Collateral: Michael Mann Thriller Arrives on 4K UHD

Tom Cruise in Collateral. Courtesy of DreamWorks/Paramount.

Collateral, Michael Mann’s intense Los Angeles-set noir thriller starring Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx, is now available to watch on 4K Ultra HD.

In one corner, we have contract killer Vincent (Tom Cruise).  Over in the other corner, there is cab driver Max (Jamie Foxx) and even though he also has dreams, he isn’t quite there yet.  For a thriller of this nature, it is certainly inevitable that their lives intersect.  Before he knows it, Max finds himself having to transport Vincent across five stops on the same night.  If you’re counting, that’s also five different hits lest we forget the getaway.  Max just happens to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Suffice it to say that neither person’s life is will probably be the same after this.

It’s supposed to be a regular job for Max.  Pick up the customer and drive them to where they need to be.  Next thing Max knows, he gets held hostage by one his customers.  You know what?  Is this vaguely reminding anyone of Stuber?  Except instead of a detective taking an Uber driver hostage, we have a hitman instead.  Oh, well.  I certainly appreciate both films for what they are.  What Vincent doesn’t know is that Max also picked up federal prosecutor Annie (Jada Pinkett Smith) and has her business card.

While I’m not surprised at all by Tom Cruise’s performance in the film, can we stop for moment to applaud Jamie Foxx?  In the same year that Foxx earns a supporting actor nomination for Collateral, the actor also made a clean sweep as Best Actor for his performance as Ray Charles in Ray.  Foxx is just that good.

In addition Foxx’s acting nomination, film editors Jim Miller and Paul Rubell were nominated for their work on the film.  The American Film Institute (AFI) would also honor the film as one of its top ten of the year.  In a world where the Oscars now nominate up to ten films, it is certainly hard to imagine Collateral not getting a nomination if that had been the case for 2004 releases.

Imagine a world where Russell Crowe and Adam Sandler were on board as Vincent and Max, respectively. Think for a minute about what this could have probably done for Sandler’s career if he picked up an Oscar nomination like Foxx!  Or Mimi Leder, Janusz Kamiński and Fernando Meirelles behind the camera as director.  Once upon a time, this was almost what happened.

While Tom Cruise is billed as the first lead of Collateral, Jamie Foxx manages to steal the show.

Bonus Features

  • Commentary by Director Michael Mann (4K/Blu-ray)
  • City of Night: The Making of Collateral
  • Special Delivery
  • Deleted Scene with Commentary
  • Shooting on Location: Annie’s Office
  • Tom Cruise & Jamie Foxx Rehearse
  • Visual FX: MTA Train
  • Theatrical Trailer (4K/Blu-ray)

DIRECTOR:  Michael Mann
SCREENWRITER:  Stuart Beattie
CAST:  Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Jada Pinkett Smith, Mark Ruffalo, Peter Berg, Bruce McGill

DreamWorks and Paramount opened Collateral in theaters on August 6, 2004. The film is now available on 4K Ultra HD. Grade: 4.5/5

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.