Overview: A natural successor to the violent thrillers of the 70s, director Joe Carnahan’s breakthrough Narc brings the genre screaming into a new era, setting the standard for the modern cop drama with its gritty, unrelenting tone and style.

In wintry Detroit, narcotics cop Nick Tellis (Jason Patric, The Lost Boys) is recovering from an undercover operation gone wrong. In the hopes of being assigned a quiet desk job, he agrees to return to active duty and partner up with Detective Henry Oak (Ray Liotta, Goodfellas) to investigate the apparent murder of Oak’s former partner. As both men become lost in the depths of the case, boundaries become blurred, and their relationship begins to vacillate between intensely personal and unsettlingly suspicious.

One of the best crime films of the 21st century, Narc is back in an intense new filmmaker-approved 4K remaster, with brutally immersive Atmos audio, and featuring hours of previously unreleased on-set interviews and brand-new bonus features.

Blu-ray Verdict: Joe Carnahan’s Narc is a proper old school, ass kicking crime picture, and a blistering one that pulls no punches in the grit department either. Carnahan is clearly in love with the rugged action/genre pieces from the 60’s and 70’s that he grew up with, and every film he has made so far in his career has been reflective of that, starting with this excellent debut.

He comes charging out of the gate as fast as his lead character breathlessly pursues a perp through a run down suburban neighborhood, a sequence of pure visceral brilliance that sets the tone and let’s us know he means business. Jason Patric plays Nick, an under cover narcotics officer with a decorated past and the scars to show for it, working the dankest streets of motor city Detroit.

When a recently slain fellow officer’s case is reopened, he is picked to investigate, joined by the deceased cop’s former partner, Lt. Henry Oak (Ray Liotta). In this case however, nothing is what it seems, agendas are hidden well, and violence constantly simmers just below the surface of every interaction and exchange of dialogue.

This is especially the case with Liotta, who gives a staggering career best performance as a cop on the edge of sanity, justifying his heinous actions on the body of his slain friend. No one knows how to lose their cool like Ray, but here he is downright terrifying, a wild eyed monster and the epitome of the guy not to trust, lest you be driven down the same destructive path.

Nick uncovers more secrets than he ever wished to know, and it all comes full circle in an angry, pulse rocketing confrontation that serves as one of the best blow ups in the genre, and goes to show you don’t need a huge epic gunfight to cap off your story with style and intensity. Carnahan wisely keeps the fireworks man to man, and intimate in nature, proving once again what intuition he has in the director’s chair.

Chi Mcbride is always reliable, here playing the gruff police captain, and Busta Rhymes proves yet again that he’s one of the few rappers who can actually act, giving a pretty damn committed performance as a thug. Liotta owns this one in pure beast mode, but the team effort is what makes it so special, and a crime classic.

Carnahan and Co. have done something timeless for crime films, and raised the bar on the intensity level one can attain when everything is in place, and firing on all cylinders. A powerhouse of a film, and a mini masterpiece, now out here on 4K Ultra HD and ready for crystalline cinematic consumption, Narc is here for you and boy, you need to now be ready for it!

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:
Brand new 4K remaster from the original negative by Arrow Films
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
Double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Michelle Kisner, a new interview with producer Diane Nabatoff and archival interviews and articles

DISC ONE - FEATURE (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
Newly restored original stereo audio and Dolby Atmos surround audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
Archival feature commentary with director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy
Brand new introduction from director Joe Carnahan

DISC TWO - EXTRAS (BLU-RAY)
Shattering the Blue Line, a newly filmed interview with director Joe Carnahan
Shooting Narc, a newly filmed interview with director of photography Alex Nepomniaschy
If You Live Another Day, a newly filmed interview with actor Krista Bridges
The Journey of the Costume, a newly filmed interview with costume designer Gersha Phillips
Making the Deal, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the making of the film
The Visual Trip, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the look of the film
The Friedkin Connection, a vintage promotional featurette interviewing William Friedkin and discussing the connections between his body of work and Narc
Shooting Up, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the making of the film
Vintage EPK interviews with Joe Carnahan, Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Diane Nabatoff, Alex Nepomniaschy and William Friedkin
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery

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