4K UHD/Blu-ray Review: HUSH (Collector’s Edition)

Home » 4K UHD/Blu-ray Review: HUSH (Collector’s Edition)

Nov 17 Posted by Kyle Nolan in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

“I can come in anytime I want. And I can get you anytime I want. But I’m not going to. Not until it’s time. When you wish you’re dead, that’s when I’ll come inside.”

Mike Flanagan’s horror/thriller Hush was originally released on Netflix in 2016, but hadn’t been available on disc/digital until now. Thanks to Shout! Studios and Scream Factory, the film is now getting a second life, with a recent theatrical release as well as a beautiful new 4K Collector’s Edition physical media release that includes an all-new black & white “Shush Cut” of the film that allows viewers to experience the movie in a whole new way.

Maddie Young (Kate Siegel) is a writer who is struggling to come up with the right ending for her latest novel. When she was 13, Maddie lost her voice and hearing due to an illness, and she’s never really come to terms with this. She recently moved from the city and now lives alone in a secluded cabin in the woods. One evening, while she’s working on her novel, a sadistic masked murderer (John Gallagher Jr.), carrying a knife and crossbow, appears outside her door and starts observing her. When he discovers that Maddie is deaf and mute, he decides to have a little fun, playing with his food (so-to-speak) before just killing her. The man begins to taunt and torment Maddie, cutting the power to her home, and her access to the outside world. The situation quickly becomes a tense game of survival as Maddie tries to figure out a way to escape or alert someone for help. She also looks for ways to defend herself should the stranger make his way into her home. However, each time she tries to make a move, the man always seems to be two steps ahead her.

I don’t think I ever watched Hush when it was first released on Netflix, so I was excited to check out Shout! Studios’ new 4K release. The film reminds me of The Strangers meets Wait Until Dark. A mysterious masked killer has found his way to Maddie’s home, seemingly picked at random, and wants to play gruesome psychological games with his subject before he dispatches her for good. However, the deaf and mute aspect adds an extra, chilling layer to this thriller. It’s a home invasion movie with a twist. Maddie cannot call out for help, and can’t even hear her attacker approaching. In fact, we see early on that the killer can just walk into her house and she wouldn’t even notice. It’s not until Maddie starts receiving photos of herself sitting on her couch, taken from her own phone, that she realizes that someone has been there and has taken her phone. She’s in a remote location with no one around, and no way to text or Facetime someone for help. She realizes that she’s on her own, but each attempt to escape is foiled by the killer, sending her back into the temporary safety of the house as she tries to work out an alternate plan. Meanwhile, the killer is constantly taunting and threatening her, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Despite taking place in a single location, so much of the house set is utilized to keep things constantly changing and interesting. Much like the similarly-named Buffy The Vampire Slayer episode, Hush has very minimal dialogue. However, there is so much emotion and tension conveyed in just the looks and actions of the characters. The film also has an amazing soundscape, which not only immerses the viewer in the ambiance of the location, but also often switches to a more garbled “silence” to allow the viewer to experience the situation as Maddie does.

Kate Siegel delivers a strong, visceral performance in her first of what has become many collaborations with (now husband) Mike Flanagan. Even though Maddie doesn’t speak, Siegel does an excellent job of conveying the fear and resolve of this character. Maddie is an intelligent woman and never falls into the trappings of a lot of horror movies where the character does something stupid that pits her in harm’s way. Instead, she is constantly trying to find ways out of her situation, and takes a measured approach. John Gallagher Jr. is fantastic as this sadistic killer, a character that is so far from the typical nice guy/dorky roles he was being cast as up until then. The majority of the film is just these two characters in a deadly game of cat and mouse, and the two actors really shine.

Shout! Studios’ new physical release features a new 4K restoration supervised and approved by director Mike Flanagan, and the result looks fantastic. The film primarily takes place at night, with the power to the house cut off, so things can get quite dark. However, the picture remains clean, with a lot of detail and no signs of black crush. The audio track is amazing, really emphasizing the ambiance, whether it’s the sound of Maddie chopping up vegetables to make a meal, the blaring siren of a smoke detector, the sound of winds rushing and birds and insects chirping, or the echoes of Maddie’s mother’s voice in her head. As mentioned earlier, the audio is also sometimes muffled in a way that puts the viewer into Maddie’s POV. It’s a very immersive soundtrack.

In addition to the Original Version, this release also includes a new “Shush Cut”, which features a black & white version of the film (which also looks stellar, and even provides a little more detail in some of the darker scenes) as well as a new audio mix that drops the entire score for the first half of the film. This gives fans and new viewers a whole new way to experience the movie. Shout! Studios’ physical release also includes loads of new bonus material, including audio commentary tracks on both cuts of the film, one of which is also viewable in picture-in-picture format, as well as nearly 2 hours of interviews with the cast/crew.

