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Panic Room (2002)
Panic Room (2002) poster
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3.5

Panic Room (2002)

Crime, Drama, Thriller • 1h 51m

Overview

Trapped in their New York brownstone's panic room, a hidden chamber built as a sanctuary in the event of break-ins, newly divorced Meg Altman and her young daughter Sarah play a deadly game of cat-and-mouse with three intruders - Burnham, Raoul and Junior - during a brutal home invasion. But the room itself is the focal point because what the intruders really want is inside it.

Director: David Fincher

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

Sony 4K Blu-ray. HDR caps by fkid. Obviously this is a huge improvement after what was available until now. Still, the early 2000s nature of the film is palpable and more noticeable, f.ex. in the opening scene that looks upscaled but seemingly without AI usage or any egregious tools. No info yet about what Fincher actually changed and where he tinkered around. Also see samlop10's review

Format

UHD Blu-ray

UHD Tiers

Length

111 mins

Type

Movie

Last Updated

a year ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release

Sony 4K Blu-ray. HDR caps by fkid. Obviously this is a huge improvement after what was available until now. Still, the early 2000s nature of the film is palpable and more noticeable, f.ex. in the opening scene that looks upscaled but seemingly without AI usage or any egregious tools. No info yet about what Fincher actually changed and where he tinkered around. Also see samlop10's review

Format
UHD Blu-ray
UHD Tiers
Length
111 mins
Type
Movie
Last Updated
a year ago
Contributors

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The Social Network poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US Steelbook has FEL Dolby Vision whereas UK version only has MEL

4K Blu-ray has exclusive “unrated” audio with a small change to one line under the request of David Fincher (removed the poor dub over of frickin’ in the line “Screw it, let’s gut the f**kin’ nerd.”).

Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

US Steelbook has FEL Dolby Vision whereas UK version only has MEL

4K Blu-ray has exclusive “unrated” audio with a small change to one line under the request of David Fincher (removed the poor dub over of frickin’ in the line “Screw it, let’s gut the f**kin’ nerd.”).

Fight Club poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version

Best Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer

Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.

Best Audio:

Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.

Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray

Additional Info:

A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/

Fight Club poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray for a purist version

Best Video:

Disney 4K Blu-ray or Fox 2009 Blu-ray for a purist version or Kinowelt Entertainment 2008 Germany Blu-ray from the original 1999 telecine transfer

Disney 4K Blu-ray, while a good release by itself, is very revisionist albeit made by Fincher. It has a huge amount of tinkering, a different grade, and at times uncanny with the sharpening. Caps of just how revisionist the new master is.

Best Audio:

Cinema DTS - all Blu-ray tracks have significant limiting.

Disney 4K Blu-ray has some alterations, otherwise similar to the Fox Blu-ray

Additional Info:

A blog article going over the home video history of Fight Club: https://notonbluray.com/blog/fight-club-compared-blu-ray-vs-itunes-vs-d-vhs-vs-dvd-vs-laserdisc/

Se7en poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2025 WB 4K Blu-ray or the 1997 New Line DVD (CCE colors)/Netherlands Blu-ray (2000 restoration) for a purist version

Best Video:

2025 WB 4K Blu-ray, better detail and everything, or the 1997 New Line DVD (CCE colors)/Netherlands Blu-ray (2000 restoration) for a purist version

  • 4K caveat: A variety of VFX set pieces and touch-ups were added in scenes throughout the film, probably for continuity or consistency, although they might be unnecessary or revisionist. Clouds are added to clear sky of the last act.

  • AI is used to fix an unwanted camera movement in one scene.

  • some shots had been further stabilized, resulting in strange motion blur.

Best Audio:

Cinema DTS, also has missing dialog intact.
But it can be argued that the Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray 5.1 (remix) is technically a better mix.

Additional Info:

More info on the different color grades over the years: https://notonbluray.com/blog/the-case-of-se7en/

Se7en poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2025 WB 4K Blu-ray or the 1997 New Line DVD (CCE colors)/Netherlands Blu-ray (2000 restoration) for a purist version

Best Video:

2025 WB 4K Blu-ray, better detail and everything, or the 1997 New Line DVD (CCE colors)/Netherlands Blu-ray (2000 restoration) for a purist version

  • 4K caveat: A variety of VFX set pieces and touch-ups were added in scenes throughout the film, probably for continuity or consistency, although they might be unnecessary or revisionist. Clouds are added to clear sky of the last act.

  • AI is used to fix an unwanted camera movement in one scene.

