What Lies Beneath - 4K Blu-ray Review

Movie
Strangely enough, despite being a HUGE Harrison Ford fan, I’ve never seen What Lies Beneath. I remember it coming out the year I graduated high school, but back then, I was more interested in action movies and horror flicks rather than what seemed like a cheesy thriller. Over the years, I actually picked up the DVD (I double checked on my shelf) and have had it on my shelves for at LEAST 20 years, but for some reason I haven’t gotten around to watching it. I remember the Blu-ray coming out back in 2021 from Paramount, but that Blu-ray got so low marks for video and audio that I simply declined. Now, 4 years later, I get the chance to rectify 25 years of ignoring the film and give it the chance it deserved. And honestly, I’m kinda sad that I ignored the film for so long.

Claire Spencer (Michelle Pfeiffer) and her scientist husband Norman (Harrison Ford) are recovering from a traumatic year for both of them. Claire is mentally recovering from a car accident from the year before, while Norman is struggling valiantly to finish a paper that will define his career. The two are trying their best to continue on, but poor Claire is having more than a few issues. At first, it’s just some paranoid delusions where she thinks the neighbor (played by James Remar and Miranda Otto in a few minute cameos) killed his wife, only for things to take a much darker turn. The distraught woman starts seeing the face of a beautiful blonde woman, and is convinced that it is the ghost of said woman haunting the house.

Cracking and struggling under the strain, Claire soon realizes that things aren’t as insane as she thought they were. As she peels back the layers of their past, she soon finds a horrific amount of clues that start to lead down a path of murder, lust, and betrayal. And the monster she thought was in her head may actually be closer than she thinks, and MUCH more real than she wants to imagine.

Robert Zemeckis is mostly known for his family-friendly fare and movie magic like blockbusters, but What Lies Beneath was a rather sharp change of pace for the eclectic director. He still kept the PG-13 rating for the film, but What Lies Beneath dives straight into a supernatural thriller that is so dissimilar from his previous works that I almost didn’t recognize his guiding hand throughout the picture. The film sadly isn’t wildly inventive or pushing the envelope for the thriller genre, but it reminds me of the 1990s Michael Douglas Thrillers mixed with a supernatural horror film. Both of which appeal to me greatly, and something that I never picked up from the trailer. The original trailer clued me in to the fact that Harrison Ford was playing one of his RARE villain roles, but the true depth of the supernatural elements wasn’t nearly so pronounced. Which is probably one of the reasons I poo-pooed the film 25 years ago and haven’t ever touched it on my shelf.

That being said, while What Lies Beneath is sort of a generic 90s thriller in structure and feel, it certainly does have a lot going for it. Michelle Pfeiffer (my goodness, what a knockout she was) is fantastic as Claire, bouncing back and forth in a neurotic way as she tries to figure out what is real and what is fake in this hellish psychological state that she’s in. And Zemeckis does a great job misdirecting the audience, even though everyone knows where the film is going to end up (for the most part). The film is definitely one of those twisting, topsy-turvy type of affairs that keep you wondering how we’re going to get to the end until we get there. However, Ford is sadly not nearly so engaged as he is in other films of the same era. He’s rather subdued, and the sheer raw “Ford intensity” just isn’t there. At least to the extent he was remembered for. But it’s a small nitpick, as even mid-range Harrison Ford back in the late 90s/early 2000s was better than 90% of the actors around him.




Rating:

Rated PG-13 for terror/violence, sensuality, and brief language




4K Video: Video:

