Best Blurays IconBest Blurays
Films
/
12 Years a Slave (2013)
12 Years a Slave (2013) poster
Letterboxd

4.2

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Drama, History • 2h 14m

Overview

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Director: Steve McQueen

Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Adepero Oduye, Scoot McNairy, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt, Michael Kenneth Williams, Alfre Woodard, Chris Chalk, Taran Killam, Bill Camp, Kelsey Scott, Bryan Batt, Quvenzhané Wallis, Garret Dillahunt, Dwight Henry, Dickie Gravois, Ashley Dyke, Cameron Zeigler, Tony Bentley, Christopher Berry, Mister Mackey Jr., Craig Tate, Storm Reid, Tom Proctor, Marc Macaulay, Vivian Fleming-Alvarez, Douglas M. Griffin, John McConnell, Marcus Lyle Brown, Richard Holden, Rob Steinberg, Anwan Glover, James C. Victor, Liza J. Bennett, Nicole Collins, J.D. Evermore, Andy Dylan, Deneen Tyler, Mustafa Harris, Gregory Bright, Austin Purnell, Thomas Francis Murphy, Andre De'Sean Shanks, Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Scott M. Jefferson, Isaiah Jackson, Topsy Chapman, Devin Maurice Evans, Jay Huguley, Devyn A. Tyler, Willo Jean-Baptiste, Jason Ament, Jon Arthur, Sean Paul Braud, Blake Burt, Carroll Burt, Edward J. Clare, JJ Coker, Haylie Creppel, Justin Edward Davis, Jim Johnson, John C. Klein, Gerard 'Jerry' Lewis, Kevonte Mcdonald, Ritchie Montgomery, Jason Owen, Shawn Parsons, Wayne Pére, Terrell Ransom Jr., Erin Rementer, Andre Robinson, Corrina Roshea Bobb, Jarett Shorts, Tyler Soerries, Tre Tureaud, Justin Christopher Vaughn, Caroline Grace Williamson, Timothy Wyant

Best English-Friendly Release

Best Video Release

Fox US/Universal Germany/France releases looks similar, see caps https://slow.pics/c/FF1TYBgc

Format

1080p Blu-ray

Featured Lists

Length

134 mins

Type

Movie

Last Updated

9 months ago

Contributors

Best English-Friendly Release
Best Video Release

Fox US/Universal Germany/France releases looks similar, see caps https://slow.pics/c/FF1TYBgc

Best Audio Release
Format
1080p Blu-ray
Featured Lists
Length
134 mins
Type
Movie
Last Updated
9 months ago
Contributors

Featured in National Film Registry

See more →
The Sound of Music poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.

All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.

Best English-Friendly:

Disney 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Disney 4K Atmos is great, a reference quality track. It's a very slight remix (music seems to be from a better source), but it's completely seamless and faithful to the original, better fidelity than anything since the 1994 30th Anniversary Edition LaserDisc.

All DVDs (and 2010 Blu-ray) sound far worse than the 4K Blu-ray/LaserDisc and have various missing sound cues.

House of Wax poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray

3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray

Best Video:

2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray

3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray

House of Wax poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray

3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray

Best Video:

2D version: Warner Archive Blu-ray

3D version: Warner Archive 3D Blu-ray

12 Angry Men poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio

12 Angry Men poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

2026 Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray is the best. Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has heavily filtered audio

Die Hard poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm Six-track mix: THX AC3 or DTS LaserDisc

Die Hard poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

70mm Six-track mix: THX AC3 or DTS LaserDisc

How Green Was My Valley poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Fox Blu-ray mono mix

As noted at Blah-Ray, the mono mix on the Fox Blu-ray, although not perfect, sounds better than the 5.1 remix and at least as good as earlier LaserDiscs, which suffer from being murky.

Best English-Friendly:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Fox Blu-ray mono mix

As noted at Blah-Ray, the mono mix on the Fox Blu-ray, although not perfect, sounds better than the 5.1 remix and at least as good as earlier LaserDiscs, which suffer from being murky.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)

Additional Info:

1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release

Best English-Friendly:

Warner Bros 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 Warner Bros LaserDisc (for original mono track)

Additional Info:

1996 Warner Bros 25th Anniversary LaserDisc has isolated music and effects track (incorrectly labeled "music minus vocals") not present on any other release

All That Jazz poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Japan Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Japan Fox Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray

All That Jazz poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Japan Fox Blu-ray

Best Video:

Japan Fox Blu-ray > Criterion Blu-ray

Baby Face poster
HD Streaming
Best English-Friendly:

HD Streaming 

Best Video:

HD Streaming

Baby Face poster
HD Streaming
Best English-Friendly:

HD Streaming 

Best Video:

HD Streaming

Hairspray poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

5.1: Warner Bros Blu-ray

Hairspray poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Stereo: Criterion 4K Blu-ray

5.1: Warner Bros Blu-ray

Rebel Without a Cause poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

More from Steve McQueen

See more →
Hunger poster
1080p Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 2k transfer

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

Criterion Blu-ray

Best Video:

Criterion 2k transfer

Widows poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Widows poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Fox 4K Blu-ray

More from Universal

See more →
What Dreams May Come poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

US end credits song: US Universal Blu-ray

International end credits song: International Universal Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The US uses the end credits score “Beside You” from composer Michael Kamen, while in other markets it is Simply Red “Besides You”.

Best English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

US end credits song: US Universal Blu-ray

International end credits song: International Universal Blu-ray

Additional Info:

The US uses the end credits score “Beside You” from composer Michael Kamen, while in other markets it is Simply Red “Besides You”.

Monty Python's The Meaning of Life poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Universal Region 2 PAL DVD (original Dolby Stereo), Region 1 NTSC is minimally worse

The DTS:X remix is very revisionist with a lot of sound effect changes

Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Universal Region 2 PAL DVD (original Dolby Stereo), Region 1 NTSC is minimally worse

The DTS:X remix is very revisionist with a lot of sound effect changes

Violent Night poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Hannibal poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal UK 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

UK Universal 4K Blu-ray is missing Kino Lorber extras

Hannibal poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal UK 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

UK Universal 4K Blu-ray is missing Kino Lorber extras

Frosty the Snowman poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

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

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1993 Universal LaserDisc

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1993 Universal LaserDisc

Cry-Baby poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding see caps but still a huge improvement over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray Both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are improvements over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Theatrical cut is on the 4K disc, but the restored Director's Cut is only on the Blu-Ray disc. Director's Cut utilizes the same 4K transfer as the theatrical cut for 86 minutes, but the 6 minutes of restored footage could only be salvaged from a standard definition source and are thus needed to be upscaled. 

Cry-Baby poster
UHD Blu-ray
Best English-Friendly:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has poor encoding see caps but still a huge improvement over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray Both the 2.0 and 5.1 tracks are improvements over the 2014 Universal Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Theatrical cut is on the 4K disc, but the restored Director's Cut is only on the Blu-Ray disc. Director's Cut utilizes the same 4K transfer as the theatrical cut for 86 minutes, but the 6 minutes of restored footage could only be salvaged from a standard definition source and are thus needed to be upscaled. 

True Confession poster
DVD
Best English-Friendly:

Universal DVD

Best Video:

Universal DVD

Best English-Friendly:

Universal DVD

Best Video:

Universal DVD

Edit History

1 edit
12 Years a Slave (2013) backdrop

Made with ❤️ 📀 by vanshady