If you love surround sound, you probably already know the power of Dolby Atmos. When a film uses this technology, the sound designers can place environmental sounds at different speaker locations, truly immersing you in the movie. If you have just set up a surround sound system, try testing it out with one of the great Dolby Atmos-capable movies below.
Mad Max: Fury Road
For one of the best post-apocalyptic movies to date, check out Fury Road. It takes place in a wasteland where water is scarce, and tensions are high. The film is highly stylized and visually breathtaking, and the surround sound integrated into the movie really places you right in the middle of the gritty vehicle Road Wars. With plenty of deep, rich engine noises, explosion blasts, and the intense soundtrack, Mad Max: Fury Road is certain to take you and your speakers for a ride.
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Baby Driver
Directed by Edgar Wright, who also created Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Hot Fuzz, Baby Driver is a one-of-a-kind movie with sound being its main focus. The film is centered around a getaway driver who loves music, giving the filmmakers plenty of opportunity to play with sound. It’s an important piece of the plot itself, and the experience is even better when you can hear it in Dolby Atmos.
IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Blade Runner 2049
Already a stunning visual piece, the Dolby Atmos technology takes this movie to the next level, transporting you to this lush, futuristic world. You’ll hear every sound within the environment, from the seemingly constant rain, to high-tech machinery, to the bustle of the city. Paired with the reverberating, rich soundtrack from Hans Zimmer, you’ll be in for an experience you won’t forget.
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Soul
One of the most original Pixar movies to date, the soundtrack for the film won a Golden Globe award, produced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The music within the film is separated by two different worlds– the afterlife, and Earth. This creates a beautiful dynamic of sound, full of both ambience and up-beat tunes.
Gravity
This movie which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Achievement in Sound Editing and Sound Mixing. It is an iconic work of depth and atmosphere, both visually and in sound design. During this movie you will really be able to feel all the sounds of space, or lack thereof, as the filmmakers realistically convey how sound would act in a vacuum. It is really this minimalism throughout Gravity that makes it an experience unlike any other.
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
The Martian
Based on the novel of the same name, The Martian was directed by Ridley Scott, also well known as the creator of Alien. The film follows Mark Watney, played by Matt Damon, an astronaut who gets stranded on a mission to Mars. Watching this film with Dolby Atmos allows you to get right within the windy, dust-swept environment of the planet. The beginning of the movie, during the wind storm, is especially powerful. If you want to be fully immersed in space, The Martian is a great choice.
Spiderman: Into The Spider-verse
Into the Spider-verse is a Spiderman movie unlike any other. It follows Miles Morales, who gains the powers of Spiderman after getting bit by a spider. The movie explores the different versions of Spiderman, with plenty of action and fun moments. The best part about the movie, though, lies in its unique animated world, full of vibrant colors and somewhere between 2D and 3D. Watching in surround sound only makes the experience that much better, as you take in all the bass-heavy action tracks as the multi-layered sound environments.
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Ready Player One
The premise of this movie focuses on a fully-immersive video game, where players put on a headset and truly feel like they are in the game’s world. So, it makes sense the creators of this movie would try to emulate this effect as much as possible for viewers. Dolby Atmos allows this feeling to be actualized, as you experience the noises of a fast-paced race or subtle sounds of the game’s world.
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
The Matrix
One of the most innovative and immersive movies of all time, The Matrix got a 4K release with Dolby Atmos in 2018, putting one of the best cinematic experiences up to today’s standards. And it does deliver, with controlled bass you can really feel during tense sequences. You’ll especially want to experience the famous shoot-out near the end, placing you directly in the action.
IMDb Rating: 8.7/10
A Quiet Place
You might think this movie wouldn’t have much to offer surround-sound wise, since the focus is on a family who must stay quiet or risk being heard by alien-like creatures. However, it’s this use of sound in the film that really propels it into an incredibly suspenseful experience. You may find yourself holding your breath once or twice during the close encounters with the movie’s creatures, hearing every up-close and claustrophobic sound.
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Us
Director Jordan Peele, who was also the mind behind the movie Get Out, released his next thought-provoking film Us to great critical acclaim. It follows a family who decide to take a trip to their mother’s childhood beach house, yet something deeply strange begins to take place. If you’re a fan of horror, but want something a bit different, this is a great movie to pick up. Not least because of its impressive use of Dolby Atmos sound, which really starts to take hold when the doppelganger-versions of the family appear, adding an extra punch to the unfolding action.
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Pacific Rim
If you really want to be taken for an intense ride in your home theater, Pacific Rim offers a phenomenal delivery. The film is based around battles between huge, humanoid machines called Jaegers, and monsters originating from the ocean, known as the Kaiju. What ensues is nothing short of enthralling, feeling every clash as you are thrown into dizzying fight scenes.
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Roma
Alfonso Cuaron, who also directed Gravity, was a big fan of what Dolby Atmos could do. He believed the technology was actually better suited to more intimate environments, rather than in-your-face blockbusters. He provided some compelling evidence to this theory with Roma, a film where he gave his sound mixers many months to create their sound design. If you want to witness the subtle power Atmos can achieve, watch Roma.
Logan
Logan is a superhero movie unlike most others, following the much older and wearier Wolverine, played by Hugh Jackman. This film is mainly a character study, however it is still a Wolverine film, and therefore has plenty of action. The Dolby Atmos usage in this movie spreads sound across all speakers, placing you right in the middle of any scene. The rating seriously on this film.
Deadpool
Speaking of unique superhero movies, Deadpool is a great movie to put on to see how far your speakers can go. It’s extremely hilarious, but filled with gripping action sequences, and Dolby Atmos takes it to another level entirely. They compliment the movie’s distinct visual style, and enhances the fourth-wall breaking elements. Sound effects, such as gun shots, crashes, and lots of explosions, are bolstered up with Atmos. This is a fun movie, but it’s most definitely not for kids.
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
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