Hush (2016) [Collector’s Edition] 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

Hush is the 2016 psychological-slasher-horror from director and co-writer Mike Flanagan who co-wrote the screenplay with star and wife Kate Siegel. The story follows successful horror author Maddie (Siegel), a deaf mute who lost her abilities to hear and speak after contracting bacterial meningitis at the age of 13.

Following the success of her novel Midnight Mass, Maddie is suffering writer’s block, so she leaves New York City for seclusion in a house in the woods where, alone with her cat, she struggles to write her follow-up, even as her ex-boyfriend is trying to get back together with her. Her only company is a next-door neighbor, Sarah (Samantha Sloyan), who stops by to chat occasionally. This seemingly quiet and idyllic setting disrupted when, later in the same evening when we first encounter Maddie burning a recipe she is trying to cook, a mysterious man in a mask with a crossbow stabs someone to death outside Maddie’s house. Maddie cannot hear the person pounding on her glass front door begging for help. The killer realizes Maddie cannot hear, but he begins to torment Maddie. First, he breaks into her house and steals her cellphone then, when he finally gets her attention, he holds her captive in her own home, waiting to break back into her house and kill her.

Hush is only about eighty-minutes-long, but it begins to feel much longer after a while. As much as I enjoy Mike Flanagan’s work, especially his limited series on Netflix, this film stretches one’s ability to suspend disbelief. Firstly, we have to accept that accept that a crossbow cannot be shot right through a glass pane at any moment. Secondly, we have to accept that a murder wants to linger in the same area for hours after killing multiple people just to toy with one random person and risk capture.

Besides these points of poor logic, there is plenty of suspense and a few twists injected into the film that keep it interesting. And Flanagan shoots it with excellent atmosphere and shadows, making the limited setting never seem boring. Included in this particular release is the “Shush Cut” of the film, which is the same length, but is in black and white and has new audio mix without the score. This version of the film should be considered definitive, as it is the favored version of Flanagan and Siegel, and one can see why. The remix’s emphasis on the sound effects in the house and surroundings heighten the tension while the black and white cinematography lend an air of the Gothic horror or noir.

Purchase Hush (2016) [Collector’s Edition] 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on Amazon.com

The Video

Hush is presented in a 2.35:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) HDR10 encodement. The original version is in color and the Shush Cut is in Black and White. I favor the video quality of the Shush Cut, mainly because it gets the advantage of having better contrast as black and white usually does, but also because the HDR10 grading has better specular highlights on the Shush Cut. Either one looks richly detailed with excellent shadows. Shush cut has exceptionally inky blacks but excellent details.

The Audio

There are multiple audio mixes for Hush included. The original version is given an Atmos mix, a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo mix, and the Shush Cut audio mixes for the Original Version also in the lossless 5.1 and 2.0 stereo. The Shush Cut on its own separate 4K disc also gets a new Atmos mix as well as DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo in the Original Version and Shush Cut mixes.

Whatever version you want to listen to with whichever cut of the film, there is an option for you, but my preference all around us the Shush Cut Atmos mix. Although the Shush Cut drops the score from the mix, the sound design is more engaging, with better use of the height channels, slightly wider dynamic range, and more directional panning through the surrounds. The Original Version Atmos mix is a solid mix, but a bit more straightforward, with less height awareness, probably due to having to take the score into account.

The Supplements

Hush Collector’s Edition includes the Shush Cut as mentioned above as well as an audio commentary for both versions and a separate Blu-ray of special features that includes a picture-in-picture feature length commentary and more featurettes with interviews with cast and crew. There is also a Blu-ray that contains both the original version and shush cut.

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary with Mike Flanagan, Actor & Co-Writer Kate Siegel, and Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Trucco

Special Features Blu-ray:

• Feature-Length Picture-in-Picture Video Commentary with Mike Flanagan, Actor & Co-Writer Kate Siegel, and Actors Samantha Sloyan, John Gallagher Jr., and Michael Trucco (1080p)
• The Dance Macabre: Mike Flanagan on Hush (1080p; 00:28:12)
• To Stand Alone: Kate Siegel on Hush (1080p; 00:19:46)
• The Constant Reader: Actress Samantha Sloyan on Hush (1080p; 00:05:16)
• The Shape of Silence: Actor John Gallagher, Jr. on Hush (1080p; 00:18:52)
• Silent Witness: Actor Michael Trucco on Hush (1080p; 00:09:12)
• One Good Scare: Producer Trevor Macy on Hush (1080p; 00:07:38)
• Violent Strains: Composers The Newton Brothers on Hush (1080p; 00:10:14)
• One Terrible Night: Cinematographer James Kniest on Hush (1080p; 00:07:46)

The Final Assessment

Hush is an effectively suspenseful horror film that has a lot of faults but can still be enjoyable popcorn entertainment on the weekend. This 4K release from Shout! Studios provides excellent home theater entertainment.

Hush (2016) is out on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray November 26, 2024 from Shout! Studios

Purchase Hush (2016) [Collector’s Edition] 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on Amazon.com

• Rating Certificate: R (for strong violence/terror and some language)
• Studios & Distributors: Blumhouse Productions | Intrepid Pictures | Netflix | Shout! Studios
• Director: Mike Flanagan
• Written By: Mike Flanagan | Kate Siegel
• Run Time: 82 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: HDR10
• HDR10 Metadata (Original Version):
  • MaxLL: 833 nits
  • MaxFALL: 330 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• HDR10 Metadata (Shush Cut):
  • MaxLL: 820 nits
  • MaxFALL: 519 nits
  • Max. Luminance: 1000 nits
  • Min. Luminance: 0.0001 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: : English DTS-HD MA 5.1 | English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo
• Subtitles: English SDH