  • some shots had been further stabilized, resulting in strange motion blur.

Best Audio:

Cinema DTS, also has missing dialog intact.
But it can be argued that the Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray 5.1 (remix) is technically a better mix.

Additional Info:

More info on the different color grades over the years: https://notonbluray.com/blog/the-case-of-se7en/

Alien³ poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray

Alien³ poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray

Zodiac poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Theatrical: Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Director's: US Paramount Blu-ray

Best Video:

Theatrical: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, see more in Geoff's review

Director's: US Paramount Blu-ray > WB Blu-ray

Zodiac poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Theatrical: Paramount 4K Blu-ray

Director's: US Paramount Blu-ray

Best Video:

Theatrical: Paramount 4K Blu-ray, see more in Geoff's review

Director's: US Paramount Blu-ray > WB Blu-ray

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The Dark Crystal poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

LaserDisc, Shout! Factory's 2.0 is a downmix of the 5.1

Additional Info:

Old Sony DVD has an isolated score

Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

LaserDisc, Shout! Factory's 2.0 is a downmix of the 5.1

Additional Info:

Old Sony DVD has an isolated score

Labyrinth poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory replacement 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Shout! Factory replacement 4K Blu-ray, Shout! Factory doesn't have the low-pass filter that's on the Sony US 4K Blu-ray from 2021 with Dolby Vision (or the worse HDR10 only release from 2016). Shout! Factory retains more high-frequency grain and detail.

Labyrinth poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory replacement 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Shout! Factory replacement 4K Blu-ray, Shout! Factory doesn't have the low-pass filter that's on the Sony US 4K Blu-ray from 2021 with Dolby Vision (or the worse HDR10 only release from 2016). Shout! Factory retains more high-frequency grain and detail.

The Fifth Element poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray vs 2017 Sony 4K Blu-ray (20th annivesary) vs 2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray (Luc Besson Box Set). The first two have totally different texture.

  • StudioCanal: More natural looking. Better defined grain. The white balance is rather yellow/orange. Some say it is closer to the original theatrical release.

  • 2017 Sony: More vibrant and impactful. The white balance is rather neutral. While color noise and grain can look busy because it had been sharpened and had micro-contrast boosted.

  • 2025 Sony: Supposedly an improved version of the 2017 release? Shows around 20mbps-higher overall video bitrate. caps

Best Audio:

2025 Sony US 4K Blu-ray has the original 5.1.

The Atmos on the Sony release is reportedly better than StudioCanal's.

Additional Info:

Disc info of the box set discs. This film have recieved multiple encode/versions in different regions over the years. The 2017 Germany4K Blu-ray is encoded differently than the 2017 Sony but not better. Also, the same can be said to 2024 France Gaumont 4K Blu-ray while comparing to the 2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray omits all the extras from previous releases, being barebones.

Best English-Friendly:

StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray vs 2017 Sony 4K Blu-ray (20th annivesary) vs 2025 Sony 4K Blu-ray (Luc Besson Box Set). The first two have totally different texture.

  • StudioCanal: More natural looking. Better defined grain. The white balance is rather yellow/orange. Some say it is closer to the original theatrical release.

  • 2017 Sony: More vibrant and impactful. The white balance is rather neutral. While color noise and grain can look busy because it had been sharpened and had micro-contrast boosted.

  • 2025 Sony: Supposedly an improved version of the 2017 release? Shows around 20mbps-higher overall video bitrate. caps

Best Audio:

2025 Sony US 4K Blu-ray has the original 5.1.

The Atmos on the Sony release is reportedly better than StudioCanal's.

Additional Info:

Disc info of the box set discs. This film have recieved multiple encode/versions in different regions over the years. The 2017 Germany4K Blu-ray is encoded differently than the 2017 Sony but not better. Also, the same can be said to 2024 France Gaumont 4K Blu-ray while comparing to the 2020 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray. The StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray omits all the extras from previous releases, being barebones.

