For Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth (Anne Archer), and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex (Glenn Close), everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.
For thoughts on Fatal Attraction, please check out my assessment here.
Video Quality
Fatal Attraction debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a mostly pleasing 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer that takes the 4K remaster first seen on the Paramount Presents Blu-Ray a few years ago and presents it in its native format. This release does come with that Blu-Ray disc, which makes it easier to directly compare and see that there are some notable improvements. Skin tones look quite precise and the clarity of the transfer gives you a strong amount of facial detail including beads of perspiration. There is some natural film grain that remains intact, but there are numerous shots, especially in the first half of the film, which appear to have been managed and smoothed over a touch. When the transfer is allowed to be natural, it gives a lot of nuanced texture and detail to the transfer which we would have loved to have seen through.
The transfer remains very crisp throughout with little in the way of softness or fluctuation. White levels are brighter and provide more stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain a striking amount of depth and detail in darker environments. The command over contrast and overall clarity is readily apparent, especially in unique details within the production design and the landscapes. The UHD disc contains very natural, deep colors throughout including the striking hues of certain pieces of clothing and lighting choice. While there is still some room for improvement, this is the best the film has looked on home entertainment yet.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray presents the movie with a decent Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless track that is recycled from the previous Blu-Ray. While we often want studios to provide a new Dolby Atmos surround track in addition to the original audio, this track is by no means unacceptable even if there is room for improvement. The dialogue comes through clearly throughout most of the runtime, but things can get a bit chaotic in more bustling environments which can make the listener strain for certain words.
The surround channels provide some amount of texture to the world, but much of this track is focused on the center channel. Directionality of the sound is precise throughout with no confusion in the placement. The low end is not the most robust you have ever heard, but there are not many moments where you feel its absence. The music remains one of the standout aspects of the production with pleasing fidelity throughout. While this audio experience is in need of a refresh, it does what it needs to do fairly capably.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Adrian Lyne delivers a monotone, yet very informative commentary track in which he recalls various aspects of the production including the development of different scenes, the casting of Glenn Close, his fondness of labradors, shooting the love scenes, the themes of the film, moments he feels are relatable and more.
- Filmmaker Focus – Adrian Lyne On Fatal Attraction: An eight-minute conversation with Director Adrian Lyne in which he discusses his experiences reconnecting with the film through this new 4K restoration, his favorite lines from the film, shooting violent altercations, delving into the psychology of the characters, landing on the ending and more.
- Rehearsal Footage: A seven-minute selection of rehearsal footage of Close and Douglas meeting for the first time and doing an initial run-through together. It is fun to get a look at this initial discovery.
- Alternate Ending with Introduction From Adrian Lyne: A 12-minute look at the original ending with a brief introduction from Lyne. In this version, Alex takes a more active role in her ultimate fate in an attempt to get back at Dan in spectacular fashion.
- Original Theatrical Trailer: The 87-second trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
Fatal Attraction is one of the classics of the erotic drama genre thanks primarily to the career-defining performance from Glenn Close. There are core narrative issues and characterization choices that we have major problems with, but the limited viewpoint is made up somewhat by the execution. When you give yourself over to the film, it is a whole lot of trashy fun that will have you clutching your seat from the tension. The character of Alex may be a bit unbelievable, but Close eats the role up and has us asking for more. Paramount Home Entertainment has given this one a 4K UHD Blu-Ray upgrade with a pretty good A/V presentation and some legacy special features. If you are a fan of the film and have yet to pick it up, this is the strongest presentation yet. Recommended
Fatal Attraction is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount 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.