This 4K release is spread across four discs, placed on trays in a slightly thicker 4K keepcase, covered by a cardboard slipcover. Two 4K UHD discs offer the two different cuts of the film in Dolby Atmos and with their respective commentary tracks, a Blu-ray disc offers both cuts of the film on a single disc along with their commentary tracks, and the final Bonus Blu-ray disc offers the picture-in-picture commentary as well as the interviews. While there is no digital copy included, the film is also available for purchase digitally.

What’s Included:

Film: (1:21:46)

2160p / Widescreen 2.35:1
HDR10
Color (Original Version) & B&W (Shush Cut)
Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Surround, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH

Blu-ray:

1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
Color (Original Version) & B&W (Shush Cut)
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo
Subtitles: English SDH

Extras:
The audio commentaries appear on both the 4K and Blu-ray discs. All interviews and the picture-in-picture version of the Original Version commentary can be found on the Blu-ray Bonus disc. The interviews contain some behind-the-scenes footage mixed in with the interviews.

Audio Commentary (Original Version) (1:21:46)
Writer/director Mike Flanagan, writer/star Kate Siegel (“Maddie”), and actors Samantha Sloyan (“Sarah”), John Gallagher (“The Man”) & Michael Trucco (“John”) sit together for the first time since the film wrapped. The group provides a fun, entertaining and informative commentary throughout the film, sharing lots of behind-the-scenes stories about the production.
Feature-Length Picture-In-Picture Video Commentary (Original Version) (1:21:54)
This can be found on the Blu-ray Bonus Disc, and is the same as the audio commentary from the Original Version, except that you can see all of the participants along with a picture-in-picture view of the film.
Audio Commentary (Shush Cut) (1:21:54)
Writer/director Mike Flanagan and writer/star Kate Siegel provide a fun and lively commentary over the new Black & White Shush Cut. They talk about how the original idea for the film came about over a dinner date, and discuss how the new version came about, the changes to the sound design, and more. They also share lots of interesting behind-the-scenes stories about the production and their unique professional relationship.
Shush Cut Intro (3:59)
Mike Flanagan and Kate Siegel provide a fun introduction to the new Shush Cut, explaining how this is closer to the original vision they had for the film, and how it came about. Not only is this version Black & White, but the score has also been stripped away for the first half of the film.
The Dance Macabre: Mike Flanagan on Hush (28:12)
Director/writer Mike Flanagan talks about his early attempts at movie making, combining his and Kate’s ideas into the premise of the film, working together for the first time, casting the film, the special effects, finding the right house, the lighting, the black & white cut, how the film resonates with viewers, and more. Includes some footage from Flanagan’s home movies.
To Stand Alone: Kate Siegel on Hush (19:46)
Star/writer Kate Siegel talks about how the film came about during a date with Mike, her love of survivor stories, roleplaying with Mike to come up with ideas for the film, the cast, the house, the stunts, working with Mike as a director, the Shush Cut, and more.
The Constant Reader: Actress Samantha Sloyan on Hush (5:16)
Actress Samantha Sloyan talks about how she got involved with the film, what she loved about the script, filming her attack, and more.
The Shape of Silence: Actor John Gallagher, Jr. on Hush (18:52)
Star John Gallagher, Jr. talks about being cast for the role, getting into the mind of the character, filming the stunts, the mask, using the crossbow, filming at the house, shooting the hand scene, and more.
Silent Witness: Actor Michael Trucco on Hush (9:12)
Actor Michael Trucco talks about being cast for the film, the role, filming his bloody scene, and more.
One Good Scare: Producer Trevor Macy on Hush (7:38)
Producer Trevor Macy talks about how he got involved with the film, working with Mike Flanagan, assembling a crew, finding the location, the sound design/mix, embracing the silence in the Shush Cut, and more.
Violent Strains: Composers The Newton Brothers on Hush (10:14)
Composers John Grush & Taylor Stewart (The Newton Brothers) talk about working with Mike Flanagan, the challenge of scoring a dialogue-less film, finding the right sounds to use, how the instrumentation changes over the course of the film, and more.
One Terrible Night: Cinematographer James Kniest on Hush (7:46)
Director of Photography James Kniest talks about how he got involved with Hush talks about shooting in a single location, the lighting challenges, shooting at night, the stunt scenes, and more.

Final Thoughts:

My Rating

Film:

Video:

Audio:

Extras:

Highly Recommended
Must Own For Fans

Hush is a solid, tense, pulse-pounding thriller that will keep you glued to your seat. It has a great story, interesting setting, and strong lead performances, There are some creative and spooky visuals in this movie that will definitely stay with you afterwards. Not only does Shout! Studios’ new 4K release look and sound amazing, but it also offers a whole new way to experience the film, with the new black & white “Shush Cut” that also features a new sound mix. The discs also include nearly 2 hours of new interviews with the cast and crew as well as a pair of new commentary tracks. This is a must own for fans of the film, and highly recommended for any fan of horror/thrillers.