Serenity

In "Serenity," Baker Dill (McConaughey) is a fishing boat captain leading tours off a tranquil, tropical enclave called Plymouth Island. His quiet life is shattered, however, when his ex-wife Karen (Hathaway) tracks him down with a desperate plea for help. She begs Dill to save her—and their young son—from her new, violent husband (Clarke) by taking him out to sea on a fishing excursion, only to throw him to the sharks and leave him for dead. Karen's appearance thrusts Dill back into a life he'd tried to forget, and as he struggles between right and wrong, his world is plunged into a new reality that may not be all that it seems. (Gary Reber)

Special features include upfront previews and a Movies Anywhere digital code.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally in anamorphic Panavision® using he Arri Alexa SXT camera system and sourced from a 2K master Digital Intermediate format.The color palette is beautifully saturated. Hues are rich and warm with strong primaries and a pastel-green ocean, Fleshtones are naturally rendered, even in the darkest of scenes. Contrast is excellent with effectively dramatic lighting, deep blacks, and shadowy segments, Resolution is revealing throughout. Facial features, including dripping sweat, sweaty beard stubble, hair and skin pores, as well as clothing and object texture are nicely resolved. This is a captivating visual experience set on a small island on the open ocean that provides a strong color palette that reams of naturalness. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is aggressively surround enveloping, with an almost constant presence throughout. Strongly contributing to the surround envelopment is the orchestral score, which permeates in virtually every scene. The music spreads wide and deep within the soundstage and to the surrounds. Deep bass, which extends to sub-25 Hz, is represented in the music and in the sound effects accompanying the sounds of the ocean and lightening storms. Atmospherics effectively create a sense of realism within the settings. Dialogue is a bit forward in ADR presence and in interiors but otherwise intelligible with the Plymouth Island radio announcer nicely frontal. This is an intriguing soundtrack that delivers a dynamic presence, though, dialogue is wanting in spatial integration. (Gary Reber)