Welcome to the October 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, where we test some of the latest 4K releases from each month. If you’re new here, you can read previous editions of the Blu-ray Bounty at the link.
4K Blu-ray is a big deal here at TechRadar, as not only is it our primary source for testing the best TVs and best soundbars, but we’re also collectors ourselves, always on the lookout for new discs to add to our own compilations.
This month, I’ll be testing four new discs, and if you hadn’t seen last month’s edition, we’ve upgraded our in-house home theater system. We’re now using a full separate AV system, consisting of a 5.1 Bowers & Wilkins 600 series range of speakers, all powered by the Denon AVC-3900H 9.4-channel AV receiver. We’re still using the LG G6, one of 2026’s best OLED TVs, as our display, and our tried and true Panasonic DP-UB820, the best 4K Blu-ray player on the market.
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In last month’s September 2026 Blu-ray Bounty, I tested a mammoth 10 discs, with particular highlights including Supergirl and Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Interview with the Vampire (1994) (Warner Bros)
(Image credit: Warner Bros / Future)
Based on Ann Rice’s 1976 novel of the same name, Interview with the Vampire tells the story of the relationship between Louis de Pointe du Lac (Brad Pitt), a man turned into a vampire by Lestat de Lioncourt (Tom Cruise). The movie cuts between 1791 Louisiana and 1991 San Francisco, where Louis is interviewed by reporter Daniel Molloy (Christian Slater). The movie also stars Kirsten Dunst and Antonio Banderas.
This 4K disc is a showcase for contrast. Candles are used continuously throughout the movie as a means of lighting, and create some really interesting contrast-y scenes. Black levels are rich and deep, and when paired with the candles, create powerful contrast that looks superb on our G6 OLED. The 4K restoration still keeps the movie low brightness, but does well to bump the luminosity in the right places.
Textures have been restored nicely, giving everything a 3D-like look, especially in close-up shots of skin. Colors have a true-to-life, natural look about them, shown in Lestat’s eccentric clothing. Fire has a lovely HDR punch, and with a bright display it truly pops on screen. Some film grain has been maintained, but the picture really has been refined here.
The Atmos soundtrack included delivers great detail too. As a flaming torch passes across the screen, the sound travels from the left front speaker to the right accurately with the movement on screen. As a mansion burns down, the roar of the flames produces a satisfying, detailed bass. During scenes with rain, there is a perceived sense of height thanks to Atmos’ object-based sound, even without height speakers in our setup.
Toy Story 5 (Disney Pixar)
(Image credit: Disney / Future)
The fifth installment in the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5 follows Woody, Buzz, Jessie and the other toys as they deal with the arrival of Lilypad, a tablet that becomes the new favorite of the local children, including the toys’ owner Bonnie.
As you’d expect from a Pixar movie, the animation is incredibly crisp with rich textures that give the movie a nice depth. Colors pop on screen, with the red of Jessie’s hat and hair in particular looking incredibly punchy. Other colors like yellow, pink and green have a really nice look to them too, appearing true-to-life throughout the movie. In darker scenes, blacks are rich and inky on our LG G6 and contrast was strong, shown in the scene at the docks. If your TV supports Dolby Vision, you’ll be rewarded.
The 4K disc supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby soundtracks. During my testing, our system processed the soundtrack as Dolby Digital Plus with Dolby Surround and not the full Dolby Atmos, even though our other reference discs worked with Atmos. This may be something to bear in mind if you don’t have a full 7.1.4 channel Dolby Atmos system (this is the listed configuration on the case, so the disc may be compressing the soundtrack as a result).
The soundtrack is still excellent however, with plenty of detail and accurate sound placement. As humans exit a room chatting, the sound travels from the rear speakers to the front. Speech is crystal clear throughout and there’s plenty of power. As the gang run after a van, the bass produced is satisfyingly punchy from Bullseye’s gallop. There’s great balance as well between all other effects and the score, producing a wide soundstage. Despite a lack of height speakers, as Buzz flies through the air, there’s a perceived sense of height that adds to the experience.
Frankenstein (2025) (Netflix)
(Image credit: Criterion / Future)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Frankenstein is the director’s take on Mary Shelley’s novel of the same name. It follows the story of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac), a scientist whose reanimation experiments result in the creation of The Creature (Jacob Elordi), with dire consequences. The movie also stars Mia Goth, Christoph Waltz and Charles Dance.
