The Grifters

See more details, packaging, or compare
Synopsis
A dark-hearted neonoir comes to a boil under the bright Los Angeles sun, in British director Stephen Frears’s rousing adaptation of the novel by dime-store bard Jim Thompson, a film that raises pulp to the realm of existential tragedy. A possessive mother (Anjelica Huston), her cynical son (John Cusack), and his scheming, seductive girlfriend (Annette Bening) are career swindlers circling one another in an elaborate emotional confidence game that grows increasingly perverse as love and trust turn to betrayal and Oedipal undercurrents rise to the surface. In Frears’s first Hollywood film, the ever-assured director and his trifecta of magnetic actors conjure a moody, unstuck-in-time vision of toxic Americana.
Picture 9/10
Stephen Frears’ The Grifters receives a stunning 4K UHD release from The Criterion Collection, presented on a triple-layer disc with Dolby Vision in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1. The 2160p/24hz ultra high-definition encode is sourced from a new 4K restoration scanned from the 35mm original camera negative. A standard dual-layer Blu-ray is also included, featuring a 1080p presentation of the film along with all of the release’s video features.
Having previously only seen the film through a dated restoration and master, this new 4K presentation is a revelation. Though the film leans heavily on its noir tropes—down to costumes and locations that evoke eras as far back as the ’40s—the updated presentation makes the world feel more in tune with classic noir. The cinematography, similar to Criterion’s recent Bound 4K release, benefits immensely from deeper shadows and stark contrast, elements that were entirely missing before. Dolby Vision is especially effective here, enhancing the low-lit scenes lit by single sources, where light and shadow blend seamlessly and enhance the highlights.
That noir-inspired aesthetic is further emphasized by the film’s colors, which now verge on black-and-white due to the updated grading. Some might initially worry about this muted palette, which does differ quite a bit from previous home video presentations, but it appears that it is truer to the film’s original presentation. Earlier home video and digital releases featured more natural colors, but this apparently wasn’t how audiences originally saw the film. In a 2018 interview included in one of this edition’s documentaries, cinematographer Oliver Stapleton explains that theatrical prints were created using the bleach-bypass method. This technique retains silver in the emulsion, resulting in desaturated colors, heightened contrast, and intense highlights—all of which are faithfully reproduced here. Criterion’s restoration notes elaborate further:
“When The Grifters was released in 1990, the 35 mm prints that circulated were made using a ‘bleach bypass’ process. Skipping the bleach in color-film development yields reduced saturation, higher contrast, and grain. As a part of the work on this release, Stapleton’s personal 35 mm bleach-bypass print, which he screened for mastering supervisor Lee Kline and colorist Greg Fisher at the BFI in London, served as a guideline for the grading and scans of the negative. The resulting 4K presentation comes closer to the film’s intended look than any other version since the theatrical prints.”
The result is impressive, especially considering the restoration was sourced directly from the negative. Since bleach bypass is typically applied later in the development process and not to the negative itself, the look had to be recreated digitally—and Criterion has nailed it. The colors, while muted and with a slight green tint, look entirely organic, as if achieved through photochemical processes. It thankfully avoids the artificial digital sheen seen in restorations like the one for Memories of Murder. Highlights are striking, black levels are rich, and shadow detail is exceptional. The film’s heavy grain remains intact, looking natural without any distracting artifacts or macroblocking. Add in a meticulous cleanup of damage, and the result is a knockout.
This release is a significant upgrade over the previous Blu-ray edition and a near-perfect presentation that captures the film's bold look.












































Audio 8/10
Criterion includes a 2-channel DTS-HD MA surround soundtrack for this release. Most of the action remains focused on the front channels, with occasional moments—such as the horse race sequences—utilizing the rear channels for added depth. Elmer Bernstein’s terrific score is a standout, beautifully mixed with a wonderful range that fully takes advantage of the sound environment, even if the rears are working in unison. Dialogue is crisp and clear, with excellent fidelity throughout. While the film leans into a lo-fi aesthetic, the audio presentation is impressively robust and sounds fantastic.
