Ex Machina 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Note: Updating an older exclusive review with screenshots.

Video

The best stuff from Ex Machina happens outside. Captured in Norway, the images represent the peak of this format. Masterful clarity and precision sharpness sticks out. Texture on rocks, definition on trees, and dazzling skylines look near IMAX in their resolution.

Inside, things turn down a bit. Not to any fault - Ex Machina aims for a softer aesthetic - but it's a bit of a kick. Facial definition is pleasing. Digital effects of Eva, even at a 2K source, really dazzle. A vintage lens style softens edges of the frame, and a hearty layer of digital noise intrudes. Some scenes reach further, with extensive artifacting at the source, mirroring the Blu-ray release.

Deep color hardly impacts this release. Flattened primaries run through the full runtime, with minor upticks on occasion. Notably, those exteriors that again claim their superiority. Greenery glistens. Flesh tones stay warm, attractively so.

A mild HDR pass emboldens various LED lights. Security scanners brighten, and Eva's internal lighting sticks out far more than previously. Some of the overhead florescent gain some zip too. With a handful of exceptions, black levels won't deepen much. Ex Machina's specific look is hardly tampered with, and while a fine looking presentation, it's one of those cases where the Blu-ray is typically enough - except for those drool-worthy images of Norway.

3/5

Audio

The first disc to offer DTS:X on Blu-ray, that mix isn't altered here. Mostly, Ex Machina is a quiet, subdued effort. It's not the best showcase for a new format. Small uses of the positional channels rely mostly on the fronts. Computers beep or dialog drops into a stereo as needed. Surrounds work during power outages, and PA voices fill in the available space. Accuracy is high.

Most of the punch comes from the low-end. Dramatic music stings and electrical hums push the extremes of dynamic range. It's some mighty rumbling, and used often.

4/5