Knives Out appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.85:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a strong presentation.
Overall, sharpness seemed very good. Virtually no softness materialized, so the film appeared accurate and concise.
Jagged edges and moiré effects didn’t mar the presentation, and I saw no edge haloes. Print flaws also failed to appear.
In terms of palette, Knives Out went with a fairly teal orientation. A lot of amber/orange appeared as well, and we found splashes of other hues on occasion. Within stylistic choices, the hues seemed well-depicted.
Blacks were dark and dense, and low-light shots gave us good clarity. I felt pleased with this solid transfer.
Similar thoughts greeted the fairly good Dolby Atmos soundtrack of Knives Out, as the soundfield mostly delivered a mix heavy on atmosphere. Downconverted to Dolby TrueHD 7.1, environmental noises cropped up in the side and rear speakers, and minor action moments added to the track.
Those elements created a nice sense of place and added impact to the material. That said, this was a largely character-based tale, so the track didn’t come with a ton to impress the listener.
Audio quality satisfied. Speech sounded crisp and distinctive, and music appeared robust and full.
Effects were accurate and dynamic, while low-end response showed good warmth and richness. Nothing here dazzled, but the audio merited a “B”.
Expect a slew of extras here, and we start with an audio commentary from writer/director Rian Johnson, director of photography Steve Yedlin and actor Noah Segan.. All three sit together for this running, screen-specific look at story/characters, inspirations and influences, cast and performances, sets and locations, photography, music, editing, and similar domains.
While Yedlin and Segan chime in along the way, Johnson dominates the conversation, and that doesn’t come as a surprise given his position as auteur. Though Yedlin and Sagan add mirth to the proceedings, they diffuse the focus, and that’s a minor drawback, as Johnson’s solo commentaries have seemed tighter.
Regard this as a minor complaint, though, for even with the less concise take on the production, this still becomes a good chat. It may not excel as much as Johnson’s discussions of his other movies, but that’s because those were so terrific, and this one’s merely very good.
In addition, we find an In-Theater Commentary from Johnson. Intended to be downloaded and played during big-screen showings of the film, Johnson brings a running, screen-specific discussion of story/characters, inspirations and influences, cast and performances, sets and locations, photography, music, editing, and connected areas.
In other words, Johnson touches on many of the same subjects here that he went over in the prior commentary, and that makes this one redundant at times. However, the “In-Theater” track becomes the better of the two.
That’s because Johnson’s focus seems tighter during his solo chat than when paired with Yedlin and Segan. Both chats offer good info but I prefer the “In-Theater” discussion, as it’s the more complete of the two.
Two Deleted Scenes appear: “Bicycling Accident” (2:45) and “Don’t Do Anything Rash” (2:12). The first offers more about Walt and his wife Donna, whereas the second adds to Joni’s tale. Both are fun and would’ve fit in the final cut, though perhaps they would’ve over-extended an already long movie.
We can watch the scenes with or without commentary from Johnson. He discusses the sequences and why they got the boot.
Called Making a Murder, an eight-part documentary covers a whopping one hour, 54 minutes, seven seconds. It brings notes from Johnson, Yedlin, Segan, producer Ram Bergman, costume designer Jenny Eagan, production designer David Crank, editor Bob Ducsay, composer Nathan Johnson, sound editor Al Nelson, re-recording mixer Ren Klyce, and actors Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Katherine Langford, Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Frank Oz, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell, Jamie Lee Curtis, LaKeith Stanfield, and Riki Lindhome.
“Murder” looks at the project’s origins and development, story/characters, cast and performances, costumes, sets and locations, photography and editing, music and audio, and marketing/publicity.
The first couple of chapters of “Murder” can veer a little fluffy, especially in the praise about/from the cast. Matters get more substantial as the documentary goes, though, so once we go into costumes and other technical choices, we find a solid take on the production. This ends up as a satisfying exploration.
Planning the Perfect Murder runs six minutes, 17 seconds and features Johnson as he discusses plot and planning issues. Johnson gives us a few good insights into these processes.
From November 2019, a Director & Cast Q&A spans 42 minutes, nine seconds and brings a panel with Johnson, Martell, Langford, Johnson, Curtis, de Armas, Evans, Craig and actor Michael Shannon.
In front of an audience of SAG actors, the Q&A covers influences and inspirations, characters and performances. Much of the panel goes for laughs, so don’t expect a lot of hard info. Still, it’s a breezy 42 minutes and fun to see so much of the cast together in one place.
Finally, we get a Marketing Gallery. This provides three trailers – “teaser”, “theatrical” and “final” – as well as “Ode to the Murder Mystery”.
The last one offers a Johnson-hosted promo in the style of the 1950s – complete with fake print damage. It’s a clever promo piece.
The “Markering Gallery” concludes with three clips under “Meet the Thrombeys Viral Ads”. We locate “Thrombey Real Estate” (0:34), “Blood Like Wine Publishing” (0:56) and “Flam” (0:34). Each provides an in-character TV ad from Linda, Walt and Joni, respectively. They’re entertaining.
The disc opens with ads for Bombshell, Midway (2019), A Simple Favor and Now You See Me 2.
A somewhat unconventional take on the murder mystery genre, Knives Out provides a smart, clever tale. It comes with more than enough twists and turns to keep us invested across its 130 minutes. The Blu-ray boasts excellent visuals, positive audio and a strong roster of bonus materials. Knives Out engages and continues to entertain across repeated screenings.