By John Corrado

In 1986, John Hughes released Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, introducing us to Matthew Broderick’s titular high schooler who plays hooky to spend the day in Chicago with his best friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and girlfriend Sloane (Mia Sara).

Already a staple on home entertainment across various formats, Paramount has now upgraded the film with a new 4K Ultra HD release, featuring both Dolby Vision and HDR-10 enhancements.

There isn’t much more I can say about the film itself at this point that I probably haven’t already said, other than that it’s a stone cold classic and one of the definitive films from both its writer-director and the decade it was born out of.

It’s a film that still holds up incredibly well on this most recent rewatch, and it is a pleasure to see it in 4K for the first time. The 2160p presentation offers a solid upgrade over the previous DVD and Blu-ray releases, delivering good colours and natural skin tones. The image also has a pleasing level of depth to it, with a nice level of filmic grain.

The movie itself remains an immensely entertaining feel-good film. It’s a teen comedy that plays out with a number of iconic moments (including the joyous parade sequence) and quotable lines, all with that heart-on-sleeve John Hughes undercurrent to it, bolstered by Ferris Bueller’s live-in-the-moment philosophy and Cameron’s bittersweet character arc. If you are looking to upgrade, or add the film to your collection, this 4K release is now the best way to go.

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K disc includes a number of legacy bonus features, including a commentary track by the late John Hughes that has not been available since the initial DVD release in 1999, which is another one of the main selling points of this edition. The release ships with a slipcover.

• Commentary with Director John Hughes

• Getting the Class Together – The Cast of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (27 minutes, 45 seconds)

• The Making of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (15 minutes, 29 seconds)

• Who is Ferris Bueller? (9 minutes, 12 seconds)

• The World According to Ben Stein (10 minutes, 51 seconds)

• Vintage Ferris Bueller: The Lost Tapes (10 minutes, 16 seconds)

• Class Album

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is a Paramount Home Entertainment release. It’s 102 minutes and rated PG.

Street Date: August 1st, 2023