Patriots Day appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.40:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. This became a good visual presentation.
Overall sharpness worked well, as the vast majority of the image seemed accurate and concise. The only exceptions came from “source photography”, footage of the actual 2013 events. Given the inevitable drop in quality that would result from those elements, I was fine with these instances.
Outside of those “source” shots, I saw no issues with jaggies or moiré effects, and the image lacked edge haloes. Print flaws remained absent.
As one would anticipate, the movie opted for a mainly teal palette, with splashes of orange on occasion. Despite the cliché nature of those choices, the image replicated the hues in a positive manner.
Blacks showed good depth and range, while shadows brought good clarity. Low-light shots managed to become smooth and well-defined. Even with the “drop-off” from the 2013 video footage, this turned into a solid image.
Expect an action-packed DTS-X soundtrack from Patriots Day. Downconverted to DTS-HD MA 7.1 on my system, the audio broadened to fill out all the channels in a lively manner.
The movie consistently depicted a wide sense of atmosphere, so even subdued scenes still showed a nice feeling for settings and events. Obviously, louder sequences added more impact, and those fared well.
The initial bombing became the first impressive scene, and later sequences with violence used the spectrum in a dynamic manner as well. These instances helped flesh out the action in a compelling manner.
Audio quality was more than satisfactory. Music was full and rich, while dialogue appeared natural and concise. Effects offered excellent reproduction and delivered firm, rich bass when appropriate. The soundtrack suited the film and added to it.
As we head to extras, we start with the three-part Boston Strong: . It fills a total of 21 minutes, 34 seconds and splits into “Dr. Jeffrey Kalish” (6:42), “Dun Meng” (7:33), and “Sgt. Jeff Pugliese” (7:19). In these, we hear from the aforementioned people as well Boston Medical Center’s Dr. Peter Burke and Dr. Tracey Dechert, police commissioner Ed Davis, and 911 Call Center’s Joe Sullivan.
All of these folks relate their real-life experiences during the events depicted in the film. I always enjoy efforts that show the actual people behind cinematic adaptations, so these featurettes add value.
With The Boston Bond, we get a 21-minute, 43-second piece with comments from Davis, Pugliese, Meng, director/co-writer Peter Berg, producers Hutch Parker, Scott Stuber and Michael Radutzky, co-writer Joshua Zetumer, story writer Paul Tamasy, Boston resident Beth Veneto, production designer Tom Duffield, and actors Kevin Bacon, Jimmy O. Yang, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan, John Goodman, Christopher O’Shea, Rachel Brosnahan and JK Simmons.
“Bond” covers the project’s development, story/characters, working in Boston and recreating events, and the atmosphere in the city related to the film. “Bond” acts as a serviceable overview but not one with great depth.
Next comes The Real Patriots. It lasts 19 minutes, 48 seconds and features Berg, Parker, Davis, Goodman, Pugliese, Simmons, Meng, and Yang. “Real” mixes notes about actual events with thoughts about cinematic recreations. It offers another moderately informative piece.
Under The Cast Remembers, we find a five-minute, 41-second piece with Yang, Goodman, Monaghan, Simmons, Bacon, Brosnahan, O’Shea, Wahlberg and actors Themo Melikidze and Alex Wolff. Here the actors recall their memories of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. This seems a bit self-indulgent but it feels largely inoffensive.
The two-part Actors Meet Real-Life Counterparts fills a total of 18 minutes, 13 seconds. Part 1 features John Goodman and Ed Davis (8:10), while Part 2 boasts Jimmy O. Yang and Dun Meng (10:03).
As expected, the actors and their inspirations discuss the movie’s events and the performers’ approaches to their roles. The chats offer some charm due to their integrated nature, and Meng’s memories offer the best insights. I must admit it drives me a little nuts that the Blu-ray constantly offers subtitles for Meng’s comments – his English is understandable enough that this move seems unnecessary and vaguely insulting.
Finally, Researching the Day goes for 11 minutes, 22 seconds and includes info from Berg, Parker, Stuber, Zetumer, Wahlberg, and FBI technical advisor Chris Whitcomb. Like the title implies, this featurette relates notes about work done to get the facts behind the film. A few minor insights result, but much of the show exists to praise Berg and the movie team.
The disc opens with ads for Deepwater Horizon, Hacksaw Ridge, Manchester By the Sea, Hell or High Water and John Wick Chapter 2. No trailer for Patriots appears here.
A second disc offers a DVD copy of Patriots Day. It includes “Boston Strong” and “Researching the Day” but lacks the other extras.
Involving and dramatic, Patriots Day covers the Boston Marathon bombing well. It brings us thrills along with emotion to become a satisfying exploration of the subject matter. The Blu-ray delivers excellent picture and audio as well as a decent collection of bonus materials. Patriots Day turns into a terrific effort.