Source Code is a 2011 American-French science fiction thriller film that was directed by Duncan Jones, produced by Mark Gordon, Jordan Wynn, and Phillippe Rousselet, and written by Ben Ripley. It stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a U. S. Army captain who is sent into a computed reality to find the identity of a bomber; additionally starring is Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, and Jeffrey Wright. The film had its world premiere on March 22, 2011 at South by Southwest, and was released by Summit Entertainment on April 1, 2011 in North America and Europe.

Source Code starts out with US Army pilot Captain Colter Stevens as he wakes up on a Metra commuter train that’s headed to Chicago. Feeling terribly disoriented, his last memory prior to that was being on a mission in Afghanistan. To the world around him, including his traveling partner Christina Warren, and the bathroom mirror, Stevens appears to have assumed the identity of Sean Fentress, a school teacher. As he comes to grips with this revelation, the train explodes, killing everybody aboard.

The film received acclaim from critics upon its release and became a box office success, as it ended up grossing over $147.3 million worldwide. Plans for a television adaptation at CBS were announced shortly after the films release; however, those plans were snapped in December 2014 in favor of a film sequel. The sequel is in development with Mark Gordon returning as producer and Anna Foerster added as director.

The Film Itself (4/5):

Providing audiences with what have been quoted as being Hitchcock-esque, Source Code takes us on this journey as we work with the titular characters to track down and identify the man who is responsible for the explosion and the unfortunate death of many innocent civilians.  As you watch along, you’re not only going on this journey, but you’re also trying to gain an understanding of the Source Code program and exactly what it is that’s going on with Gyllenhaal’s character.  I personally felt that the concept, along with the little game of Clue that was going on were an enjoyable experience.  The story had me incorrectly guessing everything from the beginning, maintaining my attention from beginning to end.  I do wish that they would have gone more into the program itself, relieving some of the focus on the Stevens’ task at hand.

Picture Quality (5/5):

The UHD release of Source Code is another one of those “fake 4k” that might make you question whether or not that it’s worth checking out.  Let me tell you, the overall visual presentation and utilization of HDR in this film was absolutely fantastic from beginning to end.  Everything from the experiences on the train to the minor details of the flames as they engulfed the train looked all that more real, allowing for a really unique experience.

Audio Quality (5/5):

Packaged with an English Dolby Atmos audio track, the UHD release of Source Code offers an all out immersive experience for its viewers that are able to make use of the technology at hand.  Doing, what I felt was, a beautiful job with the camera placement in relation to the audience as it would transition in between the channels, my wife and I really felt as if we were right in the middle of everything.  The sequences that really stood out, despite not having much emphasis on the elevation level, were those that took place on the commuter train.  Hearing the people and the external noises of the train as the camera would move from location to location really added to the experience, allowing for all out immersion.

The Packaging (3/5):

The UHD release of Source Code comes packaged in your standard two-disc UHD amaray case.  Within that case is the standard 4K UHD copy of the film as well as the standard Blu-ray copy.  The UHD disc does feature the same piece of artwork that’s provided on the case, while the Blu-ray copy only contains the standard release text and generic blue background.  There are no DVD copies included; but, there is a digital copy redemption pamphlet included.  There is also a slipcover that features the same piece of artwork that’s provided on the case art that’s been made available during the initial print run of this release.

  

Special Features (4/5):

Yet another UHD release that includes an audio commentary on the 4K disc; are they finally getting it figured out?  the content that’s been provided on this release of Source Code allows for a really nice expansion of the storyline as well as a nice look into some of the work that went on behind the scenes.  Provided with this release is:

• Feature Audio Commentary With Director Duncan Jones, Writer Ben Ripley & Actor Jake Gyllenhaal
• 6 Crazy Details You Might Have Missed (4K Only)
• Get The Ultimate Insider’s Look At Source Code With Access: Source Code, Where You Can Activate A Variety Of Dynamic Scene Specific Features: Listen To Interviews With Cast & Crew, Hear An Expert’s Comments On Time Travel, Go Behind The Scenes With Animated Documentary Shorts On Time Travel, And Enjoy Trivia & Facts As You Watch The Movie (Blu-ray Only)

Technical Specs:

Video

Codec: HEVC / H.265

Resolution: Upscaled 4K (2160p)

HDR: Dolby Vision + HDR10

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Original Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles

English, English SDH, Spanish

Runtime

Original Film: 93 minutes

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with the UHD release of Source Code.  This wasn’t a film that I would have personally expected to see come out into the UHD catalog, and I’m really glad that it did.  The new video track, despite being an upscale, really does a beautiful job with its utilization of HDR and the Atmos track, is a beautiful effort when comparing it to the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that was made available on the previously released Blu-ray.  If you’re considering grabbing this for your collection, I would definitely recommend it.  Source Code will be available on 4K UHD beginning on Tuesday, May 8, 2018.

Note: This Blu-ray was sent to us for review. This has not affected our judgement or editorial process in any way. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding this process.