4K Ultra HD movie reviews: ‘Nightmare Alley’ and ‘Last Night in Soho’

Here’s a look at a pair of psychological thrillers now available on the ultra-high definition disc format.

Nightmare Alley (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 148 minutes, $49.98) — Filmmaking craftsman Guillermo Del Toro’s latest Academy Award-nominated movie adapts William Lindsay Gresham’s 1946 novel and delivers a simmering melodrama colored by his brand of the macabre.

This noir-drenched psychological thriller set in the early 1940s has ambitious grifting drifter Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) finding work when he can while living an oppressive existence but eventually landing a job with a traveling circus. He takes full advantage of the opportunity.

Carlisle finds kinship and conflict with an assortment of broken carny folk including electric girl Molly Cahill (Rooney Mara), strongman Bruno (Ron Perlman), the tiniest man in the world Major Mosquito (Mark Povinelli) and a freak show geek taken brutal advantage of by circus boss Clem Hoatley (Willem Dafoe).

Carlisle eventually gets taught the secrets of clairvoyant Madame Zeena Krumbein (Toni Collette) and her alcoholic husband Peter’s (David Strathairn) mind-reading tricks. He cajoles the new love of his life Molly to become his sidekick and go to the big city to find riches by performing a psychic act.

With help from Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a crafty psychiatrist to the rich, the act goes too far, taking advantage of the grieving elite and escalating the stakes that Mr. Carlisle’s fraud could be exposed for contacting the dead in the great beyond.

The stellar cast led by Mr. Cooper puts viewers through a fair share of twists and turns with a denouement drenched in irony.

However, the true star of the film is Mr. Del Toro and cinematographer Dan Laustsen’s meticulous visual presentation imbuing the spirit painter Edward Hopper as they bring the vintage, art deco rich period piece to noirish life.

The UHD presentation, sourced from the 4K master format, delivers visually stunning imagery throughout, enhancing an almost antique-colored pall, glazed with golden or bronze, over the big city locations (especially Dr. Ritter’s wood-paneled office) while delivering a clarity to the shadowy and suffocating outdoor circus locales.

Best extras: On the included Blu-ray of the film, viewers get three featurettes roughly 25 minutes in total that cover an overview of the film; the cast; a slightly deeper dive into the production design (even using of real carnival props from the 1930s); art deco locations; and period costuming (242 costume changes at the carnival alone).

Last Night in Soho (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 116 minutes, $44.98) — Director Edgar Wright took viewers on a 1960s nostalgia trip to one of the hippest locales in London in a supernatural thriller now available on the 4K disc format.

The tale, co-written by Mr. Wright, found a modern country girl, budding fashion designer and lover of all that is the retro-1960s, Eloise Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), getting her chance to shine after being accepted to the London College of Fashion.

After a bad experience with her college roommate, she moves into an off-campus apartment and mysteriously taps into another woman’s life, nearly her doppelganger, named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), that transports her back to her favorite decade.

However, her new vision’s persona goes from a promising singer to prostitute under the control of Jack (Matt Smith). Now caught in Sandie’s world as first an observer during the nights, Eloise loses her grip on reality and starts to interact within both worlds.

The intriguing premise shines through a fantastic soundtrack and exquisite fashion and production design but devolves into a slightly predictable horror movie with its frantic ending.

The UHD visual presentation never disappoints, thanks to Mr. Wright and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung’s obsession with not only capturing a detailed look at landmarks such as the Café de Paris, but also a persistent use of neon pallets boasting saturated reds, purples, pinks and green hues over the screen.

And, the soundtrack shines with the hippest of songs including The Who’s “Heat Wave,” James Ray’s “Got My Mind Set on You,” Sandie Shaw’s “(There’s) Always Something There to Remind Me,” The Walker Brothers’ “Land of 1000 Dances” and Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Happy House.”

Best extras: Viewers get a pair of optional commentary tracks that pretty much cover a deconstruction of the production. Both are led by Mr. Wright with the director getting help from co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns on one track and editor Paul Machliss and composer Steve Price on the other.

The track with both writers was most entertaining as they casually talk like they are at lunch covering their personal experiences in London and Soho that helped craft the story, while keeping it nostalgic.

The trio track is more technical in nature with plenty of focus on the music — I rarely hear a composer in an optional commentary — and equally diving into the various production details and location shooting. It’s definitely worth watching the film a third time.

However, that’s not all. The disc also includes roughly 50 minutes of featurettes covering a breakdown of Eloise and Sandie; the cinematography as well as the visual effects used to create the ghostly creatures; an explanation of some of the mirror effects; the dancing sequence; recreating a 1960s Soho; and the director’s obsession with going back to the 1960s.

Also tossed in, for those fascinated with the deeper specifics of the filmmaking process, are the rough animated storyboards for a quartet of scenes; and technical segments such as hair and make-up tests and the magic behind a dance sequence seen during Steadicam camera rehearsals.