Welcome to the September 2026 Blu-ray Bounty. If this is your first time reading, you can check out previous editions of the Blu-ray Bountyat the link. This is where we test the latest 4K releases each month, to recommend whether you should add them to your 4K collection.
4K Blu-ray is the best way to view movies at home and is my go-toV reviewer. Plus, I’m a collector myself, and always adding new titles to my already-packed shelves
This month, I’ll be testing ten new titles from September 2026. And there’s some big news: we’ve upgraded our in-house sound system! After using the Samsung HW-Q990C soundbar system since the start, we’ve updated to a full separate Denon and Bowers & Wilkins home theater system, consisting of the Denon AVC-3900H AV receiver, a pair of B&W 603 S3 floorstanders for fronts, a pair of B&W 607 S3 bookshelves for surrounds, a B&W HTM6 S3 centre speaker and a B&W ASW610 subwoofer. This is a 5.1 system for now, but we’ll be adding in two side speakers soon to create a 7.1 system.
Elsewhere our setup remains the same. The TV is the LG G6, one of 2026’s best OLED TVs and the Panasonic DP-UB820 4K Blu-ray player, one of the best 4K Blu-ray players on the market. As usual, I’ll be testing each disc on its picture and audio quality and not the movies themselves.
Supergirl (Warner Bros.)
Supergirlfollows the story of Kara Zor-El AKA Supergirl,(Milly Alcock) Superman’s cousin, as she is thrown into an unlikely alliance to hunt down Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), a space trafficker and outlaw, after he harms her dog Krypto.
Supergirllooks superb in 4K. Colors are both punchy, shown in the neon signs at the various bars or the laser from Supergirl’s eyes and the various weapons of criminals, and true-to-life, shown in the iconic colors of the blue, red and yellow in the Supergirl costume. Scenes in space showcase the disc’s rich black tones and strong contrast, with the balance between the black of space and the bright stars and Sun. Textures are crisp, with people looking realistic and environments and objects packed with detail.
The disc has a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that is a real showcase for the object-based sound. As Supergirl flies around, the trajectory of sound accurately follows her movement on screen, with the sound mapped precisely from speaker to speaker. Spaceship engines and the boom of Supergirl taking off deliver meaty bass that’s well-controlled, and fight scenes generate plenty of hefty impact from front channels.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu (Disney)
A spin-off movie from The Mandalorian TV show, Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu follows the two titular characters as they are tasked with the rescue of Rotta the Hutt, the only surviving heir to Jabba the Hutt.
Presented in Dolby Vision, The Mandalorian & Grogu looks excellent. It’s a slick presentation with lifelike textures and detail: characters take on a 3D-like depth that makes them appear true-to-life. There’s also plenty of high contrast scenes with rich black tones that look great on the G6 OLED. The balance between light and dark tones was superb too, with the gleam of the Mandalorian’s armor contrasting well with the dark surroundings.
Colors are also delivered with some nice pop, with the reds of lasers and blaster fire looking vibrant. On a wooded planet, the greens of the trees are lush and natural.
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack here is brilliant. During the opening scene, as the Mandalorian infiltrates an Imperial warlord’s hideout, gunfire sounds hefty with plenty of impact. Explosions generated a weighty rumble that had our testing room rattling, but later fight scenes showed that the bass was tightly controlled.
Sound placement is superb too. As gunfire scatters from one end of a room to another, the trajectory is accurately mapped from the front to surround speakers with real precision.
Hamilton (Disney)
One of the most widely known musicals in recent theater, Hamilton follows the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the US. The musical is known for using different styles of music in its songs, primarily hip-hop. This home video version is a recording of the original 2015-2016 Broadway run.
The 4K disc supports a Dolby Atmos soundtrack that sounds excellent. Vocals are cleanly delivered and well balanced with other elements in the mix. Backing choirs and vocalists feed through the rear speakers, and individual instruments are precisely mapped to each channel. In ‘Alexander Hamilton’ (the opening number), there’s tight bass, punchy drums and excellent use of Dolby Atmos’ object-based profile, with every element combining to conjure up an immersive soundstage.