Extras 7/10
This is shaping up to be an excellent release overall, with a terrific A/V presentation that, unfortunately, makes the supplements all the more disappointing. While they’re ultimately decent, most of the material is recycled from previous editions, including the 2013 audio commentary featuring Stephen Frears, screenwriter Donald Westlake, and actors John Cusack and Anjelica Huston. Admittedly, I wasn’t expecting much from this track, but it turns out to be one of the better studio-produced commentaries from that period, likely because each participant was recorded separately and then edited together.
The commentary leans heavily on technical details, with Frears and Westlake discussing the process of adapting the book, including updating certain elements to fit the modern era (Westlake laments that he couldn’t find a suitable alternative for a Holocaust survivor character from the novel). The two also delve into creating the film’s distinctive look and feel. Huston and Cusack focus more on their performances and share insights into how they collaborated with their co-stars to nail the right tone. There are also some fascinating anecdotes about independent filmmaking at the time, where lower expectations allowed for more creative freedom. Altogether, it’s a well-constructed and engaging track that’s well worth a listen if you haven’t heard it yet.
Criterion also includes two documentaries about the making of the film. The first, a 16-minute featurette from 2013, is a fairly standard Lionsgate/Disney-style production featuring Frears, Westlake, Cusack, Huston, and production designer Dennis Gassner. While it largely reiterates details covered in the commentary, Gassner provides additional insights into the film’s design, explaining how it intentionally blends elements from different eras to create a timeless quality.
The second documentary, Seduction, Betrayal, Murder (2018, 74 minutes), dives much deeper into the production. Featuring extensive interviews with Frears, cinematographer Oliver Stapleton, editor Mick Audsley, executive producer Barbara De Fina, and co-producer Peggy Rajski, it offers a wealth of new information not covered in the commentary. It explores the script adaptation, budgetary challenges, and the difficult decisions that led to significant cuts—including a series of flashbacks that were ultimately removed. (In hindsight, these cuts may have been a blessing, as additional flashbacks could have undermined the film’s pacing.) Stapleton discusses the film’s distinctive look, while Audsley details the intricate timing required for the split-screen sequence that opens the film. There’s also some fun trivia about actors who were considered or cast but ultimately cut, including Steve Buscemi, whose scenes sadly aren’t included as deleted material.
If you only have time for one documentary, the longer one is the clear choice, but the shorter one is harmless enough.
Another carryover from 2013 is an 8-minute featurette on author Jim Thompson, featuring Westlake and author Robert Polito. It’s a brief but informative overview of Thompson’s work and its rediscovery decades later. While it’s perfectly fine for what it is, I can’t help but wish Criterion had commissioned a new feature, perhaps with someone like Imogen Sara Smith to provide a fresh perspective.
Thankfully, Criterion includes at least one new feature: a 20-minute interview with Annette Bening. It’s a welcome addition, as Bening was notably absent from the 2013 features. Here, she reflects fondly on the role and the film, discussing how she approached the character as a classic femme fatale, shaped by her style and voice—the latter being an idea that came from Frears. She also shares memories of working with Charles Napier and J.T. Walsh, who appear in a brief flashback sequence. It’s an insightful and engaging segment that adds significant value to the set.
The disc rounds out with the original trailer (which is a bit rough, retaining the score from a scene in the film) and an essay by Geoffrey O’Brien in the insert. O’Brien’s piece offers a thoughtful appreciation of the film’s deceptively natural storytelling flow.
While the supplements aren’t bad overall, they feel underwhelming for a release of this caliber. A newly produced academic feature examining the film’s legacy 35 years later feels like a missed opportunity—again, something someone like Imogen Sara Smith could have contributed to.
Closing
Despite the lack of new features, this release is a worthwhile upgrade, delivering a stunning new presentation. An easy recommendation.


