UHD Review A Few Words About A few words about...™ Last Night in Soho -- in 4k UHD (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

I'm a fan of Edgar Wright's work. Going back decades to the early 2000s.

But Last Night in Soho was something else entirely.

I remember Carnaby Street in the '60s. I was there.

And boy, I didn't fit in.

But somehow, a young fashion student new to London somehow does - in the strangest of ways.

The film has a decided Hitchcockian bent, a slight nod to Blow-up, and the Nancy Drew mysteries, as an innocent faces the underbelly of London.

Oh, and she can also see things.

I'll not give away any major plot bits, but suffice to say, there's a great deal of fun here, along with enough twists and turns to make even De Quincey proud. Keep in mind that Hitchcock was highly enamored of one of his great quotes.

Mr. Wright has also gathered unto himself some of the great UK talents of the '60s - Rita Tushingham, Terence Stamp, and (unfortunately) in their final appearances by two Bond girls, Margaret Nolan and Diana Rigg.

I'm not certain what to make of certain things that reside just below the surface.

For example, the two leads are Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy. The film via which most people discovered Ms. Taylor-Joy's talents was her role of Thomasin in The Witch (2015). Is there a metaphysical connection here that pre-dates their interactivity in Last Night in Soho?

Bottom line, I found the film to be stunning. An exciting thriller, that to me is one of the best films of 2021. A caveat here. Some reviewers didn't agree with my take. But they're wrong.

Shot via both digital as well as fillum, the new 4k UHD from Universal is stunning, and the track, especially when played back in full-on Dolby Atmos is magnificent.


Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 4.25

Very Highly Recommended


RAH

 

[dpippel]

Bottom line, I found the film to be stunning. An exciting thriller, that to me is one of the best films of 2021. A caveat here. Some reviewers didn't agree with my take. But they're wrong.

 

[TravisR]

I loved this movie. One of Edgar's best.

 

[benbess]

I found the final performance of Diana Rigg touching—and haunting and surprising because I'd read her obituary in the New York Times a full year before the movie's release. She was able to artfully craft a character and a performance to the very end.

 

[jayembee]

Yeah, there seemed to be mixed reviews for Last Night in Soho, but it was Wright's success in (all of) his previous movies that got me to pick up the UHD. "Stunning" is exactly the word for it.

 

[seangood79]

Loved the use of audio in the movie. The first 20 minutes are mono, then at a certain point surrounds kick in. Sonically the equivalent of black and white Dorothy opening the door into Technicolor Oz.

 

[bujaki]

Thomasin McKenzie and Thomas De Quincey. Intriguing connections.

 

[Malcolm R]

Some reviewers didn't agree with my take. But they're wrong.

Welcome to my world.

 

[Robert Harris]

Speaking of Thomas De Quincey…

See on Amazon

 

[Robert Harris]

Loved the use of audio in the movie. The first 20 minutes are mono, then at a certain point surrounds kick in. Sonically the equivalent of black and white Dorothy opening the door into Technicolor Oz.

The Thunderball reveal is quite revelatory. While the mix at that point isn’t monaural, it is discretely front, forward and centered. Then, it spreads, the Atmos channels kick in Big, and there’s a huge “wow” factor.

If one were using a film to explain Atmos and why it’s essential for proper playback of modern films, Last Night is a perfect poster child.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I'm a fan of Edgar Wright's work. Going back decades to the early 2000s.

But Last Night in Soho was something else entirely.

I remember Carnaby Street in the '60s. I was there.

And boy, I didn't fit in.

But somehow, a young fashion student new to London somehow does - in the strangest of ways.

The film has a decided Hitchcockian bent, a slight nod to Blow-up, and the Nancy Drew mysteries, as an innocent faces the underbelly of London.

Oh, and she can also see things.

I'll not give away any major plot bits, but suffice to say, there's a great deal of fun here, along with enough twists and turns to make even De Quincey proud. Keep in mind that Hitchcock was highly enamored of one of his great quotes.

Mr. Wright has also gathered unto himself some of the great UK talents of the '60s - Rita Tushingham, Terence Stamp, and (unfortunately) in their final appearances by two Bond girls, Margaret Nolan and Diana Rigg.

I'm not certain what to make of certain things that reside just below the surface.

For example, the two leads are Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy. The film via which most people discovered Ms. Taylor-Joy's talents was her role of Thomasin in The Witch (2015). Is there a metaphysical connection here that pre-dates their interactivity in Last Night in Soho?

Bottom line, I found the film to be stunning. An exciting thriller, that to me is one of the best films of 2021. A caveat here. Some reviewers didn't agree with my take. But they're wrong.

Shot via both digital as well as fillum, the new 4k UHD from Universal is stunning, and the track, especially when played back in full-on Dolby Atmos is magnificent.


Image – 5 (Dolby Vision)

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 4.25

Very Highly Recommended


RAH

Have you sampled the Blu-ray for comparison? Some of those "other sites" claim the HDR doesn't add anything. I'd love it if you could confirm they're wrong.

 

[Worth]

Have you sampled the Blu-ray for comparison? Some of those "other sites" claim the HDR doesn't add anything. I'd love it if you could confirm they're wrong.

I just scanned through it last night and the 4K is a noticeable improvement to me, especially the colour.

 

[Robert Harris]

And the second of the De Quincey trilogy…

See on Amazon

 

[TravisR]

I just scanned through it last night and the 4K is a noticeable improvement to me, especially the colour.

If one of the advantages to HDR is in the colors, I can't see how Last Night would not benefit from it.

 

[Brian Husar]

Amazing film and I wish I caught it in the theaters and a beautiful disc. It had me on the edge of my seat. Agree, one of the best I have seen from 2021

 

[Kent K H]

Loved it in theaters. One of the first films I’m going to pick up when I can start buying them again.

 

[Robert Harris]

Also some of the best production featurettes that I've seen in a long time.

 

[haineshisway]

I had every expectation to hate it, but I ended up really liking it a lot. A little over-the-top, violence-wise at the end, but so stylish, beautiful sets and camera work and really well directed. In fact, he made my list of five directors when I voted for the DGA awards. In fact, my list was the best list and yet only three got up for the award. I don't purchase new stuff on Blu-ray but I'll be getting this and CODA, the latter being my favorite film of the year.

 

[Robert Harris]

I found his use of analogue, in camera, or physical effects, combined (in certain cases) with digital and green screen to be immensely interesting From a tech perspective.

It all just works in concert with director, actor, DP, production designer. To me, it’s what the concept of true modern cinema is all about.

Then add Atmos to the equation, and anamorphic vs spherical optics…

 

[Bouncer]

My wife and I were very excited to watch this film, but came away less than satisfied regarding both the UHD quality and the film itself.
We are very much fans of Edgar Wright, but we felt little empathy for the characters, and felt the whole thing a bit overwrought.
I wish it were otherwise, and respectfully acknowledge we seem to be in the minority.