Frailty, Bill Paxton’s striking directorial debut — now in chilling 4K for the first time — centers on the God’s Hand Killer, who terrorized a small Texas community with his axe-wielding butchery. Years after the murders, Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey) walks into an FBI office with a shocking revelation: he not only knows who the killer is, but where the bodies are buried. Fenton recounts how his father (Paxton) received an angelic vision commanding the destruction of demons in human form, and enlisted Fenton and his brother, Adam, to aid in the divine purge. What the boys witnessed tested the limits of their minds and souls, fusing family, retribution, and redemption in horrifying, unsettling ways.

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Video Quality

Frailty debuts on 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation in 1.85:1 which allows the film to look absolutely spectacular. The previous Blu-Ray released in 2009 looks awful in comparison with its ancient, processed master. At long last, this gem from Bill Paxton is being treated with the proper respect, and the results are astounding. The new 4K presentation unlocks an invaluable amount of detail in the smallest facets of the rustic production design, clothing, and makeup effects. The increase in detail is a blessing in the exploration of textures, including the beads of perspiration on foreheads. Skin tones appear to be consistent throughout and show a notable amount of facial detail including stubble and blood splatter.

Color refinement is another area of significant improvement in comparison to the Blu-Ray thanks to the implementation of Dolby Vision. Colors look more natural and complex, especially with such lush greenery around the farm. The most worthwhile upgrade comes in the handling of the contrast. With so much of this narrative occurring at night or in shadows, it would be easy to succumb crush and banding, which it often does in the standard Blu-Ray presentation. The 4K UHD Blu-Ray shows off with particularly deep black levels with digital noise nearly completely absent from the screen. The presentation also holds up with a firm handling of the highlights that show no evidence of blooming. This is an unbelievable 4K UHD upgrade that is not to be missed.

Audio Quality

This disc gets an upgrade with a phenomenal Dolby Atmos presentation that entrenches you in this spiritual nightmare. Sounds are faithfully deployed with the sharpest directionality from the more thrilling moments to the interpersonal exchanges. The effective score from Brian Tyler flows through you to make you feel more unsettled than ever. The sound design is not required to deliver an action-packed assault, but it is appropriately lively in order to make everything feel authentic. The low end gets activated more so when there are sound effects such as thunder or when visions are triggered.

The mix here is respectfully expanded with noble engagement of all the channels, so those with a proper system should be pleased. Dialogue is presented clearly without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. This track is often immersive, such as the sounds of rain coming down from the overhead channels. Lionsgate has made this audio experience really sing. Optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

This release comes in an incredible new Collector’s Set exclusively at Lionsgate Limited that is quite fetching in person. The set features a hard slip box case and a printed reproduction of director Bill Paxton’s complete original shooting script, with handwritten notes throughout. Video of the release can be found at the top of this review.

Father Figure: A new 34-minute featurette that weaves in both new and archival interviews with Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey, writer Brent Hanley, producer David Kirschner, producer David Blocker, Bill Paxton’s son James Paxton, and more. In this piece, you get great insights into the production of the film, the directorial vision of Bill Paxton, the relationship between the performers, the music of the film, and more.

Establishing Shot: A new seven-minute featurette that delves into the care put into the 4K restoration of the film.

More Stories from the Frailty Set: Another new 19-minute featurette in which many of the subjects providing new interviews from the first piece relay more stories that could not fit neatly into that piece. There are great anecdotes about inviting James Cameron to watch the movie, Bill Paxton imparting acting wisdom to the young performers, and more. There is even a nice reunion between Matt O’Leary and Jeremy Sumpter.

Teaser Trailer (1:04)

Theatrical Trailer (2:07)

Legacy Special Features: This new disc carries over the features from the 2009 Lionsgate Blu-Ray release.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director Bill Paxton

- Audio Commentary #2: Editor Arnold Glassman, Producer David Kirschner, and Composer Brian Tyler

- Audio Commentary #3: Writer Brent Hanley

- Anatomy of a Scene – Featurette Courtesy of Sundance Channel (25:58)

- The Making of Frailty (19:29)

- Deleted Scenes with Optional Director Commentary (8:28)

- Storyboard Gallery (3:02)

- Photo Gallery (1:35)

- TV Spots (0:48)

Final Thoughts

Frailty is a terrific directorial effort from the late, great Bill Paxton, who is likewise delivering some of his best work in front of the camera, as well. This psychological tale keeps you on your toes as you try to decipher whether the horror you are witnessing is man-made or from a higher power. The tension is sustained very well throughout, and every performance lends a significant amount of authenticity to the proceedings. Even with its acclaim, it is an underrated piece of cinema. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that sports a top-tier A/V presentation and a valuable section of special features in lovely packaging. This is as respectful of a tribute to Bill Paxton as you could wish for. Highly Recommended

Frailty is currently available to purchase exclusively at Lionsgate Limited on 4K UHD Blu-ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Lionsgate 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.