Dolby Atmos is my favorite audio format, and I honestly don’t think I’ve been let down by a mix yet. However, some movies stand out more than others with their mixes, which makes a lot of sense. Something like Godzilla vs. Kong obviously has a lot more action than Elvis, but that doesn’t inherently mean one is better than the other. However, most of my favorite mixes tend to favor action, as that’s a great way to get a sense of what your sound system can do.
I believe the biggest draw of 4K Blu-ray is the fact that you’re more likely to get an Atmos track than you are with a Blu-ray. Some Blu-rays do get Atmos soundtracks — John Wick: Chapter 3 being an example of this. For the most part, however, Atmos is on 4K discs. I own over 300 movies, and a big chunk of those are in the 4K format. Here’s a look at some of my favorite Atmos mixes.
Top Gun: Maverick is a perfect example of overhead sound
Talk to me, Goose
Not only is Top Gun: Maverick one of my favorite films of the past several years, but it’s also one of my favorite Atmos mixes. Somehow, I skipped this one in theaters since I had never seen the first Top Gun, and it wasn’t until I picked up the 2-pack of the original and Maverick that I finally got around to seeing it.
It might be controversial, but I think the sequel is better than the original, and the sound plays a huge part in that. In a movie with planes, you’d expect to hear a lot of sound coming from above, and Maverick delivers. The movie also includes IMAX-enhanced scenes on the disc, so it’s a real winner in both picture and audio quality. If you have a Dolby Vision-capable TV and player, you get that on top of everything too.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a great one
Thwip thwip
There’s really no going wrong with any of the MCU Spider-Man movies, but my favorite Atmos mix of the bunch leans toward Homecoming. Spider-Man is another one of those examples where sound is constantly coming from all around, and when he’s swinging from webs, things really start to shine.
The standout scene for me is when Spider-Man is trying to hold the Long Island Ferry together and starts slinging webs every which way. This gives your speakers quite the workout, and it helped elevate an already-great mix into something I thought was worthy of the list. Even if you don’t like the movie, I think this is one of the scenes that’s worth visiting just to see if your sound system is up to snuff.
Blade Runner 2049 is a sci-fi classic
The top of many lists
Sci-fi movies never seem to fail at having a good Atmos mix, and Blade Runner 2049 is no different. Yes, hearing the rattling from a ship landing is great, but there’s actually a lot of ambient noise that helps this soundtrack stand out. You’ll know right from the beginning of the film if you have a good subwoofer or not.
Even without room-thumping audio, there’s still a lot to love here. I feel so immersed in the world when I pop this disc in, and believe me, I have many times. This is another one of those examples where the picture quality is as good as the audio quality. Even if you don’t have an Atmos setup, this is a disc well worth grabbing just to show off your new 4K TV.
Mad Max: Fury Road never lets you breathe
Non-stop action
If you ever wanted to know what it felt like to be surrounded by constant noise for about two years, look no further than Mad Max: Fury Road. Fury Road became an instant classic, and it’s a film that features its fantastic Atmos soundtrack on both the regular Blu-ray and the 4K, but I’d highly recommend splurging for the 4K because this movie is an excellent showcase of HDR.
I can’t think of many better examples of a great Atmos mix than this one, and it’ll have your speakers firing non-stop, which makes sense since the movie doesn’t really let up until the final credits roll. While I don’t think Furiosa is quite as good as Fury Road, it makes for an excellent companion film with another great Atmos track. If you want to stay in the Mad Max world, it’s worth checking out.
There are so many good Atmos mixes
An endless list of honorable mentions
I’ll be honest — I can’t remember hearing a bad Atmos track. A lot of people complain about Disney releases being too quiet, hence the derogatory name Atmouse, but if you turn the volume up a few notches, I think they still sound excellent. Any of the Star Wars releases, especially the Episode I podracing scene, sound great to me.
Edge of Tomorrow is a great workout for your subwoofer, Gravity is a sneaky good Atmos pick, and No Time to Die, the final Daniel Craig James Bond outing, sounds excellent. It’s extremely hard to go wrong, and I really believe that Atmos will shine as long as you have the proper system for it. There are loads of movies I’m leaving off, but it doesn’t mean I don’t like them. Both Dune films, all three Lord of the Rings (and The Hobbit movies), and Matt Reeves’ The Batman are all worth checking out too.
