Hush: Collector’s Edition 4K Ultra HD & Blu-ray Review

THE MOVIE — 3¾/5

Plot Synopsis: A deaf writer (KATE SIEGEL) who retreated into the woods to live a solitary life must fight for her life in silence when a masked killer (JOHN GALLAGHER JR.) appears at her window.

Quick Hit Review: Hush is a film that was originally released in 2016 exclusively on Netflix before, after the 7 year contract expired, finally got a physical release courtesy of Shout Factory. Because this was only on Netflix this is a movie that flew under my radar and this is kind of an old school thriller, very simple plot with a serial killer whose only motive is to terrorize and kill.

Co-scripted and directed by Mike Flanagan coming off of his success with Oculus, Hush is a well crafted suspense-thriller and features two solid performances from Kate Siegel, who co-wrote with husband Flanagan, and John Gallagher Jr. This is a movie that is well worth watching and perfect for a slow Friday or Saturday night viewing, and a quick one clocking in under 80-minutes (sans credits).

SPECIAL FEATURES – 4½/5

This four-disc set comes with a matted slip cover and the inside artwork is reversible with a black & white version of the art. Included is a new “Shush Cut” that is in B&W and a new soundtrack that removes the score. Below is a breakdown of the discs:

Disc One (4K Ultra HD, Original Version):

• Audio Commentary — Co-Writer/Director Mike Flanagan, Co-Writer/Actress Kate Siegel & Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr. and Michel Trucco

Disc Two (4K Ultra HD, “Shush Cut”):

• Introduction (3:59) by Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel discussing this “Shush Cut”
• Audio Commentary — Flanagan and Siegel

Dsic Three (Blu-ray, Original Version and “Shush Cut”):

• Audio Commentary — Co-Writer/Director Mike Flanagan, Co-Writer/Actress Kate Siegel & Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr. and Michel Trucco (Original Version)
• Audio Commentary — Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel (“Shush Cut”)

Disc Four (Blu-ray, Special Features):

• Picture-in-Picture Video Commentary — Co-Writer/Director Mike Flanagan, Co-Writer/Actress Kate Siegel & Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr. and Michael Trucco (Original Version)
• Interviews:
  • The Dance Macabre (28:12) — Co-Wrter/Director Mike Flanagan
  • To Stand Alone (19:46) — Co-Writer/Actress Kate Siegel
  • The Constant Reader (5:16) — Actress Samantha Sloya
  • The Shape of Silence (18:52) — Actor John Gallagher Jr.
  • Silent Witness (9:12) — Actor Michael Trucco
  • One Good Scare (7:38) — Producer Trevor Macy
  • Violent Strains (10:14) — Composers The Newton Brothers (John Grush/Taylor Stewart)
  • One Terrible Night (7:46) — Cinematographer James Kniest

Here is a good plethora of participants in these 8 set of interviews totaling nearly 107 minutes. You get a good range of people both in front of and behind the camera on how the production came to be. For a $1 million indie film that hasn’t exactly gotten cult status yet, you can’t ask for more in terms of features.

4K UHD VIDEO – 4¾/5, BLU-RAY VIDEO – 4½/5
AUDIO – 4½/5

Shout Factory releases Hush onto 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for the first time on home video. The movie is presented with a 2.35 widescreen aspect ratio and a 2160p and 1080p high-definition transfers. Detail on both versions is sharp and very well defined throughout and on the original, colors are nicely balanced though given 75% takes place at night and in the dark, it’s the black levels more on display.

The movie comes with a Dolby Atmos track as the default option on the “Original Version” but also has DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 as well as a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 that is available for the “Shush Cut” of the movie. Whatever the choice, these are solid tracks and more than adequate for a fairly quiet thriller. Dialogue comes across with good clarity and fine ambient noises, including the *swish* sounds as the killer stabs his victims.

OVERALL — 4¼/5

Hush is a simple but all around entertaining home invasion thriller featuring two great performances from Kate Siegel and John Gallagher Jr. This “Collector’s Edition” release from Shout Factory includes a good amount of features as well as a new “Shush Cut”.