Welcome to the March 2026 edition of Blu-ray Bounty, where I’ll be testing the month’s latest 4K releases (based on UK release dates) to see whether they make a worthy addition to your, hopefully, growing collection.
If this is your first visit to the Blu-ray Bounty, welcome, and go check out previous editions at the link. In last month’s packed February 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I looked at eight discs: Lawrence of Arabia, Minority Report, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, Bugonia, Predator: Badlands, Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii MCMLXXII, Westworld (1973), and Dogma.
We love 4K Blu-ray here at TechRadar. It’s our staple source for testing the picture quality of the best TVs, as its higher bitrate means better picture quality than 4K streaming, and sound quality of the best soundbars, as 4K Blu-ray has uncompressed soundtracks.
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As always, I won’t be reviewing these discs based on the movies themselves: just their picture and audio quality and how they can be a good match for your home theater system.
Wicked: For Good (Universal Pictures)
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The sequel to the blockbuster musical Wicked, Wicked: For Good, is the conclusion to the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), now known by Oz as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Glinda (Ariana Grande), now known as Glinda the Good Witch.
So colorful and vibrant was the original Wicked 4K Blu-ray that it became one of my regular discs for testing TVs. Visually, Wicked: For Good ticks all the same boxes as the original. From the multi-colored flowers outside Munchkinland to the greens of the Emerald City, colors are bold and vibrant, especially with Dolby Vision. They pack plenty of punch throughout, while looking both true-to-life and nicely saturated to suit the movie.
There are also plenty of high-contrast scenes throughout that will show off your display’s contrast, notably the ones where Elphaba sits in the woods, which are somehow always at sunset. This creates strong shadows with nice highlights that look great on the G5. Textures are crisp, and there’s plenty of refined detail throughout as well.
There’s plenty to like about the Dolby Atmos soundtrack, too. Musical numbers are delivered with plenty of scope, space and power, giving vocals and instruments equal room to breathe. But there’s plenty of non-musical elements to test your sound system too. Elphaba’s many broom flights are mapped wonderfully to a surround system, delivering a wide soundstage with plenty of height effects as she soars overhead. As she swoops by, there’s punchy bass too. This disc is an audio showcase as much as it is a visual one.
The Running Man (2025) (Paramount)
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A remake of the 1987 original starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Running Man (2025) is adapted from Stephen King’s novel of the same name. It follows Ben Richards (Glenn Powell) as he takes part in a deadly reality show. This version is directed by Edgar Wright (of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame).
The Running Man looks great visually. It has a slick presentation as expected from a modern movie with sharp and realistic textures, but I was surprised to see a good amount of film grain featured, giving the movie an interesting look. With the movie’s futuristic setting, there are some punchy colors via the neon signs and various monitors throughout. Night scenes also deliver strong contrast, with deep blacks mixed with bright lights that look great in Dolby Vision.
The movie’s Dolby Atmos soundtrack is consistently strong throughout, with bullets, punches and explosions all delivering meaty bass that’s also nicely controlled: perfect for showing off a subwoofer. It also uses every part of its soundstage during car chase sequences and gunfights, each effect delivered with detail and precision. Height channels are used to great effect, too, with the network’s drones and helicopters following Richards throughout the movie.
3:10 To Yuma (1957) (Criterion Collection)
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A classic Western, 3:10 To Yuma (1957) tells the story of a rancher named Dan Evans (Van Heflin) who takes on a job to escort an outlaw named Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) to his trial in Yuma, Arizona. The movie was remade in 2007, starring Russell Crowe as Wade and Christian Bale as Evans.
I’ve praised what 4K restorations can do for older movies for some time now, and Criterion’s restoration of 3:10 To Yuma is no different: it’s superb. Textures have been beautifully cleaned up – every weather-beaten wrinkle on people’s faces is fully restored – and looking almost modern. The movie is in black and white, and dark tones are deep while white tones are bright, with a full range of gray tones in between. Cinephiles will be happy with the amount of film grain retained, though it’s more obvious in the movie’s exterior scenes.
There are two soundtrack options: monaural and DTS-HD MA 5.1. For purists, the monaural soundtrack has been nicely cleaned up, with clear speech and detailed effects. But the DTS-HD MA 5.1 soundtrack really shines here. There’s solid bass from the rumble of galloping horses, good surround details during gunfights with ricocheting bullets, and even a wide soundstage, letting the soundtrack breathe. Speech is also crystal clear.
The Breakfast Club (Criterion Collection)
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One of the 1980s’ most iconic movies from John Hughes, The Breakfast Club is a coming-of-age comedy-drama that tells the story of five teenagers from distinctly different social cliques, all brought in for the same Saturday detention. The film stars Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Michael C. Hall, Emilio Estevez and Ally Sheedy.
The Breakfast Club is another example of a great 4K restoration from Criterion Collection. Colors have some really nice pop throughout, especially in the glossy Coca-Cola cans everyone has at lunch. The bright yellow and red lockers look both punchy and realistic. Textures are nicely restored, with close-up shots of the main characters showing details like stubble and creases in full detail. Cinephiles will love the amount of film grain here, too.
While The Breakfast Club isn’t the audio showcase of an action blockbuster, both its monaural and DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtracks are very good. The DTS-HD 5.1 MA in particular delivers clear speech and precise sound effects, such as the exaggerated squeaking of Bender’s leather boots or the biting of Allison’s nails. The movie’s 80s-centric soundtrack also sounds great, with the powerful punch of synths and drums you want from iconic tracks like Simple Minds’ Don’t You Forget About Me.
The Man Who Wasn’t There (Criterion Collection)
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Directed by the Coen Brothers, The Man Who Wasn’t There tells the story of Ed Crane (Billy Bob Thornton), a barber in a small Californian town who tries to blackmail his wife’s lover to raise money for a business venture offered to him by a customer at the barbershop. The movie also stars Frances McDormand, Scarlett Johansson, Michael Badalucco, and more.
The Man Who Wasn’t There looks fantastic in 4K. Presented in black and white, there’s a great balance between light and dark tones, with a full range of grays. There are tons of excellent high-contrast scenes throughout, with deep blacks casting strong shadows and balancing with bright highlights. Textures have been cleaned up, with close-up shots showing people’s wrinkles and facial marks with refined detail, while skin appears true-to-life throughout. There’s some nice film grain, too.
The DTS-HD 5.0 surround soundtrack is very clear and refined. Crane’s voiceover is perfectly rendered with good clarity throughout the movie. More subtle sound effects are well presented, too. An unsettling wind, the whir of the clippers in the barber chair, or footsteps in echo-y halls are all well-defined and authentic.
Cutter’s Way (Radiance)
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Cutter’s Way follows the story of Vietnam veteran Alex Cutter (John Heard) and his friend Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges), who both become embroiled in a murder investigation, with Cutter convinced that Bone is a witness.
Cutter’s Way is another example of a top-notch 4K restoration. Textures have been refined and look detailed and authentic. People’s skin and the textures in clothing are all true-to-life and look more modern than the 1981 production would suggest. Colors are vibrant throughout, with reds and greens in particular looking punchy. Contrast during night scenes is also strong, and there’s a lot of film grain here for cinephiles, but it doesn’t hamper the picture.
This 4K disc only offers a mono soundtrack, but it sounds clear, with speech and other effects still given enough room to breathe and delivered with good clarity. For those looking for something truly unique, there’s also an isolated score track option, which cuts out all audio other than the score, even during parts of the movie where there’s no score. It makes for an interesting watch, and the score itself is bright, loud and detailed if you choose this experience.
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
