Irene (Carmen Maura), appears before Sole. Taking her in and keeping her hidden from the world, Sole and Irene set out to prepare Raimunda for the shock that her mother has returned to reconcile her past (as well those of all of the film's central characters) and brighten her family's future.

For a full film review, please click here.

Volver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Volver returns to home media, this time on a UHD disc sporting 2160p/Dolby Vision video. The picture is largely satisfying, enjoying a solid boost to clarity and definition thanks to the resolution gain. Character details are nicely defined, offering intimate skin and clothing details, though to be sure the picture lacks the exactness and depth found on the absolute best the format has to offer; it's fairly flat with a very slight and unassuming grain structure which is not wiped away but simply very light, for the most part. The result is a satisfying filmic appearance that thrives in subtlety and accuracy. Complexity comes naturally and fine detail is often resplendent in close-up.

The Dolby vision grading is particularly pleasing. Red is a color great prominence in the film, especially early on, and whether clothes or blood or equipment, the color, here, finds a newfound level of depth, pop, brilliance, and stability. This is true of all colors, even less aggressive clothing hues (though plenty of clothes leap off the screen here). The color depth is full and accurate, well beyond the Blu-ray's tones which are not muted, but have the appearance of such in direct comparison. The picture here enjoys superior whites (even the subtitles) and impressively deep blacks, whether hair, clothes, or shadow detail. Skin tones are healthy and pleasing. This is a dynamite Dolby Vision grading from Sony.

Volver 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Sony has not ported over the original Blu-ray's LPCM 5.1 uncompressed soundtrack. Instead, the studio has re-encoded the audio in the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless format. The track is satisfactory, offering positive spacing to gusty wind to start the film, with a fair sense of blowing about, though the effect semes more limited to a specific area rather than fully enveloping of the entire stage, as the scene suggests to be the case. General atmosphere is open and dynamic, with good location placement and a general sense of environmental involvement and depth. Musical clarity is exceptional; listen at the 27:30 mark for a fine example of fine detail and its wide and immersive spacing. Dialogue in the native Spanish language is clear and refined from a natural front-center position.

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

This UHD release of Volver, as it ships in the Sony Pictures Classics 30th Anniversary boxed set, includes the same extras from the 2007 Blu-ray. See below for a list of what's included and please click here for full coverage. As it ships in that boxed set, a non-embossed slipcover is included.

• Interview With Pedro Almodóvar
• Interview with Penélope Cruz
• Interview With Carmen Maura
• Audio Commentary
• Making of Volver
• Tribute to Penelope Cruz
• Photo Gallery
• Theatrical Trailer

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

Volver looks and sounds great on the UHD format. The 2160p/Doby Vision picture is excellent and the new 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is of a very high quality. The suite of returning supplements are still enjoyable all these years later. Highly recommended.