Easy A poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Easy A poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Bye Bye Birdie poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

While no comparison available, Twilight Time Blu-ray is OOP and reviewers say the transfer is likely the same

Bye Bye Birdie poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

While no comparison available, Twilight Time Blu-ray is OOP and reviewers say the transfer is likely the same

A Night to Remember poster
DVD
Best English-Friendly:

Sony DVD

Best Video:

Sony DVD

Best English-Friendly:

Sony DVD

Best Video:

Sony DVD

Disorder in the Court poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray in Columbia Classics vol 2

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray in Columbia Classics vol 2

Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray in Columbia Classics vol 2

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray in Columbia Classics vol 2

Anyone but You poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray see comparison

The 4K Blu-ray is low-passed, Sony Pictures Core Streaming is heavily DNR

Anyone but You poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray see comparison

The 4K Blu-ray is low-passed, Sony Pictures Core Streaming is heavily DNR

Before Midnight poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Criterion Blu-ray uses the same transfer as Sony but the encoding is slightly worse than Sony and barely noticeable see caps

Best English-Friendly:

Sony Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony Blu-ray

Criterion Blu-ray uses the same transfer as Sony but the encoding is slightly worse than Sony and barely noticeable see caps

28 Days Later poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray see caps

Recovers quite a bit of highlight detail, looks less harsh and clipped in the video footage than the old BD.

Best Audio:

Dolby Atmos Remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Original 5.1 mix: old OOP Fox Blu-ray

5.1 on the 4K is a downmix of the Atmos remix.

28 Days Later poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray see caps

Recovers quite a bit of highlight detail, looks less harsh and clipped in the video footage than the old BD.

Best Audio:

Dolby Atmos Remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Original 5.1 mix: old OOP Fox Blu-ray

5.1 on the 4K is a downmix of the Atmos remix.

More Crime on Blu-ray

Strangers on a Train poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1987 WB LaserDisc

Best English-Friendly:

WB Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB Blu-ray

Best Audio:

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The Sting poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1998 R1 Universal DVD

The Sting poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1998 R1 Universal DVD

Cutter's Way poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray, though note its different color grading from the IP-sourced but poorly compressed Fun City Editions US Blu-ray (caps)

Best Audio:

Judging from spectrograms at https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23933756&postcount=57Fun City Editions US Blu-ray appears to have marginally less filtering than Radiance 4K Blu-ray (whose padded 16-bit depth is a non-issue). There are also loudness differences, though it's unclear whether dynamic range also differs. Caveat: need to A/B both tracks to confirm, but no one has posted actual A/B impressions.

Cutter's Way poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Radiance 4K Blu-ray, though note its different color grading from the IP-sourced but poorly compressed Fun City Editions US Blu-ray (caps)

Best Audio:

Judging from spectrograms at https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23933756&postcount=57Fun City Editions US Blu-ray appears to have marginally less filtering than Radiance 4K Blu-ray (whose padded 16-bit depth is a non-issue). There are also loudness differences, though it's unclear whether dynamic range also differs. Caveat: need to A/B both tracks to confirm, but no one has posted actual A/B impressions.

Desire poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

While Indicator Blu-ray used a newer 4K restoration from 2022 instead of the older 2K restoration, Kino Lorber has the original aspect ratio, and the Indicator Blu-ray looks very soft in comparison see comparison

Desire poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

While Indicator Blu-ray used a newer 4K restoration from 2022 instead of the older 2K restoration, Kino Lorber has the original aspect ratio, and the Indicator Blu-ray looks very soft in comparison see comparison

War Dogs poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

War Dogs poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

The Seed of the Sacred Fig poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

US Decal Releasing Blu-ray

Best Video:
Best English-Friendly:

US Decal Releasing Blu-ray

Best Video:
Miami Vice poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

88 Films UK Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray upcoming, Director's Final Cut premiering October 3rd; will receive home video release in the future

Best Video:

88 Films UK Blu-ray for both cuts 

Best Audio:

88 Films Blu-ray is missing Michael Mann commentary for the DC found on other BDs

Miami Vice poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

88 Films UK Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray upcoming, Director's Final Cut premiering October 3rd; will receive home video release in the future

Best Video:

88 Films UK Blu-ray for both cuts 

Best Audio:

88 Films Blu-ray is missing Michael Mann commentary for the DC found on other BDs

Some Like It Hot poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Capelight/Kino Lorber which has heavy noise reduction and opening snare hit is missing, Capelight is slightly better encoded than Kino Lorber

Best Audio:

1992 MGM LaserDisc [ML102699], but still a bit overly noise-managed.

1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray > Capelight/Kino Lorber which has heavy noise reduction and opening snare hit is missing, Capelight is slightly better encoded than Kino Lorber

Best Audio:

1992 MGM LaserDisc [ML102699], but still a bit overly noise-managed.

1984 CBS/Fox Hi-Fi VHS maybe better?

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Panic Room (2002) backdrop