The Truman Show 4K UHD Screenshots (Patreon)

Video

Mercifully remastered after a truly terrible Blu-ray presentation, Paramount's 4K debut for The Truman Show looks splendid. Retaining the natural film grain and devoid of edge enhancement, the sharpness doesn't let up. This natural, organic imagery finally brings this classic home in the appropriate way. The only suspect scene happens around 47-minutes. With Laura Linney in the car, both appear weirdly processed and smear with motion.

Graded for Dolby Vision, Paramount keeps the scan respectful. Contrast doesn't glow unless absolutely necessary (car lights, for example), but it's propped up for this release. Black levels retain their solid state without any rigidness to dilute shadow detail.

Soft, warm color suits Truman Show; that's beautiful, especially flesh tones. Firm primaries look lively. Note various shots employ focal tricks to simulate "hidden" cameras, and those dim the fidelity. Same goes for the worn, now ancient digital effect composites. Those can't be corrected, but each represents a sliver of the total runtime.

Audio

In Atmos, Truman Show's flashback storm sequence makes full use of the overheads, with thunder crashing loudly in the heights. On the shoreline, waves crash into the stereos and rears. Downstairs, Truman hears footsteps on the floor above. Ed Harris' voice booms from the sky at the end. The spread is a wide one, surprisingly, giving life to the town as Truman wanders.

Range isn't extensive, but where possible, the subwoofer offers support to the music, larger waves, and other elements. It's a fun mix, clearly given full attention during the remastering phase to help Truman Show delight in audio as much as it does video.