We talk about test discs a lot at What Hi-Fi?. Mainly because they’re such a core part of reviewing home cinema hardware.
As staff writer Robyn Quick noted in her latest opinion piece on the topic, they encompass a constantly evolving library of films that we use to gauge everything from a projector’s ability to retain dark detail to a surround sound system's handling of dynamics.
Each disc is handpicked, usually for a specific scene that is particularly challenging in at least one of the performance metrics we care about while testing.
The evolving nature of film means that most discs only have a short shelf life, as we always look for modern titles to use, so our reviews feel fresh and relevant to what people are actually watching. But now and then, a scene is so challenging the disc hangs around for a while.
For example, Pan is a horrible movie we continue to use because it’s mastered at an atypically high 4000 nits – making one specific scene a particularly great way to test any TV or projector’s peak brightness.
Then there's Blade Runner 2049. The booming synth soundtrack during scene two has challenged many a speaker system and soundbar, turning them into a distorted, spluttering mess over the four-ish years we’ve used it.
Forced to watch and listen to these scenes over and over and over again in our windowless viewing rooms, the films are etched into our psyche.
Why am I bringing this up now?
Because one such film, and by extension test disc, that I have used more times than I care to count, is turning 10 years old. And glutton for punishment that I am, I felt the need to revisit it and see if it’s still as accomplished as I remember.
The film in question is Don’t Breathe, which launched in theatres on 26th August, 2016.
Editor’s Note: There are some spoilers ahead.
Directed by Fede Álvarez, the film flips the home invasion dynamic, seeing delinquents break into a blind Gulf War veteran’s house, hoping to rob him, only to suddenly find themselves trapped and the ones being hunted.
The film is relatively famous in horror circles, as evidenced by its 87 per cent Rotten Tomatoes score. But recently it has largely been overshadowed by newer horror movies and lost to the mists of time.
That year, 2016, was an awkward one. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format only officially launched in February 2016 and, although Dolby Atmos existed, it wasn’t widespread on streaming or physical media by any stretch of the imagination.
So, unsurprisingly, Don't Breathe is not available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray and, even on modern services, it is usually in 1080p and limited to 5.1 surround sound, not Dolby Atmos.
So, I went in with managed expectations after buying it in HD on Amazon Prime Video (the 4K Netflix stream is only available outside the UK right now).
But blow me down if I wasn’t impressed as the film played, and it reminded me why I watched it so much, many moons ago: its stellar audio.
Horror is a genre that naturally lends itself to sound. But with Don't Breathe, the sound team did something truly special, creating an encompassing, immersive sense of dread that uses every trick in the book to make you feel like you are in the house with the delinquents, being stalked by the blind killer – especially if you have a good enough home cinema speaker system to do it justice.
Just be warned, I mean it when I say “good” sound system, as even now the film’s intense mix, which uses massive shifts between dead silence and sudden loud noises with laser precision, requires a speaker with excellent dynamics and audio imaging. A decade on, it’s still beyond basic TV speakers. I know that because I checked using my LG C2.
And one scene in particular drilled this point home as I watched.
I’m talking about the “don’t make a sound” scene featured in the above clip. The intruders break cover, thinking they’re safe, only to be confronted by the veteran. The tension jumps to a Spinal Tap 11 as they freeze in place, doing everything they can to stay quiet and not alert him to their presence.
Yes, it doesn’t have height channels, due to the lack of Atmos, but the sonic image the film creates is truly terrifying. Incredible localisation and character-centric panning make you feel like he’s walking around you as the sound moves from left to right, following his movements.
The intense mix, which includes subtle tells (the quiet shuffle of a step, muted breaths and grunts from the killer as he goes about his business, unaware they’re there), is all delivered with a finesse and accuracy you don’t often experience; so much so that I urge any AV nerd to watch it a second time with their eyes closed.
On a good system, you won’t need the image on screen. The audio alone will put you there, in the intruder's shoes. You'll hear every movement as he walks past, then behind you. Your pulse will rise as you then hear the sound of his breath and feet, and the terrifying ruffle of plastic as he starts to wrap and drag a body on the floor across the room.
Then the payoff as it all goes quiet, the director and audio team creating an intentional vacuum, leaving you alone in uncomfortable silence just before a floorboard creaks directly underneath you, as one of the intruders takes a step backwards, catching his attention.
As each sound lands, it tells you exactly where he is and what he's doing.
Yes, other movies have done this – I recently penned a similar piece celebrating a particularly excellent example of a similar use of sound in Hokum – but Don’t Breathe is still worth celebrating, especially considering how long ago it was made.
For me, it shows, as we’ve said many times before, that technology is only one part of the film experience. Atmos and other tech like it can deliver improved experiences; ones that were not possible 10 years ago. But it's not a silver bullet: it still requires a good mix and clever execution to shine.
And films with good audio don't necessarily need an upmix or remaster to still be fun to watch. If it's well done, a 5.1 experience can still be truly breathtaking (see what I did there?).
Don’t Breathe is a great example of that, and one I’d strongly recommend to any horror or home cinema fan, even now.
Even on my home system, which features a four-star Hisense PX3 UST projector and JBL Bar 1300 soundbar system, it was a blast – so much so that I’m now trying to persuade the team to watch it in our viewing rooms, with the KEF R Meta 5.1 Speaker System and Denon AVC-A1H AVR we recently reviewed handling the audio, for our next team movie night.
Trust me, you won’t regret giving it a watch – unless you’re a scaredy-cat, like my partner, who told me fairly bluntly they “did not care for it” after seeing the infamous turkey baster scene (watch it and you’ll see why).
MORE:
These are the best Dolby Atmos soundbars we’ve reviewed
We rank the best surround sound systems
Our picks of the best projectors for serious movie fans