Frankenstein is visually stunning on 4K Blu-ray. There are plenty of scenes with high contrast that really play with shadows to create engaging images shown best during night scenes as Victor works in the tower. The balance between light and dark tones is excellent, capturing the Gothic tone of the movie. Textures are crisp and true-to-life, especially with people.
Colors, while used somewhat sparingly, really pop when on screen, shown in the green, grassy fields during The Creature’s tale. Red is also striking, shown with blood and in some of the costumes the wealthier characters wear. HDR highlights, such as the Sun on the horizon, have a good punch too, which really showed up on our LG G6.
The disc supports an incredibly detailed Dolby Atmos soundtrack. One of the showcases for this was the re-animation scene. The crackling of thunder is mapped to each speaker with pinpoint precision, and as it rumbles, the bass produced by our subwoofer is weighty and fills the room. As the camera moves around the room, the sound accurately follows the action on screen. Other effects, such as Victor working with body parts, also sound visceral and realistic.
Little Shop of Horrors (1986) (Warner Bros)
(Image credit: Warner Bros / Future)
An adaptation of the 1982 musical of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of the 1960 movie The Little Shop of Horrors, Little Shop of Horrors follows Seymour (Rick Moranis), a shy man who works in a run-down flower shop and falls for his co-worker Audrey (Ellen Greene). He buys a mysterious plant and names it Audrey II and it soon grows into a giant, talking plant that attracts customers. But Audrey II has some nefarious intentions.
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack is featured here and sounds fantastic. The Atmos mixes for all the musical numbers have a great balance between the instruments and vocals, all given equal clarity and power. Whether it’s the delicate strings and twinkling piano keys of songs like ‘Somewhere That’s Green’ or the punchy guitars and pounding bass of tracks like ‘Feed Me (Git it!’), the Atmos soundtrack is superb.
Visually, this is a great 4K restoration. Textures have been cleaned up and refined, most obvious in people’s skin. Colors are punchy and vibrant throughout the movie, from the green on Audrey II’s plant body to the brightness of a yellow cab. Black levels are deep, with strong shadows during night scenes cast by the stage-style lighting. While there is some film grain present, the picture has mostly been cleaned up, giving it a more modern look.
Blood Simple (StudioCanal)
(Image credit: StudioCanal / Future)
Blood Simple follows the story of bartender Ray (John Getz) and his affair with his boss and bar-owner Julian’s (Dan Hedeya) wife Abby (Frances McDormand). Julian hires detectives to follow the pair and kill them if the affair is proven to be real. This was the directorial debut of the Coen Brothers, and McDormand’s on-screen debut.
The 4K restoration of Blood Simple is very good overall. Textures have been cleaned up well, shown predominantly in people’s skin and faces, giving them a more modern look. There is plenty of film grain still present here, more so in some shots than others. Colors, when used, such as the neon at the bar, have a good vibrancy.
Where this disc shines most though is in its darker scenes. Black levels are inky and there are plenty of high contrast scenes, with light and dark tones balancing well to create strong shadows across people’s faces.
The 4K disc supports a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack. While there isn’t a ton here to push your home theater system, the soundtrack still shows great detail. As a car passes Ray and Abby in the opening, the sound of it is mapped to the speakers accurately, passing from left to right on the front speakers. Speech is cleanly rendered and the piano-led noir score is crystal clear and balances well with other effects.
Inside Llewyn Davis (StudioCanal)
(Image credit: StudioCanal / Future)
Inside Llewyn Davis follows the story of fictional songwriter Llewyn Davis (Oscar Issac), a struggling musician in 1961. Although the character of Davis is fictional, the story was partly inspired by the autobiography of folk artist Dave Van Ronk. The movie was directed by the Coen Brothers.
Inside Llewyn Davis looks great in 4K. Textures are refined and lifelike, from people’s skin to details in clothing. While the movie has a distinctive ‘hazy’ gray look, colors look natural and have some nice punch to them. Scenes in bars during performances show nice contrast, with deep black tones in shaded areas balancing well with stage lights and natural light seeping in.
A Dolby Atmos soundtrack is included, and it sounds brilliant. Songs have a great Atmos mix that are delivered with real clarity and detail, particularly ‘Fare Thee Well’ at the start of the movie. Live performances show off the wide soundstage, accurately rendering the echo from within a room as Llewyn sings in the opening scene.
Elsewhere, the sounds of New York City demonstrate plenty of detail, with the sounds of car horns and general conversation mapped to the rear speakers. As trains pull into a subway, the sound travels from speaker to speaker accurately. Speech and vocals are clear throughout and balanced well with other effects.
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james.davidson@futurenet.com (James Davidson)
