The Prestige 4K (2006) Ultra HD 2160p REMUX

In Victorian London at the turn of the century, where magicians are idols, two young but very different magicians set out to carve their own paths to fame. Robert Angier is a consummate entertainer — flashy, sophisticated and a true showman — while Alfred Borden is a rough-edged creative purist who lacks the panache to showcase his tricks. As friends and partners they provide the perfect combination but when one of their tricks goes terribly wrong, friends become enemies and an escalating battle of one-upmanship begins, with ever increasing peril to those around them.

The Prestige 4K 2006 Ultra HD 2160p REMUX Review
The Prestige was shot on film by Nolan's frequent partner, Wally Pfister, who would later win an Oscar for the director's Inception . Newly scanned from negative and color-corrected under Nolan's personal supervision, the film arrives on this 2160p, HEVC/H.265-encoded UHD in a presentation that can truly be said to "blow away" the previous Blu-ray master, even in the re-encoded rendition available from Warner. The Prestige's meticulous period design and costumes have never looked so rich and detailed outside of a good theatrical presentation. The clothing textures are subtle and tactile; the facial details have the fine intensity of the best large-format photography; and the Victorian decor seems convincingly real and immediate. The Prestige features numerous scenes of crowded theaters where the rival magicians perform, and the attendees in the crowd remain distinct and individuated even in long shots. So do the magicians and their assistants on stage, even when photographed at a great distance from the rear of the theater. (It's like having a back row seat, but with perfect vision and an unobstructed view.) The dark, rich tones of the English sequences contrast sharply with the vivid greenery of the American scenes, when Jackman's character embarks on a quest for inspiration to the New World, and the electrical marvels he encounters there—presided over by a politely sinister David Bowie—almost leap off the screen. HDR grading supplies improvements both subtle (e.g., in the colorful stage costumes of Scarlett Johannson and Piper Perabo) and dramatic (e.g., in the swirling mists and snow of the mysterious mansion that Jackman's character approaches at the film's opening; they're like mush on the Blu-ray compared to the UHD).

The Prestige is one of my personal favorites among Nolan's films. Watching it in this 4K presentation was like seeing it fresh for the first time. It's the only way I want to watch it in the future.

The Prestige was previously released on Blu-ray with a lossless 5.1 track encoded as PCM and reviewed here. The UHD features the same mix, but now encoded in DTS-HD MA. If there's any difference between the two encodes, it was not obvious.