Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Warner Brothers has released the 1994 franchise film 'Wes Craven's New Nightmare' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio. A trio of new extras are included. At time of writing, this release is exclusive to a franchise UHD boxed set; there is no standalone release. See below for reviews of the new video and audio presentations and the new supplements.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

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

Warner Brothers brings Wes Craven's New Nightmare to the UHD format with a solid, though not striking, 2160p/HDR presentation. The picture is unquestionably filmic, holding a fine grain structure that is faithful to the natural film elements. The UHD is plainly sharper than the previous Blu-ray, perhaps not by leaps and bounds but certainly delivering a firm foundation for its content that is sharper, clearer, and more cinematically rich and robust than its 1080p companion. Viewers will see solid gains all around, especially in character close-ups where pores and other skin features come alive with more depth and intricacy. Even in darker scenes — the nighttime interior climax to the movie, for example — offers a healthy gain to textural clarity and visual richness compared to the Blu-ray.

There is definitely not a "wow" factor to the HDR color presentation, but it's a solid overall effort. It's a little flat here and there but does find some very nice, organic, and lifelike brilliance and accuracy to some one-off element (like cans of Coke and oranges on a kitchen counter in the 12-minute mark). There is some nice punch and vitality to blood red colors, and even some of the depressed shades (again see the dank and dank locale used in the climax) are impressively stout, even in their tonal blandness. Black levels could stand to be a few shades deeper, often appearing pale and flat. White balance is fine, and skin tones look natural.

There are no obvious print blemishes to report, and the encode appears to be without flaw. This is hardly the best looking UHD on the market, but I think fans will be pleased overall with Warner's effort on this disc.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than recycle an old track, Warner Brothers presents Wes Craven's New Nightmare on the UHD format with a new Dolby Atmos soundtrack. This is certainly not an audio reworking or an example of audio engineering at its finest, but the track handles the essential elements well enough: screams, groans, squishy gore effects, scraping metal fingers along various surfaces, and the like are all impressively presented. The final confrontation offers some exciting sound design in a spacious locale that allows for some interesting elements that really do draw the listener into it. There are some moments that don't feel as lively and immersive as one might expect, such as when the crowd goes wild for Freddy's appearance at a TV studio at the 17-minute mark. However, general atmosphere is nicely integrated. Music is rich and detailed with fine front end width and proportionately balanced surround activity. Dialogue is clear and centered for the duration.

Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This UHD release Wes Craven's New Nightmare contains new extras as well as the same extras that accompanied the original Blu-ray, minus the Theatrical Trailer. Please click here for coverage of these bonus features (except where noted; these extras were on a bonus DVD disc included with the 2013 boxed set):

• Audio Commentary
• NEW! Boiler Room Confessional (1080p, 7:33): A bevy of interviewees discuss why the franchise will still appeal to audiences today and the longevity and appeal of the villain, while Englund discusses his inspirations, performance details, and more.
• NEW! Freddy's Footnotes (1080p, 7:48): Again, a handful of participants speak on key moments, favorite kills and lines, and technically challenging scenes from the franchise.
• NEW! Becoming a Filmmaker (1080p upscaled, 4x3, 8:00): In an older interview, Craven discusses the process of becoming a filmmaker, which began with a robust writing career. He discusses his transition to and growth in the film industry.
• Filmmaker
• An Instant Troupe
• The Problem with Sequels
• Two Worlds
• Welcome to Prime Time (please click here for coverage).
• Conclusion (please click here for coverage).

Wes Craven's New Nightmare 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I cannot call this UHD a "home run," but it looks and sounds just fine. A few tweaks would have elevated it to the upper stratosphere, but even with where it's at, there's no mistaking its superiority to the previous (and solid) Blu-ray. The added extras are a nice touch; this is the only disc in the Nightmare on Elm Street UHD boxed set that includes new supplements. Recommended as part of that collection.