Jason Patric (The Beast) stars in this mesmerizing neo-noir thriller of the erotic tensions that explode into violence when a kidnapping goes wrong. Collie (Patric) is an ex-boxer who seems the perfect pawn to pull off a kidnapping planned by a sexy widow (Rachel Ward, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid) and a cop-turned-con man (Bruce Dern, The Laughing Policeman). What they don’t know is that Collie is an escapee from a mental institution. When he realizes the woman he loves has been manipulating him, Collie turns the tables—playing a game of deceit and raw desire that can only end in death. Based on the hardboiled book by Jim Thompson (The Getaway, The Grifters) and directed by James Foley (At Close Range, Glengarry Glen Ross), After Dark, My Sweet “remains one of the purest and most uncompromising of modern films noir” (Roger Ebert).

For thoughts on After Dark, My Sweet, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/LyoMrkNRyV4?si=p9MWvF1qnQsp7guc&t=457]

Video Quality

After Dark, My Sweet debuts on Blu-Ray with a digital AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1 from a new 2K scan of the Interpositive that showcases the movie well. Overall clarity and detail are in good shape, and skin tones only run a touch on the warm side with some distinct facial features apparent in closeup. Colors are one of the more impressive elements of the transfer with good saturation. Black levels are slightly milky with crush becoming a fleeting issue in some of the shadows. The presentation does deliver some softer shots and a bit of lingering minor specks of damage pop up sporadically. The release does not appear to be hindered by digital tinkering. The natural film grain of the presentation is present and resolves favorably. This presentation from Kino Classics is a good one for fans.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that handles the material pretty well. The score establishes the tone of the narrative, and it holds a strong place within the mix. Dialogue comes through clearly as it never allows itself to be overshadowed by environmental elements. These competing sounds such as the roar of the car engine are rendered well in this low-key town. We did not spot any signs of significant age-related wear and tear or compression that might otherwise hurt this track. This is a fine representation of the film. There are optional English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Director James Foley provides a great commentary track moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat in which they discuss the production of the film, the fight to shoot the film in this aspect ratio, casting the performers, the conflicted nature of the performers, working with Bruce Dern and so much more. Horvat asks some amazing questions which Foley responds very well to throughout.

Primal Precipice – Interview with Actor Jason Patric: A nearly 18-minute newer conversation with Patric in which he discusses his background, the highs and lows of his early career, the importance he placed on this film, the complex personality of the character, his memories of his co-stars and more.

Call Me Uncle Bud – Interview with Actor Bruce Dern: A 13-minute newer conversation with the legendary actor who discusses his approach to performing, his family background and early work, the direction of James Foley, memories of Jason Patric and Rachel Ward, and much more. Dern is a wealth of Hollywood history, and we could listen to him speak for hours.

Trailers: This disc provides the nearly two-and-a-half-minute trailer for After Dark, My Sweet. There are also trailers provided for Rush, The Usual Suspects, Twilight, The Underneath, The Hot Spot, Color Of Night and The Chamber.

Final Thoughts

After Dark, My Sweet is entertaining enough to warrant a viewing if you tend to enjoy neo-noir tales, but it does not stand tall within the genre. One of the real limitations of this effort is the lack of magnetic chemistry between Jason Patric and Rachel Ward. The latter seems a bit miscast in the role of femme fatale, never convincingly portraying someone whom our protagonist has abandoned all common sense to serve. Bruce Dern is a fun addition, but he is not used as effectively as he could be with a more fleshed-out script. The atmosphere is mysterious and there are some engaging sequences, but this could use another pass on the script. Kino Classics has brought this one to Blu-Ray with a pretty solid A/V presentation and a couple of fun special features.

After Dark, My Sweet is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Kino Classics has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.