From executive producer James Cameron (Avatar, Aliens) comes a thrilling underwater adventure based on true events. Master cave diver Frank McGuire leads a team — including his teenaged son — to explore the largest, most beautiful and least accessible cave system on Earth. But when a tropical storm cuts off their only escape route, the team must work together to find their way through an uncharted and dangerous underwater labyrinth to make it out alive. With time running out, can they survive, or will they be trapped forever?

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Video Quality

Sanctum makes its 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a seriously disappointing 2160p Dolby Vision transfer from a 4K presentation of the original elements. The original elements in question appear to be an HDCAM source translated to a 2K Digital Intermediate that was upscaled to 4K UHD. While we have a healthy outlook on upscales of a 2K source to 4K and the benefits that can bring, this particular source appears to be one that simply should have never been chosen for 4K UHD. This is easily among the most disappointing 4K UHD Blu-Ray releases we have seen from Scream Factory, but this is no fault of the label. You do get a sense of texture and background detail within the caves, but the quality is closer to Blu-Ray levels.

The introduction of Dolby Vision is perhaps the one thing this release has going for it. This presentation refines the palette to handle the distinct lighting sources while exploring the caves. Highlights offer a stronger stability without veering into blooming. The black levels are deeper which allows this transfer to provide an agreeable level of fine detail in darker environments. The improvements in contrast are some of the standout aspects of the disc, especially when exploring shadowy environments that could easily lose shape. Skin tones appear natural and consistent. The 4K UHD release does not make a convincing case to upgrade from the previous Blu-Ray if you already own it.

Audio Quality

This 4K UHD Blu-Ray release boasts both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 lossless track which brings this excursion to your living room. This disc brings some thrilling moments to life with a decent depth and clarity, but the track as a whole does not seem as expansive in the middle portion of the mix. The sound mix is rather poor as it focuses heavily on the front and rear experience. Action sequences are in intermittent supply with substantial activity in the low end that rarely stumbles when it comes to pure strength. Dialogue comes through clearly in the center channel without getting overshadowed by the music or any sound effects. Shout! Studios has supplied fans with a basic audio presentation. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided on this disc.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks provided that include a new critical commentary track along with an archival piece in which the creative team discusses bringing the film to life.

- Audio Commentary #1: Film Critics Emily Higgins and Billy Dunham

- Audio Commentary #2: Director Alister Grierson, Actor Rhys Wakefield, and Co-Writer/Producer Andrew Wight

Deleted Scenes: A nearly ten-minute collection of unused scenes is provided.

Sanctum – The Real Story: A 47-minute featurette that takes a look at the inspiration for the film, the process of bringing it to the screen, the post-production process and more.

Nullarbor Dreaming: A 45-minute documentary that takes a look at the real-life divers whose lives were threatened and how this plays out differently in the film.

Final Thoughts

Sanctum attempts to sell itself heavily with the name of James Cameron, but you should not let yourself be suckered into watching this one. There are a handful of decent sequences sprinkled throughout the film, yet there is never any consistency to make it a satisfying experience. The acting is very bad which makes the stupid character decisions come off even worse than they are. The film is visually ugly and simply unpleasant to watch. Shout! Studios has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a poor A/V presentation and a decent array of new and legacy special features. Don’t waste your time with this one.

Sanctum is currently available to purchase 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: Shout! Studios 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.