The best 4K Blu-ray movies: great Ultra HD discs to buy

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Blade Runner 2049 is a science fiction sequel to the 1982 classic Blade Runner. It’s set thirty years after the original, and the story follows LAPD officer K (played by Ryan Gosling) who uncovers a long-buried secret that could plunge society into chaos. K embarks on an adventure to find retired Blade Runner Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford), who has been missing for decades to try and solve the mystery.

The legendary Roger Deakins was Blade Runner 2049's cinematographer and the 4K/HDR version is absolutely stunning. There’s a fantastic level of detail on faces and closer props, but it’s the immense cityscapes that look wonderful and incredibly realistic. We could just sit and watch those all day without even seeing characters and hearing dialogue.

The best place to watch this movie is in the cinema, so it feels like you’re in the cockpit with the actors. The second best is this 4K version. With the right TV, you’ll be completely blown away by the picture and groundbreaking cinematography here but there’s also Dolby Atmos on offer as well – again, you’ll need the right home cinema tech to make the most of it – to make the most of the rumbling jet engines and weapons fire.

We don’t really need to tell you the story here, do we? It feels like everyone was talking about Top Gun: Maverick last year and for good reason, it’s the sequel to Top gun and there are plenty of familiar faces and nail-bitingly tense flying sequences.

The 4K resoration of Stanley Kubrick classic The Shining debuted at 2019’s Cannes film festival, and now you can see it in all its terrifying glory at home.

Never seen the film? It's a Stephen King adaptation. Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance descends into psychological turmoil after taking up the winter caretaker position at the Overlook Hotel. It's a creepy place.

The original film was already rich in colour but the 4K makeover raises the stakes, bringing a vividness to the carpets, the surroundings, and especially those bloody elevators. Special features include a commentary from Steadicam inventor/operator Garret Brown and historian John Baxter, Vivian Kubrick’s documentary on the film and three featurettes.

Granted this is a trilogy and not a movie, but we’ve included a few series in this list because we simply couldn’t choose just one movie and many come in wonderful 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray special edition boxes.

This spectacular Batman run from Christopher Nolan, which includes Batman Begins, The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises, is breath-taking in 4K Ultra HD – even just for the gritty cityscapes alone. If you’ve seen all three movies before you’re likely to notice the biggest upgrade in Batman Begins, the HDR grading brings a contrast boost and there’s a phenomenal level of detail whether you’re looking at buildings or faces.

The John Wick movies already look incredible, but they really pop in this 4K Ultra HD box set, especially night time scenes that are visually stunning with rain-soaked streets, colourful neon lights and fast-paced chase scenes. The enhanced HDR contrast works well for dark scenes too – of which there are many in this trilogy – allowing you to see even more of the action and fight sequences that might have been lost in previous iterations.

If you’ve never seen the John Wick movies before, now is a perfect time as the fourth has just hit cinema screens. It’s about a man called John Wick, an ex-assassin who wants to get out of the business, but various events prevent him from leaving his dark past behind him. Except lots of violence, excellent choreography and gorgeous (and at times OTT in the best way) sets.

If we could pick only one movie series to watch in the sharpest and richest detail imaginable, it’d be Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. This box set features The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King. In this boxed set you’ll also get the extended editions – but of course there are theatrical cuts too if you don’t have days and days to spare. It's a real treat to watch these 4K Ultra HD formats, you'll notice and hear things you never realised were there before – yes, even die-hard fans. Dark scenes are handled really well here as well, so anything that might have felt a bit too dark or blocky-looking in the past is now visible and clear, and colours look rich and bold.

Francis Ford Coppola says this version of his wartime masterpiece is his favourite, and it’s clear why. The Final Cut, running at 3hr 23min, is a visceral, cinematic experience that still excites more than 40 years after its release.

Martin Sheen’s Captain Willard is on the hunt for a renegade colonel who has set himself up as a demigod in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. The 4K restoration and new edit does this groundbreaking war film ultimate justice and should be in every cinephile’s movie library.

Another Christoper Nolan entry. But what can we say, the man knows how to make a great-looking movie. Tenet is a twisting, turning sci-fi action movie about a secret agent who’s sucked into a time travel mystery. Expect fantastic detail and depth from the 4K Ultra HD format here. It’s a visually arresting movie anyway, but watching in such high-definition really adds to the atmosphere. As well as how stunning Tenet looks, it also has a fantastic score thanks to composer Ludwig Göransson. It’s filled with thumping tracks and beautiful arrangements, tinged with sadness and dread.

80 years after its release, The Wizard of Oz was remastered in 4K to make the moment Dorothy lands in Oz look and feel as dynamic as if it were made today. And even though the disc is a few years old now, it still looks exceptional.

Somewhere over the rainbow, is the magical world of Oz. Judy Garland’s Dorothy in need of the Wizard to return her home to Kansas. You know the drill.

The 4K edition's special features include a commentary from Oz historian John Fricke and Barbara Freed-Saltzman (daughter of producer Arthur Freed) plus a "Making of" featurette. There’s also a singalong feature, a video storybook read by Angela Lansbury and more.

This 1992 movie, directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino, is one of those classic movies everyone’s seen and loves to quote. All the more reason to watch it again, and invest in the 4K version. It’s about an Elvis-obsessed comic book story employee called Clarence Worley (played by Christian Slater) and Alabama Whitman (played by Patricia Arquette) who, all in the space of 24 hours, get married and go on the run.

