After a catastrophic crash on an unknown planet, pilot Mills (Adam Driver) quickly discovers he’s actually stranded on Earth…65 million years ago. Now, with only one chance at rescue, Mills and the only other survivor, Koa (Ariana Greenblatt), must make their way across an unknown terrain riddled with dangerous prehistoric creatures in an epic fight to survive. From the writers of A Quiet Place comes 65, a sci-fi thriller produced by Sam Raimi, Deborah Liebling, Zainab Azizi, Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
For in-depth thoughts on 65, please see my colleague Afiba Fairnot’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of 65 offers a refined uptick in quality over the stunning accompanying Blu-Ray, making you very grateful that this project made the cut for the format. Sony once again delivers a 4K encode which allows this film to look downright flawless. The standout HDR/Dolby Vision enriches the primordial colors to have more nuance and depth. This is not a movie filled with eye-piercing colors, but there are elements of the environments and lighting which really impress in this regard. Skin tones appear slightly more natural with welcome amounts of crisp detail apparent on faces such as grime and cuts. This detail extends to textures such as hair, wardrobe and the production design.
This disc makes improvements when it comes to digital noise, nearly eliminating any trace that you find on the Blu-Ray. Black levels stay deep and inky with great detail even in the darkest, most unforgiving moments. One of the most striking aspects of this 4K UHD effort is the balance in contrast. Highlights in the film are more crisply defined with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. Elements taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and finely delineated. This 4K UHD presentation takes the qualities that make the Blu-Ray shine and dials it up to an even more impressive level. Sony nearly always delivers with their releases.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray provides a Dolby Atmos track that notably improves upon the DTS-HD 5.1 MA track on the accompanying Blu-Ray. The film makes the most out of the expanded channel allotment as nearly every speaker provides complex activity during quiet moments of exploration and the momentous confrontations with dinosaurs. The addition of the height channels allows every space to feel more three-dimensional and immersive. Whenever you have rain falling or reverberations in a cavernous enclosure, you will be happy to have these channels.
Atmospheric sound effects are rendered precisely within the mix so that directionality is never an issue. The score is crucial to the experience as it establishes the tone and fills the room in an enveloping manner. The low end effects from the subwoofer give moments big and small an exceptional presence in the mix. Dialogue is crisp and clear without ever getting overshadowed by competing elements. Sony has rolled out the red carpet for this feature.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: Five unused scenes totaling 8 minutes are provided here of Mills trying to survive the terrain and more interactions with Koa.
- Set In Stone – Filmmakers: A nearly five-minute piece which explores the collaboration and friendship behind the camera between Scott Beck & Bryan Woods.
- Future Of Yesterday – Creating The World Of 65: A five-minute featurette which takes a look at all of the elements that come together to create this world including various props, production design, locations, the sound design and more.
- Primordial Planet: A nearly three-minute look at Earth as it existed 65 million years ago.
- Final Showdown – Concepts To Screen: A 10-minute comparison between the storyboards and the final version of a notable sequence from the film.
- Previews: This disc provides trailers for The Woman King, Missing, Big George Foreman, Bullet Train and The Pope’s Exorcist.
Final Thoughts
65 is not a film that pushes star Adam Driver to his limits as a performer, but it is fun to see him play around in the realm of the blockbuster every once in a while. The film did not make much of a splash in theaters, but it provides some old-fashioned sci-fi fun for those who are sick of everything being IP driven. The film is a bit rough around the edges, and the narrative could be a bit more complex, but overall it delivers on the fun that this premise promises. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a knockout A/V presentation and a decent assortment of special features. For those who want a quick burst of dinosaur action, this hit the spot. Recommended
65 is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.