EZRA follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne). When forced to confront consequential decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on an illuminating cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Directed by Tony Goldwyn, who also appears in the film alongside additional cast members Vera Farmiga, Rainn Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg, EZRA is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.

For in-depth thoughts on Ezra, please see my colleague Phoenix Clouden’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

Decal Releasing brings Ezra to Blu-Ray with a lovely 1080p video presentation. The image is crisp and clean with the rich mixture of urban and rural backgrounds emanating off the screen. Flesh tones are natural with a notable amount of detail present in close-ups. The presentation allows for a favorable amount of depth on display, especially when out and about on the trek across the country. The production design and the clothing provide clear textural details. Black levels are deep with no serious instances of digital noise. There is some brief banding and other minor digital hiccups that pop up in the transfer. Overall this is a nice release from the label.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a satisfying DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that executes the narrative intentions of this film without issue. Dialogue is the prominent element of the film, and it always comes through clearly without being drowned out by any competing sounds. The score and top-notch soundtrack flow through the speakers with crisp fidelity. There are a few odd moments in the film that add texture to the low end, but this is not an action-packed movie by any means. Environmental sounds of the world liven up the surround speakers. Ambient sounds are carefully placed in the rear channels for a fully three-dimensional experience. The audio track delivers exactly what it needs to. Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles are provided.

Special Features

A Conversation with Director Tony Goldwyn and Screenwriter Tony Spiridakis: A 29-minute conversation with the creative figures in which they discuss the long development of the script, their collaboration on the project, getting the cast on board, Tony reuniting with his Ghost co-star Whoopi Goldberg, working with the young actor who plays Ezra, and more. This is a great addition to the disc.

Final Thoughts

Ezra is a bit of a frustrating viewing experience; it is a film that has a strong idea behind it, but the script throws everything out of whack. The character played by Bobby Cannavale never feels like a real person, instead choosing to indulge in every bad decision with very little in the way of real consequences. Yes, the character is dealing with some of his own trauma from his upbringing, but none of this is explored in enough detail to make the emotions on display feel earned. There are enough good points to make it a decent watch, but the film is too misguided to be great. Decal Releasing has released a Blu-Ray featuring a pretty strong A/V presentation and a decent supplemental feature.

Ezra will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on July 23, 2024.

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

Disclaimer: Decal Releasing 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.

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