Contagion 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Warner Bros. has delivered a quintessential visual upgrade with the 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Contagion." Utilizing a 4K digital intermediate sourced directly from the RED One MX camera, the transfer manifests as a reference-quality HEVC H.265 encode, maintaining the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio (though some sources report open-matte presentations at 1.78:1). The film's deliberately stylized cinematography, characterized by heavy yellow, green, and blue color grading, looks superior on this new disc. HDR10 enhances an already spotless contrast and brightness balance, integrating vivid whites, rich blacks, and nuanced specular highlights. The natural flesh tones and deeply saturated colors, especially the more dynamic reds and blues, are noticeably improved, providing a more lifelike and viewing experience.

The remarkable visual fidelity of this transfer is immediately striking. Each frame brims with razor-sharp detail, from the minutiae of skin textures to the intricate structure of buildings and environmental features. Although "Contagion" occasionally uses softer shots, the 4K UHD resolution excels in enhancing overall clarity and definition. The black levels are deep and inky with no noticeable crush, adding to the film’s dramatic depth. Outdoor scenes benefit significantly from heightened attention to foreground and background details. Despite the inherent dark and muted palette—with Soderbergh’s stylistic tinge of sickly yellows and cool blues—the transfer is vibrant when needed, ensuring a compelling visual narrative that surpasses its Blu-ray predecessor.

This release also maintains consistency in artistic intent without color revisionism. The heavy color grading is more faithfully represented thanks to the HDR fine-tuning, ensuring that every stylistic choice by Soderbergh is preserved intact. Viewers can appreciate the depth and intricate textures of physical features and environmental elements. Whether it’s the urban landscape or interior settings, the overall imagery is coherent and immersive, making this 4K UHD an essential upgrade for both new viewers and longtime fans of "Contagion."

The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround mix for the 4K UHD Blu-ray of "Contagion" delivers a full-bodied and finely-tuned audio experience. Dialogue, central to the film’s narrative, is rendered with defining tonal characteristics and a prominent soundstage position, ensuring absolute clarity and intelligibility. The mix excels in detail, with subtle sound effects, ambient noises, and music achieving superior depth and fidelity. While the film does not call for aggressive surround activity or extended dynamic range frequently, its atmospheric sounds effectively utilize the entire soundstage to support both exterior and interior scenes. The end result is a superbly executed audio presentation that complements the film's narrative with aplomb.

Additionally, the track is identical to the 2012 Blu-ray edition but seems mixed slightly louder this time, enhancing the dynamic rear-channel presence for Cliff Martinez’s evocative score in select scenes. This front-heavy, dialogue-driven sound design employs surround speakers to fill the room with rich ambient noises from city streets, bustling traffic, restaurants, airports, and casinos. Notable moments like casino flashbacks employ the surrounds to create an immersive audio landscape with bouncing noises in all directions. The electronic score utilizes the low-end to reinforce its thumping presence, although not overwhelmingly so. For users employing Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality, the atmospheric effects seamlessly spread overhead and all around the listener.

Despite its subtleties, the DTS-HD MA track is highly effective in generating suspense and engaging the audience. The low-frequency extension primarily complements the score, while surround sound presentation comes into play during outdoor scenes and crowded places, adding to the immersive experience. Overall, dialogue reproduction remains excellent and well-prioritized, making this audio track an exemplary companion to the film's visual elements.

The 4K UHD Blu-ray release of "Contagion" includes the original supplemental materials from the previous Blu-ray edition, offering an insightful look into the film's detailed exploration of pandemics. Despite the lack of updated or new features, the legacy extras provide a fascinating perspective on how contagions spread and the meticulous research behind the film's realism. These extras, while dated, remain highly relevant and engaging post-COVID, reflecting both the movie's prescience and its impact. Their inclusion is valuable, but additional commentary or content reflecting recent global events would have enriched this release significantly.

Extras included in this disc:

• The Reality of Contagion: Featurette
• The Contagion Detectives: Featurette
• How a Virus Changes the World: Featurette

Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion," released on 4K UHD Blu-ray, showcases a realistic portrayal of a global pandemic, eerily presaging the recent COVID-19 outbreak. The film revolves around a rapidly spreading virus introduced by Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returning from Hong Kong. The ensuing chaos encapsulates the terrifying unpredictability and societal unrest that sprouts from an unknown pathogen. With standout performances from an all-star cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne, and Jude Law, the film presents a multi-faceted narrative, chronicling the desperate efforts to contain the virus and the concomitant societal collapse.

One of "Contagion’s" most compelling elements is its prescient attention to detail. Screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and Soderbergh masterfully depicted concepts such as social distancing, panic-buying, and the dissemination of misinformation long before they became part of our daily lexicon. Jude Law’s portrayal of a conspiracy theorist blogger is particularly notable, reflecting the real-world digital misinformation rampant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The film's narrative trajectory effortlessly shifts between global perspectives — from the CDC's efforts to develop a vaccine to personal stories of loss and survival.

Technically, the film’s 4K UHD release enhances its visual storytelling with an outstanding 2160p/HDR transfer, overseen by Soderbergh himself. The Dolby Vision HDR adds depth to the chilling, clinical aesthetics of the cinematography. "Contagion" does not shy away from depicting the societal breakdown, including empty cities and aggressive quarantines, offering a gripping yet unnerving experience. Despite some uneven character arcs, the multi-threaded storyline maintains a taut, compelling pace that ensures viewers remain engrossed. Overall, this release serves both as an eerie reflection of recent events and a testament to Soderbergh’s meticulous direction and foresight.

Steven Soderbergh's "Contagion" has gained new relevance in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, transitioning from a medical thriller to a prescient vision of global health crises. The film’s chillingly accurate portrayal of a deadly virus outbreak that echoes recent real-life events enhances its suspense and emotional impact. Acclaimed performances by an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law, coupled with Soderbergh’s multifaceted direction, ensure an engaging viewing experience.

Warner Bros. has re-released "Contagion" in a stunning 4K UHD Blu-ray edition, boasting a pristine 2160p/HDR transfer supervised by Soderbergh. This edition offers superior image clarity, enhanced contrast, and vibrant colors, making it a significant upgrade over the previous BD-25 Blu-ray. The disc maintains the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack, which effectively complements the intense, atmospheric score and sound effects. While new special features do not accompany this release, the legacy supplements remain intact.

As I said above, Contagion hits a bit harder after the Covid pandemic than it did back in 2011. It still was a good movie, but Soderbergh was able to eerily predict many of our modern day approaches to a deadly pandemic with startling accuracy at times. The movie is not as focused or thrilling as others in the genre, but his unique ability to look at things from all angles makes Contagion a film worth revisiting. Warner’s MOD disc is head and shoulders better than the BD-25 Blu-ray that was released 12 years ago, and definitely worth checking out if you can.