Contagion 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review
Score: 83
from 6 reviewers
Review Date:
Contagion is an eerily prophetic and engaging pandemic thriller, now enhanced by a stunning 2160p/HDR transfer, making it a must-have on Ultra HD Blu-ray.
Disc Release Date
True 4K
HDR10
DTS-HD MA
Video: 96
Warner's 4K UHD Blu-ray of 'Contagion' is a significant upgrade, providing remarkable clarity, deep blacks, and lifelike textures, enhanced by HDR10. Soderbergh's stylistic color grading is more distinct and precise, delivering a visually faithful and stunning presentation.
Audio: 88
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix for 'Contagion' is largely consistent with the original Blu-ray, excelling in dialogue clarity and ambient sound stage. It supports the film’s suspenseful atmosphere with a robust low-end for the score and effective surround utilization, particularly in crowded scenes. Subtle and immersive, it effectively engages the audience.
Extra: 70
Despite underwhelming new artwork and only legacy 2012 extras being recycled, Warner's MOD 4K UHD disc of *Contagion* shines with significant video improvements, highlighting Steven Soderbergh's eerily prescient take on a global pandemic with refined detail and depth in its visuals, coupled with a solid, dialogue-centric DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio track.
Movie: 89
A riveting, prescient thriller, *Contagion* by Steven Soderbergh, now on 4K UHD Blu-ray, eerily mirrors the COVID-19 pandemic with its portrayal of a global virus outbreak, highlighting social chaos, conspiracy theories, and the race for a vaccine. The release boasts a superb 2160p/HDR transfer overseen by Soderbergh himself.
Video: 96
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."
Audio: 88
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.
Extra: 70
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
Movie: 89
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.
Total: 83
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.
AV Nirvana review by Michael ScottRead review here
Video: 90
All in all, this is a great upgrade thanks to some very mild HDR fine tuning and the bigger disc and larger bitrate allowing the heavily stylized film to finally have some breathing room....
Audio: 80
...
Extras: 30
The film is less about having a single 3 act story on film, but rather is done in a very Soderbergh way of simply “chronicalling” what happens as different people from all corners of the globe try and...
Movie: 80
It seems to be sweeping the globe in a world wide pandemic stage in a matter of days, and even the CDC and all of their vast resources are struggling to come up with a revolutionary vaccine that could...
Total: 80
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....
Blu-ray.com review by Randy Miller IIIRead review here
Video: 100
The perfectly saturated colors and smooth contrast levels are bolstered nicely by HDR, both of which routinely give Contagion a truly accurate and consistently precise appearance that easily outperforms...
Audio: 0
Unlike its visuals, the DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix presented here sounds largely the same as the 2012 Blu-ray, although it may very well be mixed a bit louder this time around: I couldn't help but notice...
Extras: 80
These three recycled extras are listed below in name only; for more details, please see Kenneth Brown's 2012 Blu-ray review....
Movie: 80
While 2021 would have obviously been the most logical time to release this disc (based on, you know, events, as well as being the 10th anniversary), 2024 seems like as good a year as any to finally revisit...
Total: 30
Unless Contagion was a "once and done" film for you, this is a disc worth picking up for UHD adopters....
DoBlu review by Matt PaprockiRead review here
Video: 80
Contagion immediately grabs the eye with its peak contrast, and when backed by the thick black levels, the dynamics in this image are quite spectacular....
Audio: 80
Environments project a natural, organic soundstage that spreads hospital or city ambiance wide....
Extras: 40
Three bonuses port over from the Blu-ray, now dated, looking into pandemics and how Contagion reflects a possible reality....
Movie: 80
It delves into political distractions amid crisis, internal turmoil via the military, and most importantly, the human element, although the latter lacks the same hooks as the science....
Total: 70
Eerily predictive, Contagion took audiences through a pandemic before a real one, but apparently didn’t stick the landing long term....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 100
The HDR10 presentation also supplies better, fuller saturation in the primaries, especially the deeper, more animated reds and the energetic blues, while secondary hues show more variation, and facial...
Audio: 80
Although primarily a front-heavy dialogue-driven film, the design employs the surround speakers often, filling the room with a variety of ambient noise, like the crowded streets of various cities, the...
Extras: 20
For this UHD edition, the same bonus collection is ported over from the previous Blu-ray release which is frustratingly little....
Movie: 80
Scott Z. Burns's script takes a more pragmatic, true-to-life look at the initial response to a global pandemic, and as sometimes can be the case, specific life events can also shed a new perspective on...
Total: 80
While still reeling in the aftermath of a recent global pandemic, Steven Soderbergh's Contagion has taken on a new life, feeling more like a startlingly prophetic vision of the initial response to a highly...
AVSForum review by Ralph PottsRead review here
Video: 96
Whether it be the finest minutia in physical features or textures on the surfaces of objects, buildings, streets, or the interior of the various offices/venues depicted onscreen, the imagery is pleasing....
Audio: 84
Extras: 40
Contagion Ultra HD Blu-ray Digital Code • The Reality of Contagion – Featurette • The Contagion Detectives – Featurette • Contagion – How a Virus Changes the World –Featurette...
Movie: 80
Soon, others exhibit the same mysterious symptoms: hacking coughs and fever, followed by seizure, brain hemorrhage... and ultimately, death....
Total: 75
When you’re in the mood for an engaging bit of movie drama, this is worth checking out in Ultra HD on Blu-ray....
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 90
With the color palette leaning towards blue and grey most of the time, flesh tones also lean towards that look, but again, this is definite artistic intent....
Audio: 80
Audio Format(s): English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)Subtitles: English, French, Deutsch, Spanish, Italian, Nederlands, Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese, Dansk, Nordic, Czech, SwedishDynamics:...
Extras: 40
Just like recent 4K releases for Don’t Worry Darling, Giant, The Outsiders and East Of Eden, this disc comes with a 4K UHD Blu-ray disc, with legacy features and a digital code....
Movie: 80
The fact that Steven Soderbergh and his writers and cast happened to make a film that is more relevant now than it was in 2011, and that is somehow reprehensible in its reality, yet also quick in pace...
Total: 80
Watching it for the first time for this review did not stop me from the shocking feeling I had watching it, or the creeped-out way I felt as the credits rolled....
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Actors: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law
PlotA deadly pandemic begins its spread after Beth Emhoff returns to Minneapolis from a business trip in Hong Kong. Within days, she collapses and dies, and the rapidly mutating virus claims her son's life as well. Her husband, Mitch, appears to be immune but is quarantined as the government and healthcare community struggle to understand and contain the outbreak. As the disease spreads globally, society begins to break down. People panic, communities disintegrate, and misinformation runs rampant, exacerbating the crisis. Public health officials, researchers, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scramble to track the source of the virus and develop a vaccine, facing challenges of time, a terrified public, and their own personal stakes in the emergency.
Parallel to the medical community's efforts, the epidemic's societal impact unfolds, exploring themes of trust, information, and survival in a crisis. A freelance journalist champions conspiracy theories and unproven cures, profiting from the public's desperation and fear, which adds to the chaos and hampers the efforts of scientists and public health professionals. The race against time to find a cure and the economic and political pressures surrounding the crisis illustrate the complex interplay between science, government, and media in the face of a global pandemic. Efforts to trace the origins of the virus reveal a stark and unsettling connection to our interconnected global ecosystem, emphasizing the fragility of human societies in the face of such invisible and deadly threats.
Writers: Scott Z. Burns
Release Date: 09 Sep 2011
Runtime: 106 min
Rating: PG-13
Country: United Arab Emirates, United States
Language: English, Mandarin, Cantonese