Bones and All is a story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter; a liberating road odyssey of two young people coming into their own, searching for identity and chasing beauty in a perilous world that cannot abide who they are.

For in-depth thoughts on Bones and All, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’ review from its New York Film Festival screening here.

Video Quality

Bones and All comes to Blu-Ray with a terrific 1080p transfer which captures this shot-on-film presentation nearly flawlessly. It is rare that we get to see actual film grain from a modern release, but it captures the throwback feeling of the time period while resolving well. The color palette is fairly neutral throughout most of the film, but there are the significant pops of color, such as certain elements of the environment, the makeup, the clothes and the production design. Black levels hold up decently with no glaring instances of black crush present. Noise and banding present as only a very minor issue with this release. The amount of distinct clarity and detail present on this Blu-Ray is truly something special. Bloody details on faces are amazingly clear and fine texture such as hair holds up surprisingly well both in close-ups and long shots. This is a great presentation for a very visually rich film.

Audio Quality

This disc comes equipped with an incredibly effective Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you in this world. There are elements in this track that are truly enveloping while Maren is on her journey. Sounds are appropriately rendered with precise directionality from the more active confrontations to the quieter dialogue-driven scenes filled with subtle inflections. The incredible score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross brings a distinct atmosphere to this film. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. The low end is not consistently engaged, but it comes alive when it makes sense. The sound design of this film is not the most intense, but the implementation of environmental sounds are executed very effectively. The mix here is very well done with nice engagement of all the channels, which makes this track more than satisfactory for fans of the film. There are optional English SDH, French, Spanish and Dutch subtitles.

Special Features

A Look Inside: A two-and-a-half minute overview of the story and characters with insights from the performers and the director.

Luca Guadagnino – The Vision of Bones and All: A minute-and-a-half piece which takes a look at the directorial style of Guadagnino and how he brought this story to life.

Meet Lee: A two-minute look at the character played by Timothée Chalamet.

Meet Maren: A minute-and-a-half look at the character played by Taylor Russell.

Outsiders In Love: A two-minute look at the unconventional love story in the film.

Final Thoughts

Bones and All is a beautiful film about finding your place in the world, and it is one which just so happens to have some nightmarish imagery that will live in your head for quite some time. Timothée Chalamet fans will understandably have reason to celebrate his complex turn here, but it is Taylor Russell who reaffirms why she is one of the most exciting young actors working today. Luca Guadagnino has a gift for finding the divine within the horrific, and his mastery over this story makes it something special to behold. It will be too much for some audiences, but those who get on board with the premise will really love it. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a few brief special features. This has the possibility of being rewatched frequently, so it is likely a safe bet to add to your collection. Recommended

Bones and All is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment 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.