Source Code (2011) 4K UHD Review

4 star high definition explosive action.

Source Code is an action packed, sci-fi thriller film originally released in 2011. It is written by Ben Ripley (Flatliners) and directed by Duncan Jones (Moon, Warcraft).

It has enjoyed a crisp upgrade to 4K UHD courtesy of STUDIOCANAL and is available to own from 20th May 2024.

“Captain Colter Stevens, this is Beleaguered Castle, acknowledge transmission. Captain Stevens, do you copy?”

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal – Southpaw) is an American helicopter pilot, on a tour of duty in Afghanistan, when to his extreme confusion, he suddenly awakens on a commuter train in Chicago. On the train with him is a woman named Christina (Michelle Monaghan – Expecting, Gone Baby Gone) who seems to think of him as her work colleague Sean Fentress.

As he tries to work out what is happening, the train explodes in a fireball and he finds himself in a pod, where he is contacted by Goodwin (Vera Farmiga – Henry’s Crime, The Conjuring 2), call sign Beleaguered Castle. He is part of an experimental government programme entitled The Source Code, a procedure which allows a person to inhabit the consciousness of another for the final eight minutes of their life.

Colter must use these eight minutes to work out where the bomb is and find the bomber in order to prevent an even bigger attacke believed to be in the pipeline, while at the same time trying to make sense of his current predicament.

“Start with the bomb. Where is it, what does it look like? What kind of explosive? How is it detonated? Find the bomb and you will find the bomber.”

Source Code is an excellent film, the performances are exceptional and all of the actors do admirable justice to a carefully worked out script which is exciting and vibrant and keeps the attention right up until the final credits roll.

The film benefits from a point of view which takes into account not just the science involved, but also the human elements, in places this is a very poignant and touching story and although very little explanation is given as to the science behind what is happening, it doesn’t feel necessary, as if too much description would probably spoil the story anyway.

While this film has been out for a while, I would recommend the 4K version, the picture is fantastic, the special effects look better than ever and the high definition explosions are stunning. The sound is also very good. With a couple of new special features, this is a great package and well worth adding to your 4K collection.

“Goodwin. You didn’t tell me how to disarm this. Er, should I unplug it, or do you want me to just leave it, or..? Okay, I’m just gonna leave it.”