Religious Drama movies available on 4K Blu-ray, ranked by transfer quality.
dir. William Wyler
Transfer praise is strong. People are watching it for the first time at age 50 and ordering Lawrence of Arabia the next day. The 4K remaster is pulling a new generation into the epic format films.
Warner Bros. · 4K Ultra HD
dir. Kimberly Peirce
S-Tier Arrow Video 4K. The Kimberly Peirce remake from 2013. Arrow and Scream Factory both have releases.
Arrow Video · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Edward Berger
Universal S-Tier 4K. The 4K transfer pulls out the red robes and production design in a way the theatrical presentation couldn't. The Catholic pageantry gets a lot of screen time and HDR makes every cardinal's vestment land differently.
Universal Pictures · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Mel Gibson
S-Tier Lionsgate 4K. Mel Gibson's WWII film about the medic who refused to carry a gun. The battle sequences are intense in HDR.
Lionsgate · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Jesús Franco
S-Tier Blue Underground 4K. Jess Franco's 1969 Marquis de Sade adaptation. Blue Underground's second Franco 4K, and people are already asking if Salo could be next.
Blue Underground · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Park Chan-wook
S-Tier Arrow Video 4K. Park Chan-wook's revenge film, scoring 4.5 overall. People keep asking for a Vengeance Trilogy set in Region A. Arrow has done a Deluxe Ultra Limited Edition with a 68-page book and 10+ hours of bonus material. A Zavvi steelbook went up quickly and Arrow was criticized for the packaging quality again. People want Criterion to do it, but Arrow has the rights and is actively releasing premium editions.
dir. Satyajit Ray
S-Tier Criterion 4K. Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy opener, and the 4K set is considered gorgeous given how damaged the original negatives were. The films are regularly called some of the greatest ever made. The feminist reading keeps surprising first-time viewers who expect a straightforward coming-of-age story.
Criterion Collection · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. John Huston
At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to go down river and face-off a German warship.
StudioCanal · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Béla Tarr
A naive young man witnesses an escalation of violence in his small hometown following the arrival of a mysterious circus attraction.
Curzon Film · 4K + Blu-ray
Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule.
dir. Lars von Trier
A-Tier Curzon Film 4K. Lars von Trier. A film that hits hard.
dir. Martin McDonagh
A-Tier Kino Lorber 4K. Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson hiding out in Belgium after a botched hit. The Kino release has good extras and a clean transfer, and Second Sight also has a version if you prefer their packaging. A lot of people own both.
Kino Lorber · 4K + Blu-ray
dir. Ridley Scott
After his wife dies, a blacksmith named Balian is thrust into royalty, political intrigue and bloody holy wars during the Crusades.
dir. Tom McCarthy
Shout Factory A-Tier 4K. The Boston Globe journalism film that won Best Picture. Shout Factory picked this up and the signal is thin, which tracks for a drama that's more about the writing than the visuals. If you care about the film it's worth owning, but it's not a transfer that's going to sell anyone on the format.
Shout! Factory · 4K + Blu-ray
King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire, Jacques Le Gris, by challenging him to a duel.
dir. Derek Cianfrance
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
Shout! Factory
dir. Sofia Coppola
A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents.
dir. Luis Buñuel
Simon, a deeply religious man living in the 4th century, wants to be nearer to God so he climbs a column. The Devil wants him come down to Earth and is trying to seduce him.
Radiance Films · Restored
Viridiana is preparing to start her life as a nun when she is sent, somewhat unwillingly, to visit her aging uncle, Don Jaime. He supports her; but the two have met only once. Jaime thinks Viridiana resembles his dead wife. Viridiana has secretly despised this man all her life and finds her worst fears proven when Jaime grows determined to seduce his pure niece. Viridiana becomes undone as her uncle upends the plans she had made to join the convent.