Other tracks such as You’ll Be Back demonstrate the Atmos soundtrack’s more delicate strings and pianos, while other tracks such as Guns and Ships again show the bass-driven hip-hop styling mixed with epic strings and rapped vocals. All of it sounds impressive, especially through our new home theater system.
The picture here is presented in Dolby Vision and looks great. Black tones created by the use of stage lighting are deep and rich, actors look true-to-life, there’s plenty of refined detail in costumes, and colors have a nice vibrancy to them throughout the entire production. The fast movement of the actors and cameras will also provide a test for your display. Shadow detail is brilliant throughout as well, with the spotlights and stage lights creating some impressive-looking shadows.
12 Angry Men (1957) (Criterion)
12 Angry Men (1957) follows a group of 12 jurors debating whether to convict or acquit a teen charged with murder. 11 jurors agree, but 1 juror’s caution forces the men to reconsider the evidence.
As with most Criterion releases of classic movies, this restoration breathes new life into the picture. Textures have been upscaled nicely, giving people in particular a fresh, 3D-like look and textures in the environment have been refined brilliantly in the deliberation room. The black and white picture also shows strong contrast, with a terrific range of gray tones. There’s a fair amount of grain retained here, but it suits the movie.
The supported soundtrack is only monaural, so there’s nothing here to really show off your home theater. But the soundtrack has been cleaned up, meaning dialogue is clear throughout and other effects such as the shuffling of chairs is clear too.
Obsession (Universal Pictures)
Obsessionfollows the story of Ian (Michael Johnston), who uses a ‘One Wish Willow’ to wish that his crush, Nikki (Inde Navarrette), will fall in love with him. His desire is granted, but he soon discovers that this triggers a dark and dangerous series of events.
Presented in Dolby Vision, Obsession looks great in 4K. There’s a lot of deep dark tones throughout, with some strong contrast on display, created by the use of lighting. Textures are crisp, with characters appearing lifelike throughout the movie. There’s some stellar shadow detail here as well, with a lot of detail legible even in particularly dark scenes. Colors, while not especially varied, do look bold and vibrant when used, particularly reds, which look both punchy and natural.
There’s a Dolby Atmos soundtrack supported here, which is most effective with the movie’s tense and foreboding score. Bass synths generate a lot of rumble from the subwoofer, and there’s a real sense of immersion as the other synths swirl across the speakers. Other effects also sound great, delivered with real precision and clarity. In one scene where Nikki smashes a bottle, the sound of splintering glass is realistic, and the following visceral moments sound gruesomely lifelike as well. Moments of violence are rendered with spine-chilling detail too.
Disclosure Day (Universal Pictures)
Disclosure Dayfollows the story of Margaret Fairchild (Emily Blunt), a meteorologist and Dr Daniel Kellner (Josh O’Connor), a cybersecurity specialist, who end up on the run from a government agent (Colin Firth) after discovering extraterrestrial life is real, and they attempt to reveal the information to the world.
This is a slick-looking 4K presentation, with lifelike textures and detail. Colors are punchy and realistic throughout the movie, whether it’s clothing, cars or environments, such as the green fields of the forest where Kellner hides out. High contrast scenes look excellent as well, with a great balance between light and dark tones. HDR highlights really pop on screen too, shown with rear headlights in cars and spotlights used later in the movie.
The Dolby Atmos soundtrack featured here is fantastic. Gunshots have plenty of impact, explosions and car crashes generate a hefty bass response, and object-based sounds are expansive. As cars drive through a dusty, gravel path, the sound of the gravel under the tires is accurately mapped to rear channels, and seamlessly synchronizes with the on-screen action.
Batman: Knightfall Part 1 (Warner Bros)
Batman: Knightfall Part 1 is the first part in a planned trilogy of animated movies that adapts the ‘Knightfall’ storyline in Batman comics, that ran from 1993-94. The first part follows Batman as he confronts the escaped inmates of Arkham Asylum, who have been freed by Bane.
