Tony®, Grammy® and Emmy® Award winner Ben Platt reprises his role as an anxious, isolated high schooler aching for understanding and belonging amid the chaos and cruelty of the social-media age. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Stephen Chbosky, DEAR EVAN HANSEN features music and lyrics by the Oscar®, Grammy® and Tony®-winning songwriting team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), including two brand new songs and the iconic anthem “You Will Be Found.”
For in-depth thoughts on Dear Evan Hansen, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment brings Dear Evan Hansen to Blu-Ray with an excellent 1080p video presentation. The image is clean with the natural color palette radiating off the screen. The film employs subtle splashes of colors within the clothing and production design, which makes for a very striking image. The black levels are appropriately deep and inky, but digital noise does prove to be a minor issue at certain moments in the film. The flesh tones are natural with gentle nuances showcased well in close-ups and medium shots. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially in the interior shots. When this film goes into the school hallways or explores the houses more, the details present as impressively sharp in all lighting conditions. This is as solid of a presentation as any modern movie should provide on Blu-Ray. Universal has treated this film very well with this disc.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a magnificent Dolby Atmos presentation that absolutely delivers from beginning to end. From the opening number the soundscape is set to deliver an expansive experience suitable for a musical. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more soaring numbers to interpersonal moments of dialogue. Ambient details are plentiful and quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The overhead channels serve to complement the other channels rather than carry the main load, which adds a nice sense of space to the mix. Music is the lifeblood of this film, and it envelopes the room with an urgency befitting the narrative. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is engaged in a pleasing way that gives certain moments a bit of extra texture. The mix offers up the best experience that the material could hope to deliver.
Special Features
- Songs To Be Seen: A behind-the-scenes look at eleven songs totaling 43 minutes is provided here featuring the cast and crew discussing the thematic elements of each tune, the process of bringing them to screen, virtual rehearsals and more.
- Looking Through The Lens – The Making Of Dear Evan Hansen: A nine-minute discussion with the cast and crew in which they talk about translating the character of Evan Hansen to the screen, the working relationship between Ben Platt and Stephen Chbosky, the casting process and more. The best parts of this outside of the insights from the cast are the behind-the-scenes moments you get to glimpse from the production.
- Sincerely, Ben Platt: A five-minute featurette in which Platt discusses his journey to the material, the relationship he has with the character of Evan Hansen, the music of the show, saying goodbye to the character and more.
- Stars In Our Eyes: A three-minute look at the experience of making this feature during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Final Thoughts
Dear Evan Hansen has been something of a critical punching bag since it debuted, but the hate is not completely warranted. The performances are really strong, and even the issue of Ben Platt’s age has been overexaggerated. Where the movie does falter is in the tepid direction and execution of the musical numbers. The numbers themselves do not offer a lot of variety in composition, but even those that do work better fail to be realized in an exciting way on screen. This feels like one of the most contained musicals that has been released in some years. The message the film is trying to convey is a worthy one, but it does not completely work as a satisfying narrative. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a fantastic A/V presentation and a substantial number of special features.
Dear Evan Hansen will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 7, 2021. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal 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.
