Nun, The 4K Ultra HD

In "The Nun," when a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate. Together they uncover the order's unholy secret. Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in "The Conjuring 2," as the abbey becomes a horrific battleground between the living and the damned. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the featurettes "A New Horror Icon" (HD 05:18), "Gruesome Planet" (HD 06:18) and "The Conjuring Chronology" (HD 03:50); six deleted scenes (HD 12:18); upfront previews; and a Movies Anywhere digital copy.

The 2.39:1 2160p HEVC/H.265 Ultra HD HDR10 picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, was photographed digitally using the Arri Alexa camera system and sourced from a 2K (not 4K) master Digital Intermediate format. The picture is gorgeously imaged with engaging HDR contrast. The movie is dark, during which candle-lit highlights nicely contrast with natural black levels and excellent shadow delineation. Daytime scenes are naturally bright. Interior scenes are cast in shadows with effective light ascents. Blacks, such as the black habits of the nuns in the abbey, are deep and solid. The color palette is perfectly natural with solid primaries, such as reds and the greens in the forestry vegetation surrounding the abbey. The wide color gamut makes for color realism and naturalness. Fleshtones are perfectly natural. Resolution is excellent with fine detail exhibited throughout the weathered concrete and stone architectures and its dark interior environs. Fine detail also is evident in the objects that comprise the production design and the costumes. Facial features, hair, and beards exhibit fine detail. WOW! segments are from 14:30 to 17:38, 01:14:54 to 01:18:37, and 01:28:45 to 01:30:15. This is a very effective and engaging movie that delivers horrific imagery. (Gary Reber)

The Dolby Atmos/Dolby TrueHD 7.1-channel soundtrack is spooky sounding with intense deep bass in all channels, with extra intensity delivered by the .1 LFE channel. The foundation of the soundtrack is bass energy that moves in waves throughout. The orchestral/choral score is terrific and very well recorded and features a wonderful baritone male choir. The soundstage is wide and deep with an aggressive extension to the four surrounds. All manner of sound effects are aggressively directionalized throughout the soundfield, as well as effective atmospherics. Dialogue is intelligible throughout with generally good spatial integration.

The Immersive Sound element is comprised of strong sound effects and the powerful orchestral/choral music that a times extends to the height layer, as well as wind, thunder, and lightening, reverberating voices in the abbey, a bell ringing at a buried-alive grave, a church bell ringing, bombs screaming through the air to the abbey, Mary pointing the way female voice, a loud gasp, a rain effect, crosses and chains swinging sounds, high-pitched frequency ringing, a male voice, a female scream, a metal candle holder drop on the stone floor, a"help me" female voice, water sounds and other ambience sounds. The height layer effect could have been far more effective in creating the dimensionality of spherical soundscapes depicted.

This is an emotionally charged holosonic® spherical surround soundtrack, especially as it delivers tremendous dynamic range and scary sounds. (Gary Reber)