Star Trek Section 31 4K Steelbook Review: A Gorgeous Package for a Deeply Flawed Mission

Let’s just get this out of the way: the Star Trek: Section 31 movie is… not great.

If you were hoping that a 4K steelbook release might somehow redeem the experience, well, you already know the answer. It doesn’t. But—and this is a pretty big but—the steelbook itself? It’s really nice. Sleek, sturdy, and sitting pretty on the shelf next to your other Trek discs. For the hardcore, completionist Trekkie, this is one of those "well, I have to own it" situations. And hey, there’s no denying: this thing looks stunning in 4K.

Seriously, stunning. The film's cinematography really pops in physical format; colors are crisp, blacks are deep, and every shadowy corridor of the Garbage Scowl (yes, we’ll get to that) looks cinematic as hell. The audio mix is also top-tier. If you’ve got a surround system, this release flexes it. Explosions, ship flybys, and that weird whispery score from Jeff Russo all swirl around you with an immersive clarity that almost distracts you from the plot. Almost.

Sam Richardson as Quasi of Star Trek: Section 31, 2024. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

But let’s talk about the real reason to pick this up: the special features.

This is where the steelbook earns its place on your shelf. The main featurette, Alpha Squad, is… something. Craig Sweeny, one of the creative leads, dives deep into the characters, motivations, and arcs, none of which actually appear in the movie. I found myself more interested in this behind-the-scenes pitch of a film that doesn’t exist than in the actual one we got in January. And when they go on and on about Mel like she isn’t killed off in the first 15 minutes? Just baffling. Whole sections of this thing feel like a trailer for an alternate timeline.

On the more compelling side, the Art Squad featurette is genuinely awesome. Hearing Olatunde Osunsanmi break down the new 360-degree VR wall tech and how it reshaped production was fascinating, and frankly, I wish we had more of that behind-the-scenes Trek magic in modern releases. Plus, the bit about how they converted Stamets' lab into the Garbage Scowl? A nice little "oh wow" moment that’s also, let’s be real, kind of sad. Discovery’s legacy being recycled into... this. Also: whoever has access to that absolutely cursed drune doll prop, slide into my DMs. Or, you know, do a little Ocean's Eleven and liberate it.

There’s also a Georgiou-centric featurette where Alex Kurtzman casually drops the bombshell that Michelle Yeoh herself pitched the idea for Section 31 before Discovery even launched. That’s wild. And while the film doesn’t quite do her justice, the tribute here is heartfelt and worth a watch.

Final Verdict:
Is this worth owning? If you're a completionist, yes, begrudgingly. The steelbook is beautiful, the picture and sound are reference quality, and the special features at least try to make sense of this chaotic detour in Trek’s timeline. But let’s be honest: rewatching the movie itself was a chore. It's not saved by the 4K glow-up, but at least it makes for a nice display piece.

Star Trek: Section 31 is now available in standard 4K and collector’s edition steelbook. And a huge congrats to our giveaway winner, Dayna Pesco! We hope you enjoy the prettiest bad movie in the quadrant!