I obviously haven’t seen the 2021 Blu-ray as I mentioned, but from what I read, that film suffered from being sourced from an old DVD era master, with clumpy grain, edge enhancement, and obvious DNR application. It was one of those that got consistently rated 3/5 everywhere I viewed (which was one of the reasons that I never actually picked the Blu-ray up 4 years ago). But, shifting over to this new 4K UHD, we get a new 4K master sourced from the Original camera Negative, and overseen by the original cinematographer. Results are quite impressive. The film DISTINCTLY looks like a late 90s film, complete with that slightly amber look, with mild ruddy red pushes. Maroon chairs and white levels are pushed almost to blooming, and there is this warmth that can only be described as “90s”. The new 4K master looks superb, with a wonderfully textured grain layer that permeates every section of the film, and fine details that show off some very nice upgrades over the Blu-ray included in this set (which was sourced from the same 4K master that the 4K UHD uses). I can’t compare to the 2021 Paramount disc, but comparing against the Blu-ray itself, there are some nice subtle upgrades. Usually in the form of up-close personal details. The Blu-ray looks a tad soft, while this 4K UHD upgrade is distinctly sharper, with more fine details popping through on clothing, skin, and background objects. The Dolby Vision application isn’t super wild, as the film doesn’t rely on bright popping colors. Instead, there are plenty of dim locations and a pale blue tinge to many of the nighttime shots. Colors are richer and more saturated, but not in ways that would actually shock you. Instead, the entire thing feels like a subtle upgrade over the included Blu-ray. And if the reviews of the 2021 Paramount disc are correct, this new remaster will spank the 4-year-old Blu-ray handily.







Audio:

Once more, I only have other reviews to base this on, but from what I could glean, the 5.1 Dolby TrueHD track found on the 2021 Paramount disc was decidedly kind of bland. A tad front-heavy and rather thin. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA track found on the 4K UHD (and the included Blu-ray) sounds quite nice. Maybe not massively stunning and awe-inspiring, but definitely very pleasant. Dialog is crisp and located up in the front of the room, and music has nice fidelity with some moderate LFE activity. Surrounds aren’t wild, but there still is some nice ambiance. If I had to guess, judging by the previous reviews and my ears with this one, I’d assume we’re simply seeing a re-encoding of the previous mix, just maybe with a few judicious bumps in some areas that it was lacking. All in all, a nice track that doesn’t go overboard.







Extras:

Disc One - 4K UHD
• NEW 4K MASTER FROM THE 35MM CAMERA NEGATIVE, approved by Cinematographer Don Burgess
• Audio Commentary With Director Robert Zemeckis
• Optional English subtitles for the main feature

Disc Two - Blu-ray
• NEW 4K MASTER FROM THE 35MM CAMERA NEGATIVE, approved by Cinematographer Don Burgess
• NEW "You Know: Uncovering What Lies Beneath" – A Feature-Length Retrospective Documentary Including Brand-New Interviews With Robert Zemeckis, Producers Steve Starkey and Jack Rapke, Writers Sarah Kernochan and Clark Gregg, Cast Member Amber Valletta, Director Of Photography Don Burgess, Production Designer Rick Carter, Costume Designer Susie DeSanto, Composer Alan Silvestri, Visual Effects Supervisor Robert Legato, Special Effects Supervisor Shane Mahan, and Puppeteer Jason Matthews
• Audio Commentary With Director Robert Zemeckis
• "Constructing A Thriller" Featurette
• Theatrical Trailer








What Lies Beneath is a capable, by-the-books, supernatural thriller that does a good job of shifting the audience's eyes away from what’s happening on the other hand. It’s got several good performances, and it was a nice change of pace for a Zemeckis movie. The slow-burning thriller comes to a solid conclusion with enough chills and thrills to satisfy most people, while obviously not pushing the envelope. Coming from someone who has never seen the film in his life, it feels like a slice of nostalgia straight from the last 90s/early 2000s, and I am regretting putting the film off for so long. The new 4K remaster looks great, and the new extras are worth checking out. Solid watch and a very nice 4K UHD set from Shout! Studios.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Harrison Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katharine Towne, Miranda Otto, James Remar
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: Clark Gregg, Sarah Kernochan
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DTS-HD MA 2.0
Subtitles: English SDH
Studio: Shout! Studios
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 130 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: April 29th, 2025

Saw this one at the theater and also bought the dvd many years ago but I did not ignore the dvd haha. I didn't see it coming until it was obvious and the two had great chemistry I think. Thanks for the review.