Groove - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Greg Harrison's 2000 indie flick, Groove, unfortunately, hit theaters just as the rave subculture was starting to go mainstream and be commercialized. Heck, Doug Liman's Go, which is also about ravers, released a year earlier with a larger cast of well-known(ish) actors and still underperformed. By the late 90s and early 2000s, the scene was growing in popularity to the extent that they were major, heavily promoted events that people could buy tickets for in advance. So, by that point, the production already seemed like an admirable attempt to transport audiences to a time when rave culture was still bubbling beneath the surface, a clandestine world of pulsating beats and secret locations. Over twenty years later, Harrison's movie still feels more like a self-indulgent nostalgia trip than a sincere feature film exploring the personal lives of a subculture. 

Written, produced, and directed by Harrison, he clearly set out to capture the gritty, unadulterated rave experience. And for the most part, he nails it, such as the scavenger hunt for the secret address, the communal effort of setting up the sound system, and the simple joy of losing oneself on the dance floor. From the opening moments, Harrison drops the audience straight into the madness of putting together an illegal event, from the frantic setup and nervous anticipation to the wait for a massive crowd of strangers filling a darkened warehouse decorated in psychedelic colors and lights. Groove feels like it was made by someone who actually lived it, even featuring real DJs like Digweed and WishFM. And this is where the movie largely succeeds, as it depicts the authentic, fleeting magic of an underground party.

However, the script stumbles in its ambition to weave multiple story threads into one single, chaotic night. Harrison's intention was likely to show diverse lives converging on the dance floor. And while the concept is solid on paper, the execution is a maudlin mess made of unwelcome interruptions. These loosely connected stories are cheesy, cliché and at times, downright melodramatic, not only ruining the vibe but the pacing as well. Even the central story about Hamish Linklater's uptight David going through a romantic awakening when he meets Lola Glaudini's free-spirited Leyla is telegraphed from a mile away. Every scene coming back to their doe-eyed courtship is like a commercial break. Toss in a handful of other subplots, and it all feels less like a sneak peek into a subculture and more like a paint-by-numbers rom-com awkwardly grafted into the rave experience.

And yet, despite its missteps, Groove still manages to entertain and enchant decades later, at least long enough for viewers to stay awake until the wee hours. Harrison leans into the low-budget aesthetic, and honestly, the raw, amateurish, grainy-textured visuals are part of its charm. The unpolished energy feels appropriate for a movie about an illegal party in an abandoned warehouse. Considering its budget limitations, it's a surprisingly well-structured, competent movie, like a snapshot of a subculture before being taken over by mainstream culture and corporate sponsorships. Unfortunately, the vibe and atmosphere are often hampered by the hackneyed and rather maudlin side stories. Had Harrison toned down the melodrama and focused the plot with real personal stakes, Groove could've been something special.

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings Groove to Ultra HD Blu-ray as a single-disc release with a flyer for a Digital Copy. The Region Free, dual-layered UHD66 disc is housed inside a black, eco-elite vortex case with a glossy slipcover. At startup, the disc goes straight to a static menu screen with the usual options along the bottom while music plays in the background.

The indie music drama breaks into the Ultra HD warehouse, equipped with a great-looking video or at least looking the best it possibly could considering its production origins and the chosen cinematography style. Reportedly sourced from the original 16mm camera negatives, the HEVC H.265 encode arrives with strong, relatively sharp details and excellent clarity while awash in a prominent layer of natural grain. The Dolby Vision HDR presentation is not quite as colorful as would be expected, but the palette is nonetheless full-bodied and accurately rendered with healthy and revealing skin tones. Contrast is a bit on the subdued side, which seems to be a restraint on the specular highlights, but whites are clean and vivid from start to finish. The biggest and most noteworthy upgrades are the brightness levels, providing inky-rich blacks and deep, velvety shadows while maintaining excellent visibility within the darkest, murkiest corners of the frame. 

Overall, and all things considered, the native 4K transfer is beautiful and faithful to the filmmakers' original intentions. (Dolby Vision HDR Video Rating: 76/100)

The rave continues into the early morning hours thanks to an excellent and lively DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack. Granted, the design is bit more front-heavy than initially expected, but imaging nonetheless feels broad and expansive with a clean, distinct midrange, inviting viewers into this world from the opening moments. Given the setting and environment, rear activity isn't quite as aggressive as would be preferred, but a few atmospherics occasionally move into the surrounds. A majority of the time, the echo of voices, the cheers of crowds and the music perform most of the legwork, bleeding into the side and back speakers to nicely expand the soundfield. The low-end could be stronger and more robust, but what we have is nonetheless palpable with a sometimes pounding, couch-shaking kick. All the while, dialogue is very well prioritized and cleanly delivered, even during the loudest moments.  

Overall, given the limitations of the production, this is a great lossless mix. (Audio Rating: 82/100)

For this UHD edition, Sony Pictures ports over the same set of supplements as the DVD release. The meatiest piece of this collection is the engaging audio commentary. The behind-the-scenes and casting audition footage is interesting to see once, but doesn't offer much insight. Camera test and the deleted footage are again interesting, but not an expansive look into the film. 

• Audio Commentary features an enjoyable conversation between writer, producer, and director Greg Harrison, producer Danielle Renfrew, and cinematographer Matt Irving.
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage (1080i/60, 7 min)
• Casting Auditions (1080i/60, 4 min)
• Music Video (1080i/60, 3 min): Bedrock performs "Heaven Scent," made of film clips
• Camera Test (1080i/60, 1 min)
• Extended and Deleted Scenes (1080i/60, 6 min)
• Trailer (HD)

While not a particularly great or memorable movie, Greg Harrison's 2000 indie flick Groove is nonetheless a fun watch, a nostalgia trip, and a snapshot of the rave subculture made all the better by its low-budget, amateurish aesthetic. If not for the hackneyed, melodramatic side stories ruining the party vibe, the movie could've been something special. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment breaks into the Ultra HD warehouse with a strong Dolby Vision HDR presentation that's faithful to original production and an excellent DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack. Porting over the same set of supplements from previous releases, the overall UHD package is Recommended.

All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review. 

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