THE COURIER is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into one of the greatest international conflicts in history. At the behest of the UK’s MI-6 and a CIA operative (Rachel Brosnahan), he forms a covert, dangerous partnership with Soviet officer Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze) in an effort to provide crucial intelligence needed to prevent a nuclear confrontation and defuse the Cuban Missile Crisis.
For more in-depth thoughts on The Courier, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The Courier comes to Blu-Ray with a gorgeous AVC encoded 1080p transfer. This film has some nice pops of color in the environmental elements, but the production design is otherwise pretty subdued. The color palette mostly remains natural with various grading techniques employed to suit the material. Where the transfer really shines is the impressive level of detail in even the subtlest aspects. Everything from the smallest facial details to the texture of the interiors of the various settings is quite impressive. The picture is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few darker scenes. Black levels are admirable with no significant crush detected. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. The film sports some luscious cinematography, and that is showcased pretty well here. Overall, this is quite a powerful transfer.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that is quite powerful and well balanced. Environmental effects play a substantial role in the film, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully enveloping world works quite well. The directionality is quite precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points. Dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. This movie is not an action powerhouse, but activity in the low end delivers a bit of a jolt during multiple points of the presentation. Lionsgate has delivered a fierce track for a film that capably brings this thrilling story to life.
Special Features
- On The Brink – Making The Courier: A 29-minute featurette in which the cast and crew explore the development and production of the film in pretty decent detail. This feels more substantial than the typical EPK, which makes this a very worthwhile addition to your viewing experience.
Final Thoughts
The Courier is one of the great new films to come out of the first half of the year. Benedict Cumberbatch has always been a pretty incredible performer, but what he delivers in this film might just be his best turn yet. From start to finish, this narrative takes you on a thrilling journey that keeps you completely invested with some surprising developments. Lionsgate Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that sports an excellent A/V presentation and an interesting supplemental feature. If you are in the market for a well-crafted drama, this one should be at the top of your list. Recommended
The Courier is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 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.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
