4K home theater audiences get a study in obsession with ‘Bugonia’ and ‘Catch Me If You Can’

Here’s a look at a pair of films released on the 4K disc format that highlight deception and obsession.

Bugonia (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, rated R, 1.50:1 aspect ratio, 118 minutes, $32.98) — Director Yorgos Lanthimos black comedy and psychological thriller graces 4K home theaters in a presentation as visually unsettling as its story.

“Bugonia” — adapted from Jang Joon-hwan’s 2003 Korean film “Save the Green Planet!” — introduces disturbingly unstable conspiracy theorist and beekeeper Teddy Gatz (a grizzled, unkempt Jesse Plemons) who is manipulating his autistic cousin and best friend Don (Aidan Delbis) to join him in kidnapping pharmaceutical CEO Michelle Fuller (Emma Stone)

Teddy believes Michelle is an extraterrestrial of the Andromedan species and a high-ranking member of the royal family. Their mission is to kill Earth’s honeybees and force humans into techno and agro enslavement.

The boys are hoping to force Michelle to get them up to her mothership during the next lunar eclipse and to negotiate the Andromedan’s withdrawal from Earth. That is, if she really is an otherworldly visitor.

Both lead actors deliver immersive performances, consumed by their characters, with Mr. Plemons pushing unhinged and slow spiral into delirium moments and Ms. Stone focused on Fuller’s calculating and aggressive tendencies. She’s so committed that she even allowed her head to be shaved for the role.

Along with the distorted narrative, viewers get a complementing ultra-high definition presentation highlighting Robbie Ryan’s stunningly warped cinematography that often used VistaVision film stock and cameras for a densely rich and almost square aspect ratio.

Those choices, in tandem with incorporating special lenses that present wide, panoramic and slightly curved, near spherical visuals, pair with the very vibrant color enhancements, especially appreciated in the rich green outdoor settings that will thrill cinema lovers.

Best extras: Viewers only get a 23-minute overview of the production with all key cast and crew offering their thoughts, including a focus on the head shaving. Ms. Stone even demanded the director also have his head, which he did.

One can only hope in the near future that fans get a new 4K release from Arrow Video or Criterion with their normal, generous supply of extras to truly learn about and appreciate this unnerving movie.

Catch Me If You Can (Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 107 minutes, $49.99) — Back in 2002, director Steven Spielberg assembled a dynamite cast to bring to cinematic life the escapades of a premier con man in a period dramedy now debuts in the ultra-high definition format.

Based on a true story, the movie focuses on the mysterious Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his careers as a French teacher, airline pilot, doctor, assistant attorney general and mainly general fraudster, and in constant hot pursuit by FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) for his various swindles.

The breezy cat-and-mouse game plays out with Mr. Spielberg’s characteristic charm. The story unfolds through flashbacks, moving between Abagnale’s teenage years following his parents’ divorce and his adult con artist exploits across New York, Los Angeles, Georgia, and Louisiana, ultimately leading to his arrest in France.

The brilliant cast also includes Christopher Walken as Frank’s father, Martin Sheen as a potential father-in-law; Josh Brolin as Frank’s mother’s second husband; and Amy Adams, Jennifer Garner and Elizabeth Banks as some of his romantic interests.

A screen-filling UHD presentation mostly stuns with a detailed look and the rich color from 1960s themed costuming, vehicles and production design.

However, most noticeable is cinematographer Janusz Kamiński’s use of sunlight beams, flares and glares acting as a co-star to share scenes while literally spotlighting the actors.

Best extras: The included Blu-ray version of the film offers all of the digital goodies offered from the early 2000 DVD releases.

Specifically, six featurettes (roughly 70 minutes in total) start with an overview of the production featuring the main cast and crew, with even Mr. Spielberg and the real Frank Abagnale Jr.; exploring the story; period design; cinematography; creating fake documents; and the rigorous pace of filming at many locations.

Other featurettes include a look at the casting; the musical score by legend John Williams; a more detailed dive into the life and impersonation of Mr. Abagnale Jr. and his deceptions (explained by the man himself); and the accuracy and themes of the movie.

Most interesting is the time spent with technical adviser to the film and retired FBI Special Agent William J. Rehder, who talks about his career and bringing an authenticity to the bureau’s investigation to the screen, including the office personnel, the pursuit of Mr. Abagnale Jr. and the crime of check fraud.