‘Drugstore Cowboy’ Criterion Collection 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Gus Van Sant’s Tonally Nimble Drug Odyssey

Gus Van Sant’s dreamy, drifty, deadpan second feature—an addiction drama based on James Fogle’s autobiographical novel—captures the zonked-out textures and almost surreal absurdity of a life lived fix to fix. Swinging between dope-fueled disconnection and edgy paranoia, Matt Dillon plays the leader of a ragtag crew (also featuring Kelly Lynch, Heather Graham, and James Le Gros) that robs pharmacies for pills, coasting across the 1970s Pacific Northwest while trying to outrun sobriety and fate. With a brilliant supporting turn from counterculture high priest William S. Burroughs and a lyrical feeling for the streetscapes of Van Sant’s hometown of Portland, Oregon, Drugstore Cowboy cemented the director’s status as a preeminent poet of outsiderhood.

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Video Quality

The Criterion Collection presents Drugstore Cowboy with a grand 2160p SDR transfer in its original 1.85:1 sourced from a 4K scan of a 35mm Interpositive that has never been released on Blu-Ray domestically, so the jump straight to 4K UHD is a huge win for fans of the film. While the lack of HDR/Dolby Vision is somewhat disappointing, this release provides a wonderful presentation that presents in an ideal fashion. This transfer retains a fabulous amount of natural film grain which resolves flawlessly, allowing for discrete detail to emerge. Elements of the dingy production design and outfits reveal more subtle facets than ever before. We did not spot any grain reduction or digital manipulation, as you get a consistent sheen that resolves evenly without swarming or clumping. Any print damage has been eradicated. 

The new transfer captures the intended look of the film. While there may not be HDR applied, there is still a refinement to the color palette by virtue of the codec and every locale appears to be properly brought to life. The dying landscapes are quite striking, but the film also provides splashes of colors in elements such as the lighting and some of the outfits and production design. You cannot overstate the benefits of the heroic handling of the contrast. Moments of darkness and shadow maintain their depth and do not suffer from crush or noise. Highlights are handled graciously without any blooming as whites radiate with brilliance. This transfer is an A+ effort for fans of the film, and we are thrilled to finally have a proper release in the United States. 

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with an LPCM 2.0 remaster which holds up without a hiccup. There does not appear to be any notable instances of age-related wear and tear. Dialogue stays anchored in the center channel as it flows through clearly. Environmental sounds are lovingly brought to life alongside everything else. The score and other elements from the soundtrack are used perfectly within the story, and this track delivers every element without any shortcomings throughout the film. There is a bit of low end texture but this is not a particularly rowdy story. There is no threat of it clipping vital information, and it maintains a proper balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The Criterion Collection has given this film a first-rate audio experience. There are English SDH subtitles provided. 

Special Features

The Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Drugstore Cowboy includes a foldout pamphlet featuring the essay “Higher Powers” by film critic Jon Raymond which explores the themes, the work of Gus Van Sant, and more that is very illuminating. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

• Audio Commentary: Director Gus Van Sant and actor Matt Dillon deliver an archival commentary track in which they take you through the development of certain scenes, memories from the production, working with the other performers, the aesthetic of the feature, and more.

• The Making of Drugstore Cowboy: A 28-minute archival documentary from 1999 featuring interviews with the cast and creative team that gives insights into the creation of the film, the motivations for various moments, the casting of key roles, and more. 

• Kelly Lynch: A new 21-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses wanting to prove herself as an actress, her response to the script, working with Gus Van Sant, bonding over the rehearsal period, her feelings about her character, her experiences with opiates after a bad car accident, and more. 

• Robert Yeoman: A new 19-minute interview with the director of photography in which he discusses getting involved with the project, the strong directorial vision of Gus Van Sant, keeping the indie spirit in a Hollywood space, the inspirations from the past, and more. 

• Deleted Scenes: There are nearly 52 minutes of unused material provided here which shows some quick, unique moments that were cut from the final film. These are unfinished so the image quality is somewhat inconsistent in terms of color correction, missing frames, missing audio, and more. That being said, it is still cool to be able to see them. 

• Trailer (1:35)

Final Thoughts

Drugstore Cowboy is a strong sophomore outing from Gus Van Sant that explores drug culture in a way that is both darkly comedic and sobering. The gentle tonal balance allows you to invest yourself in this dreamy reality and better understand these characters. The performers do a great job of bringing these personalities to life, and an array of inventive filmmaking techniques elevates things on an artistic level. The Criterion Collection has delivered a new 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers a fantastic A/V presentation and a welcome collection of special features. If you are a fan of the film, this is a must-buy. Recommended

The Criterion Collection edition of Drugstore Cowboy will be available to purchase on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray on February 18, 2025.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: The Criterion Collection 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.