By John Corrado

Please note that this is a review of the 4K Ultra HD release of Oppenheimer. For my full thoughts on the film itself, you can read my original review right here.

Christopher Nolan’s smash hit Oppenheimer is being given a long-awaited physical media release this week, including on 4K Ultra HD.

The film (which opened over the summer and became part of the Barbenheimer phenomenon) stars Cillian Murphy in the role of a lifetime as physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, as he races against time to build and test the first atomic bomb during World War II.

This is undoubtedly one of the top cinematic achievements of the year, with Nolan crafting an ambitious, three-hour character study about a man dealing with the fallout of his apocalyptic invention, that doubles as a piece of gripping blockbuster entertainment.

Murphy is joined by a staggering ensemble cast, including career-best work from Robert Downey Jr. as commissioner Lewis Strauss, who takes centre stage in the last act, when the film takes on the feel of a courtroom drama. It’s brought to the screen with stunning cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema that shifts aspect ratios and switches between black-and-white and colour, as well as incredible practical effects (the Trinity Test sequence ranks as one of the best things Nolan has ever done), and a thrilling musical score by Ludwig Göransson.

The 4K disc presents the film in 2160p with HDR (High Dynamic Range), retaining the same mix of 2.20:1 and 1.78:1 aspect ratios seen in select theatrical presentations. It presents a clear, well-balanced image across both the colour and black-and-white portions of the film. For physical media collectors (and Nolan would encourage you to be one), this is the definitive way to watch the movie at home, especially with the added assortment of compelling bonus material.

Film Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)

Bonus Features (4K Ultra HD):

The 4K set includes a regular Blu-ray of the film, as well as a secondary Blu-ray disc where all of the bonus features are held. There is over three hours of material in total, including two feature length documentaries. The release ships with a slipcover.

• The Story of Our Time: The Making of Oppenheimer (Play All – 72 minutes, 25 seconds): An entertaining and often fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of the production, with individual chapters focusing on adapting Oppenheimer’s story for the screen, the ensemble cast, the special effects used to recreate the Trinity Test, the period-authentic production design including building practical sets recreating the entire town of Los Alamos, and Göransson’s score.

• 01. Now I Become Death (7 minutes, 17 seconds)

• 02. The Luminaries (11 minutes, 27 seconds)

• 03. The Manhattan Project (16 minutes, 41 seconds)

• 04. The Devil of the Details (17 minutes, 21 seconds)

• 05. Walking a Mile (6 minutes, 28 seconds)

• 06. Can You Hear the Music? (6 minutes, 48 seconds)

• 07. We Can Perform This Miracle (6 minutes, 49 seconds)

• Trailers (Play All – 14 minutes, 11 seconds): A selection of trailers for the film, presented in the order they were released.

• Teaser (1 minute, 11 seconds)

• Trailer 2 (2 minutes, 4 seconds)

• IMAX Exclusive Trailer (2 minutes, 40 seconds)

• Trailer 3 (3 minutes, 11 seconds)

• Opening Look (5 minutes, 7 seconds)

• Innovations in Film: 65mm Black-and-White Film in Oppenheimer (8 minutes, 21 seconds): A very interesting look at the challenges and also benefits of shooting on film, including using black-and-white IMAX film stock for the first time, with technicians from FotoKem film labs taking us through the process of developing and cutting the negatives, as well as colour timing the final image.

• Meet the Press Q&A Panel: Oppenheimer (34 minutes, 46 seconds): Moderated by NBC’s Chuck Todd, this is a dense sit-down conversation between Nolan, author Kai Bird (who wrote the source book American Prometheus), and physicists Dr. Kip Thorne, Dr. Thom Mason and Dr. Carlo Rovelli. They discuss the accuracy of the film’s science, and the disturbing modern implications of nuclear war.

• To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb (87 minutes, 18 seconds): Directed by Christopher Cassel, this feature length documentary was produced by NBC News as a companion piece to the film, exploring the real life Oppenheimer and his world-changing invention.

Oppenheimer is a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. It’s 181 minutes and rated 14A.

Street Date: November 21st, 2023