There are some fantastic, limited edition steelbook versions of True Romance available packed with extras and artwork. We also like that the 4K Blu-Ray features several audio commentary options, including one with Tony Scott, another with Tarantino and a third with Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette.

The 1987 classic action movie Predator is always a joy to watch, following the story of a military rescue team deep in the South American jungle, led by Vietnam War veteran Major Alan ‘Dutch’ Schaefer (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger). Except things don’t go quite as planned when they’re hunted by a mysterious creature, the Predator. In this 4K version of Predator expect elevated detail and more vivid colours, however, some reviewers do notice a grainy quality.

The best way to revisit Bruce Lee’s most famous film, this Blu-ray release features a pristine, new-for-2023 4K remaster of the classic. You also get both the original theatrical cut from 1973 and the Special Edition release from 1998. Plus full-length documentary Curse of the Dragon and a couple of shorter documentaries on Lee’s work. It’s an exemplary release. And if you want to dig even further into Lee’s career, get your hands on Bruce Lee at Golden Harvest Limited Edition, a collection that includes a borderline ridiculous 18 versions of five films, including new and existing 4K cuts.

If you like your sci-fi movies with a hefty dose of cosmic horror, then watch Event Horizon’s chilling, bloody gore in Ultra HD. We’ve seen reviewers describe the original movie as a “challenge” to make the jump to 4K, with some effects looking a little comical. However, in other respects the details, especially the facial detail, are a real treat for fans to see for the first time.

For those who haven’t seen it before, Event Horizon follows the story of a rescue crew on a mission to investigate a spaceship that disappeared into a black hole and then returned, bringing back something dark and horrifying with it.

Few films are as cult and quotable as Tarantino’s 1994 hit Pulp Fiction. We’ve seen reviewers describe the 4K Ultra HD as a boost over the original Blu-ray, which means it’s a must-see for big fans of Pulp Fiction. Sure not everything looks fantastic here given the movie is from the mid-90s, but you’ll see faces and expressions with more clarity than ever before. Which adds more authenticity and character to the story.

Quentin Tarantino’s latest is a love letter to Old Hollywood. It follows the misadventures of two best friends, TV actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stuntman Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), as they navigate the changing cultural landscape of 1969’s Los Angeles. Fledgling screen star Sharon Tate is settling into married life but soon her life collides with Rick's and Cliff's thanks to the ominous actions of the Manson Family.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is everything you could want in a Tarantino movie, and includes a killer final act that will see you fist pumping the air. It looks gorgeous in 4K too.

That’s not it, though. Special features include over twenty additional minutes of footage that delves deeper into the world of Rick Dalton’s Hollywood, from production design to costume design, cars and more.

The 2001 movie Training Day features a truly stellar performance from Denzel Washington as narcotics officer Alonso Harris, alongside Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt. The latter is up for promotion and spends the day with Alonso to learn about the LA drug scene. But Alonso isn’t what he appears to be, and the movie takes the audience on a fast-paced, gritty, and tense journey full of twists and turns.

If you already own the regular DVD, the 4K upgrade is definitely worth considering. It breathes new life into the movie and reveals a level of fine detail that may have gone unnoticed before, such as facial features and building textures. However, some reviews have pointed out that the restoration leans towards the green and teal side of the colour palette, creating a very cool but divisive effect that some people may love.

One David Cronenberg’s oddest films has previous great disc treatments over the years. The latest and greatest comes from Arrow, with a 4K restoration from the original negatives overseen by the film’s director of photography, and given approval by Cronenberg himself. It also includes an audio commentary track by the director and a new one from screenwriter Graham Duff and film historian Jack Sargeant. A great way to dissect what can seem to some an impenetrable text.

Michael Man creates moody movies that have a dream-like quality to them at times and a fantastic color palette and Heat is well worth a watch in 4K Ultra HD, even if you've seen it many times before.

Fans have mostly praised this version, but there’s even more distinctive, cool and steely blue tones here that are contentious – although we love them. Added dtails are superb across the board, as always facial expressions feel more authentic and it’s interesting to see little touches, like clothing textures. There are also some great features on offer here, including a new commentary for the 4K Ultra HD version from Michael Mann.

If you’re yet to watch it, it’s a must-see in our books, an irresistible cat and mouse drama with plenty of thrills and phenomenal performances from Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Val Kilmer, among others.

Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson’s psychedelic novel is a cult classic that deserved its 2019 4K restoration. The film follows Thompson alter-ego Raoul Duke (Johnny Depp) and his attorney Dr Gonzo (Benicio del Toro) as they attempt to chase a story only to be derailed by their continuous intake of psychoactive narcotics.

The 4K makeover brings a brilliantly rich quality to an already hallucinatory movie shot in widescreen Super 35. To go with a gorgeous restoration, the two-disc edition also includes the documentary For No Good Reason, about illustrator Ralph Steadman, a new Gilliam commentary moderated by Phil Stubbs, a featurette, behind-the-scenes and archival footage plus so much more.

This 90s sci-fi classic, directed by Roland Emmerich, pits Jean-Claude Van Damme’s super-soldier Luc Deveraux against Dolph Lundgren’s deranged Andrew Scott. Both are used by a secret US government program as killing machines. When their memories start to return, so does the deep-seated animosity between the two. Chaos ensues.

Picture quality is more rich and dynamic thanks to a new 4K restoration. This special edition also includes a commentary track from Emmerich, van Damme and Lundgren, two "Making of" featurettes, an alternate ending, behind-the-scenes footage, and the original trailer.