Hazbin Hotel: Season One - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Hazbin Hotel: Season One

Movie:
4K Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:



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Movie
While many of us contemplate the idea of life after death, few of us actually sit down and (rightfully so) think about DEATH after death. But hey, A24 has you covered if you never thought about it before, as Hazbin Hotel is right there to walk you through it.

The series revolves around the idea that Heaven is sending an angelic purge of the underworld due to overpopulation. Led by Adam, the angelic forces are going to get rid of a bunch of souls like they do every year, but Lilith and Lucifer’s daughter, Charlie (Erika Henningson), has an idea to help both parties out. A hotel dubbed the “Hazbin Hotel”, where she can oversee the rehabilitation of hellish volunteers to find a way to fast-track their way up through the pearly gates, thus negating the need for Adam and his angelic overseers to purge the underworld. Brilliant, right?

While Hazbin Hotel is super simple on the surface, it seems to magically work due to multiple reasons. Right off the bat, this isn’t your typical animated show. This is a coke-filled, fever-dream musical adventure that uses elements of the CW’s Lucifer, with some hilarious dark humor, and a good amount of musical theater thrown in for good measure. Whether we have a duet between two friends to the assault by a bitter villain, the songs are rich, vibrant, and have a texture all their own that separates them from the ones that came before.

And let's face it, while Hazbin Hotel is an indie production, it doesn’t FEEL like an indie production. Instead, the animation is stellar with some great performances by the cast. The artwork is fluid, with great line art, wonderful detailing, and the Hazbin Hotel itself is eerily nuanced. The characters are hilarious, though, making this a fun mixture of edgy and irreverent, while still maintaining a good list of development for each character as well.

If I have to complain at all, it’s that the show is more than a tad overstuffed. Kind of like Hell in the opening episode, the series feels like it needs a bit of a purge of characters, with a revolving door that doesn’t ever let up. In some ways, it’s part of the premise of the show (rehabilitating characters, and failing at times, to get them to the pearly gates), but sometimes it feels like an impediment. As if we get to know some some characters only partway, and others fully, only to have them replaced. Again, it’s part and parcel for the premise of the show, but I still feel like there are downsides to that. And that’s partially because we only got 8 episodes for years' worth of plot twists and character developments. There’s only so much you can put in the show before it becomes hellishly stuffed. Something I hope they can remedy in the 2nd season.




Rating:

Rated TV-MA by the MPAA




4K Video:

I know this sounds weird considering the context of the show, but Hazbin Hotel feels like a visual mix of Lucifer, Samurai Jack, and The Powerpuff Girls, visually speaking. It’s got a very sharp-looking animation style, with crisp edges and straight-edge line art that gives it that sharp look. There’s a big emphasis on red and other dark hues to give it that eerie and “hellish” vibe, but there are more than a few instances of purple and blue popping up here and there. I did notice some minor banding in the red sky, as well as a little bit in darker arenas, but overall, the rich coloring and dim lighting don’t create too many problems. Fine details are good, maybe not AMAZING, as the animation style isn’t drawn with massive amounts of detail, but still reveals more than enough.









Audio:

Being that this show is highly active and a semi-musical as well, I was a tad surprised that A24 didn’t give this an Atmos mix. But hey, I’m not going to really complain that much, as the 5.1 DTS-HD MA lossless mix is more than ample. The mix is busy, with a wildly kinetic sound that hums with energy from beginning to end. Whether it’s the copious musical numbers filling out the sound stage or the screams and yelling of the hotel’s denizens, this is NOT a low-key mix. Bass is punchy and powerful, and the surrounds are always getting activity of some sort. It’s not always a 10/10 action movie sound, but this is not a mix that one would describe as “low key”.







Extras:

• Commentaries with Vivienne Medrano, Sam Miller & Skye Henwood

Final Score: ​

I will say this, though: seeing more and more Amazon Prime shows (and heck, stuff from A24 in general) get a physical release is something that I will wholeheartedly support no matter what the content. I really want streaming platforms to work hand in hand with physical media rather than try to keep said content locked behind a paywall as a way to drive consumers there. Everybody wins with more options, and this is a great package. Nice and heavy-duty Amaray cases, a great art book, and some cards, as well as the few digital extras we have on the disc (solid commentaries, but nothing more). The series itself is solid and fun, but as I said, a bit overstuffed and suffers in pacing as a result of the 8-episode limit. Fun watch though.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Erika Henningsen, Stephanie Beatriz, Blake Roman
Created by: Vivienne Medrano
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 AVC
Audio: English: DTS-HD MA 5.1, English DVS 5.1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Studio: A24
Rated: TV-MA
Runtime: 184 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: December 9th, 2025
View attachment 73602

Recommendation: Fun, Edgy, Watch