Since its first publication in 1955, Jack Finney’s classic sci-fi/horror novel The Body Snatchers has inspired numerous adaptations and created a whole subgenre of era-defining alien doppelgangers in books, film, and TV. 2007’s The Invasion was ahead of the curve, its eerily predictive shift toward a virus-like contagion more frighteningly resonant in a post-pandemic world. A space shuttle crashes to Earth carrying an alien organism. Soon people are changing, becoming detached and emotionless. People like CDC director Tucker Kaufman (Jeremy Northam) who is investigating the crash. Meanwhile his ex-wife, psychiatrist Carol Bennell (Nicole Kidman), sees the same behaviour in a friend of their son, and a patient claims that her husband is no longer her husband. As people all across Washington D.C. become infected and the insidious epidemic spreads, Carol must fight to protect herself and her son, who might just hold the key to stopping the escalating invasion. Produced by Joel Silver, and also starring Daniel Craig, Jeffrey Wright, and Veronica Cartwirght, this edge-of-your-seat thriller makes its debut on 4K UHD with a wealth of new and archival extras.

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Video Quality

Arrow Video presents The Invasion with a wonderful 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio restored by Arrow from a 2K DI sourced from Warner Bros. presented in 4K resolution and graded in 4K HDR10/Dolby Vision. Despite the 2K DI origins, the upscale to 4K resolution is a notable benefit to this feature that is executed with a favorable encode. This film was previously released by Warner Bros. on Blu-Ray in 2008, but we have never seen that disc to compare the presentations. We do know that it was presented with an anemic VC-1 codec, so this film was in need of an upgrade regardless of the jump to 4K. The level of minute detail and clarity on display is impressive as you survey every creepy or goopy bit of makeup and production design. You will also find quite a bit of texture on clothing. You are unlikely to be leaving any detail on the table with this source.

One of the most vital aspects of the disc is the application of Dolby Vision for perfected color output that takes a somewhat muted aesthetic and displays every distinct hue to its ideal state. The palette is modulated to its intended shade rather than haphazardly boosting anything. Black levels are notably deep with nothing in the way of crush present, and highlights show no semblance of blooming. The disc always wields a firm command over contrast. The new master features some key nuances within the lighting, production design, and clothing that reveal a pleasing amount of depth. This world feels three-dimensional thanks to the enhanced depth of field. This transfer leaves nothing in the way of damage or unwanted digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such nuisances. Arrow Video has treated this title very well.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a formidable DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that harnesses the peculiarities of this narrative with precision. The track has a keen sense of directionality with sounds always emanating from the appropriate channels. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear in the front channel without being drowned out by any sound effects or the music. The score from John Ottman establishes the tone for this story which fills the room effectively. There are absolutely no issues with fidelity or damage to the track. The sound design brings everything to life with impeccable skill. The film is replete with environmental effects that engage the surround speakers well. The movie showcases some thrilling moments that put the low end to work. This audio presentation earns high marks from Arrow Video. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

The first pressing of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Invasion includes a multi-page booklet featuring new writing by film critics William Bibbiani and Sally Christie. This provides great insight into the film, the creatives, and the behind-the-scenes details in a thoughtfully written style. The release also comes with a double-sided fold-out poster. The on-disc special features are as follows:

Audio Commentary: Film critics Andrea Subisati and Alexandra West, co-hosts of The Faculty of Horror podcast, provide an informative and entertaining commentary track in which they discuss the background of the production, comparisons to previous adaptations, the background of the performers, thematic interpretations, the shortcomings of this version, and so much more.

Body Snatchers and Beyond: A new 24-minute visual essay from film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas in which she discusses the various adaptations of the source material, how they reflect the moment in which they were made, why this material endures, and more.

The Bug That’s Going Around: A new 16-minute visual essay from film scholar Josh Nelson that explores the feature as an example of pandemic filmmaking and how it resonates now more than ever.

We’ve Been Snatched Before: A 19-minute archival featurette that looks at how science has dealt with infectious diseases and how this is portrayed in the film.

Behind The Scenes: A brief trio of featurettes that give a light overview of this adaptation.

- A New Story (2:59)

- On The Set (3:25)

- Snatched (3:17)

Theatrical Trailer (2:00)

Image Gallery: This disc provides a gallery for production stills and behind-the-scenes photos.

Final Thoughts

The Invasion takes a widely adapted premise and puts in a lot of work to ensure this latest stab is artistically enriching on some level. It rarely reaches the glory of the previous versions, but some of those are among the defining movies of their generation, so you cannot be too mad about it. There is a sense that studio tinkering messed this up a bit, but it still entertains as a larger-than-life tale with grand spectacle. Nicole Kidman is always a welcome presence on our screen, and she joins forces with the rest of the talented ensemble to kick this one up a notch. Even with some shortcomings, this is a compelling thriller. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring an excellent A/V presentation and a decent assortment of new and archival special features. Recommended

The Invasion is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.

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

Disclaimer: Arrow Video has supplied a copy of this set free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.