This is a clean, crisp animation presented in 4K, Dolby Vision. Colors are satisfyingly vivid and give the picture a real comic book look. Reds and oranges are especially eye-catching, shown again with blood and the fire of Azrael’s claws. The animation itself also appears intricate, with sharp textures that give the picture depth. Black tones are rich and look great on our LG G6 OLED.
The disc supports a DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack that sounds superb. In the opening scene, as Azrael ambushes members of the Kobra Cult, gunfire delivers good punchiness, Azrael’s movements are tracked accurately and as he stalks around the gang, the sound follows the action precisely. Punches have good heft and weight to them and the soundtrack makes every use of each channel, giving every sound room to breathe.
Little Odessa (Criterion)
Little Odessa tells the story of Joshua Shapira (Tim Roth), a hitman who accepts a contract in the Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up, where upon his return, he reconnects with his estranged Soviet immigrant family.
This is another great 4K restoration from Criterion. Textures have been upscaled well and cleaned up, giving the movie a more modern look. Night scenes are perfect for showing off the disc’s strong contrast, with rich shadow detail, deep dark tones and a good balance with brighter tones, such as streetlights and snow. Colors look natural throughout, and even scenes with snow benefit from the new Dolby Vision HDR grade that adds more brightness to the white tones.
The disc supports a DTS-HD 2.0 surround MA soundtrack. While this won’t be a tought test for your home theater system, the general ambience of the Brooklyn streets adds some good atmosphere to the viewing experience, with car horns, nearby pedestrians and the subway all adding some life. Speech is also clear throughout.
Barbarian (20th Century Studios)
Barbarian follows the story of Tess (Georgina Campbell), a woman who books an AirBnB and discovers that it’s been double-booked by a man named Keith (Bill Skarsgård). After Tess decides to stay anyway, she soon discovers dark secrets within the house.
This is another great-looking 4K Blu-ray. Where your display will be really tested is with the movie’s many dark scenes. On our LG G6, black tones were inky and rich, and contrast was strong as the light from torches as well as dimly lit lamps juxtaposed dark surroundings. Shadow detail is also excellent, and textures have an authentic look, particularly with people. While the spectrum of colors on offer is relatively slim, they appear vibrant and natural in equal measure when used.
A DTS-HD 5.1 MA soundtrack is featured here. From the opening scenes, the use of surround adds to the immersion, with the pounding rain still giving a sense of height, despite the absence of actual height channels. The movie’s tense, mysterious score is punchy, with the bass synths generating some good low-end tones that whip up a chilling atmosphere. Other more subtle effects such as the scratching of rocks and shallow breathing are detailed enough to really set your nerves on edge.
The Abominable Snowman (1957) (Hammer)
The Abominable Snowman follows Dr John Rollason (Peter Cushing), a British scientist who joins an expedition led by American Tom Friend (Forrest Tucker) to find the legendary Yeti in the Himalayas.
As I’ve found with the last few Hammer releases I’ve tested, The Abominable Snowman looks very good in 4K. The restoration looks excellent, with textures upscaled to give the movie a much fresher look. This is shown most of all in people’s skin, which is given a 3D-like level of detail. The black-and-white picture looks great too, with deep blacks, punchy whites and a good range of gray tones. Shadow detail is fantastic too, with a great use of shadows to create strong-contrast scenes. Grain has been cleaned up a lot and though there is some left, this is a clean-looking presentation.
There are two soundtrack options here: mono and 5.1 surround. While the mono is no doubt more accurate to the original movie (due to the timeframe), the 5.1 does add an extra layer. Sound effects such as shuffling feet through snow and the howling winds are given more space, while speech is mapped to center channels for a clearer sound. Scenes where avalanches crash produce surprisingly strong bass as well, with some solid rumble emanating from our subwoofer.
