The What Hi-Fi? Awards are fast approaching, so we have our noses to the grindstone testing all the latest TV and AV kit in preparation.
That means getting to use plenty of movies to put them through their paces, whether that's in terms of providing a good Dolby Atmos performance or impressive dark detail in an image.
In usual Now Showing fashion, we are giving you a sneak peek behind the curtain to see what our team of experts have been using recently to challenge even the best pieces of kit. From a Ryan Gosling classic to animated tear-jerkers, there's something for everyone on this list.
Drive (2011)
Like a shotgun blast to the head, Drive completely blew me away when I first saw it as a teen at the back end of my school days. Here was a film that wallowed gleefully in the stylistic tropes of post-noir cinema, and while I didn’t fully understand exactly what those tropes were or where they came from, that presented no obstacle to immersing me in the gutsy glory of Nicolas Winding Refn’s petrol-soaked masterpiece.
The story of a stunt driver embroiled with Los Angeles’ criminal underground is relatively bare bones, as is the characterisation of Ryan Gosling’s nameless, near-voiceless protagonist. Instead, the spotlight shines on the tale’s visual splendour and canny sound design, all of which make it ideal for testing out your TV if you get hold of a proper Blu-ray or UHD edition.
Your reward, if everything is working correctly, is a masterpiece in evoking that noir-soaked aesthetic, from the neon greens and reds of LA light illuminated against a dark cityscape to the bloody viscera of one of the narrative’s flashes of intense, disturbing ultraviolence.
You’ll want a sound system that can do it justice, too. The music in Drive acts as a central character, making it a perfect candidate for testing the immersive capabilities of your surround system. Kavinsky’s Nightcall, anyone?
A sublime test of both sound and screen. Now, where to get that Scorpion-adorned jacket…
Words by Harry McKerrell
Buy Drive on 4K Blu-ray from HMV
Stream Drive on Amazon Prime Video
The Long Walk (2025)
Horror writer Stephen King is having quite the year, with a selection of his novels being adapted for the big screen in 2025 alone. The Monkey, and The Life of Chuck have both already hit the cinema screen, and The Running Man is also coming out in November.
But the most recent entry to the King's cinematic roster is The Long Walk based on his novel released back in 1979.
Set in a dystopian alternative to the U.S., a group of young men sign up to complete in a (you guessed it) long walk – but there's no finish line. The boys must keep to a strict set of rules or risk getting removed from the game by being shot dead by the soldiers following along. The last one left will be crowned with glory and riches.
Suffice to say it's not a particularly cheery watch but, even though I have only seen it in a cinema, there is one scene that I know will be a go-to for testing Dolby Atmos performance in months to come.
When the boys are suddenly forced into an incline and struggle to keep pace with the strict rules, a tense revving sound in the score moves around the soundstage to surround the listener. Then gunshot begins to sound, cutting through the bass-heavy thrum of the nerve-wracking soundtrack. It's quite the experience, and should be a great way to put Dolby Atmos systems to the test.
It's not available to order on streaming or 4K Blu-ray yet, so keep your eyes peeled for its release.
Words by Robyn Quick
The Wild Robot (2024)
If you thought modern animated films were all ‘follow your dreams’ hokum, or Smurfs, then The Wild Robot is for you. Telling the story of a service robot called Roz who’s stranded on an uninhabited island and has to bond with the wildlife, it explores themes of motherhood, alienation, free will and identity, all within a luscious natural world setting.
Like The Lego Movie and Inside Out (and Haribo), it also manages that nigh-on impossible task of appealing to kids and grown-ups alike. The first hour is a riot of fish-out-of-water slapstick, but it also deftly sets up the film’s emotional core.
It’s a feast for the eyes, too. The natural world is rendered beautifully – which certainly underscores its environmental message – and contrasts with the stark corporate shininess of the RECO robots sent to capture Roz.
Also, Matt Berry voices a beaver. If that doesn’t sell it to you…
Words by Joe Svetlik
Watch The Wild Robot on 4K Blu-ray from HMV
Stream The Wild Robot on Amazon Prime Video
Weapons (2025)
If you’re after a jolt of horror that will haunt you for days thanks to its stellar cinematography and expert use of sound, check out Weapons, which had its home cinema launch earlier this month.
Available to rent or buy on most common streaming platforms, the horror is one of the best I’ve seen this year. That's no great surprise given the talented cast and fact it was written and directed by Zach Cregger, who is also the mastermind behind Barbarian.
Telling the story of a small American town dealing with the sudden mass disappearance of an entire classroom-full of children, the movie mixes all the classic horror movie tropes – creepy old ladies, decrepit houses, gruesome deaths and all.
So if you have the stomach to endure some of the more graphic elements and are on the hunt for a fantastic horror that will keep you guessing and deliver a decent dose of adrenaline, I thoroughly recommend giving it a go.
But be warned: I mean it on the gore; like Barbarian before it, Weapons doesn’t pull its punches.
Words by Alastair Stevenson
Pre-order Weapons on 4K Blu-ray at Amazon
Tron: Legacy (2010)
Sometimes you just need to watch a badass film because it looks and sounds cool, even if the plot is completely rubbish.
Tron: Legacy is, unsurprisingly, the sequel to 1982's Tron, and it's about to get its own sequel in the form of Tron: Ares. With the third film in the trilogy set to release next month, I fired up Disney Plus to watch Legacy and was immediately drawn into the awesome sci-fi world it serves up.
I'll admit, the last time I watched the film was long before I joined the What Hi-Fi? team, so now with my extensive knowledge of everything home cinema, all I could think was "this would make an incredible test disc" – which is convenient as a 4K Blu-ray version is about to be released.
Anyway, back to the film itself, it looks and sounds simply superb (as long as we're not talking about the creepy CGI de-aged Jeff Bridges), with everything and everyone in the film being drenched in neon lights.
The action sequences are stylish and sleek, with Light Cycles and Discs flying in the treacherous games run by the villain, whose identity I won't spoil in case you haven't seen it before.
This movie also has my favourite score of all time, provided by the sensational French DJ duo Daft Punk. Deep, pulsating bass and zippy electronic effects are the theme here, and I think it captures the themes of the film perfectly. Since the release of this film, Daft Punk has announced their split, meaning Nine Inch Nails have been called upon for the Tron: Ares soundtrack.
If you want an action-packed film with eye-catching visuals and an awesome soundtrack to match, then look no further than Tron: Legacy.
Words by Lewis Empson
Pre-order Tron: Legacy on 4K Blu-ray from Amazon
Stream Tron: Legacy on Disney Plus
To test out the latest TV and AV kit, we watch a whole lot of movies. There are tried and tested favourites that we come back to often, but we always try to mix it up with new entries.
We also know that you at home may well be on the hunt for some top-notch discs to put your home cinema system to the test. This is where 'Now Showing' comes in, as we give you a monthly run-down of what TV shows and movies we can't get out of our heads.
It could be a film that has an incredible score to challenge your TV's sound system, or a TV show with lots of dark scenes to see how nuanced a projector's picture can be.
As always, we want to hear from you as well! If there are any films you think would make a good test disc, drop them in the comments below.
MORE:
Here are the best Dolby Atmos scenes to test your sound system
Check out our review of the Apple TV 4K
These are the best streaming devices
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