In director Adrian Lyne’s 1990 supernatural thriller ― making its debut in reality-blurring 4K ― a haunted Vietnam veteran, Jacob Singer (Tim Robbins), suffers a slow unraveling while trying to adjust to postwar life. Wracked by horrific visions, despondent over his son’s death, Jacob isn’t sure where his dreams end and waking life begins ― or whether he’s alive, dead, or somewhere in between. Timeless and wrenchingly powerful, Jacob’s Ladder is a moving, unforgettable experience.

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Video Quality

Lionsgate presents Jacob’s Ladder with a gorgeous 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer derived from the 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative supervised by director Adrian Lyne and conducted in coordination with StudioCanal. We have the older Blu-Ray release from 2010, and there was definitely room for major improvement on multiple fronts. This upgrade in format allows the film to finally thrive at home. Any previous print damage appears to be cleaned up meticulously with nary a speck remaining. Detail and clarity stand out as a high point thanks to the natural film grain which remains intact. There are mercifully no signs that serious grain reduction has been applied, as you get a pretty noticeable sheen that resolves well. The texture revealed in the clothing, within the environments and in the makeup is much appreciated. Facial details such as stubble and perspiration stand out more than ever.

A pivotal benefit of this viewing experience is the utilization of Dolby Vision/HDR. This process really makes a difference, as it translates the specific look from director of photography Jeffrey Kimball into an experience with valuable nuances in the visual palette. The photography balances the light with the dark to perfection. Highlights offer robust stability without veering into blooming, while black levels maintain an exceptional amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural to their intended look. The color saturation on this disc is a true wonder to behold. The encode runs at a high bitrate with essentially nothing in the way of compression artifacts, banding, or other anomalies. This film has never looked so good on physical media, so Lionsgate will make fans happy with this one.

Audio Quality

The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with the standard DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track, but the real treasure of this release is the original theatrical stereo track presented in lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 audio that has reportedly been sourced from the original Laserdisc. This is yet another addition that shows Lionsgate put a lot of care into making this the ultimate release. The 5.1 track handles the material agreeably with an effectively enveloping experience. The low end response introduces some welcome texture to pivotal moments in the surround soundtrack. The haunting Maurice Jarre score flows through the room with the notes that set the mood of the story. This track handles it without missing a step throughout the film.

The film deploys a very intricate and purposeful sound design which places emphasis on different key elements from scene to scene. While there is rarely a moment when it overshadows competing noises, there are a few points when the dialogue can take a step back and allow other elements to thrive in the mix. The environmental sounds are rendered effectively alongside everything else. Whatever the 5.1 track does effectively, the original stereo track seems to do just as well, if not better. Some of the sounds that get a bit cacophonous in the more “expansive” track are suddenly clearer when you switch over to the stereo track. There are a few more age-related pops in this track, but things hold together quite well. On the whole, there does not seem to be any serious instances of age-related wear and tear in either track. Lionsgate has given this film a grand audio presentation that serves the movie well. Optional English, Spanish, and English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Lionsgate has provided Jacob’s Ladder with a sleek new SteelBook available exclusively at Lionsgate Limited that is truly lovely in person. Videos of the SteelBook can be found at the beginning of this review.

On the Rungs of Jacob’s Ladder: A new 29-minute featurette that includes recent interviews with director Adrian Lyne, screenwriter Bruce Joe Rubin, star Tim Robbins, and more, in which they reflect on the legacy of Jacob’s Ladder, a psychedelic trip that inspired the film, the groundbreaking nature of the feature, the creation of the film, the trajectory of the character, and more.

Legacy Special Features

- Audio Commentaries

- - Audio Commentary #1: Director Adrian Lyne

- - Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian and Host of The Projection Booth Mike White

- Building Jacob’s Ladder – Making Of Featurettes: A nearly 27-minute archival piece in which the cast and creative team dive into this film from multiple angles including the themes, the characters, the production, and more.

- Prepare the Way – An Interview with Screenwriter Bruce Joe Rubin: A nearly 21-minute audio piece with the screenwriter in which he discusses his background, the inspiration for the film, the challenge to get the film made, and more.

- Where Is the Ladder? – The Locations of Jacob’s Ladder: A nearly 18-minute look at the locations of the film from a more modern context.

- Hidden in Plain Sight – Spirituality in Jacob’s Ladder: A 22-minute visual essay from Alexandra Heller-Nicholas that sifts through all the religious connections touched upon within the narrative.

- Something’s Wrong With My Head – Vietnam War Trauma and Jacob’s Ladder: A 30-minute visual essay from Josh Nelson that explores the importance of Jacob’s Ladder as a war film, its depiction of trauma, and more.

- Deleted Scenes: A nearly 14-minute collection of unused material is provided with optional commentary from director Adrian Lyne.

- Trailer Gallery (2:56)

Final Thoughts

Jacob’s Ladder is an intense and moving psychological spiral that finds a man struggling to ground himself in a reality that he is unsure he even wants to be in. The film conjures up horrific entities that will chill more sensitive viewers, but the true discomfort comes from the trauma that plagues our protagonist and the uncertainty around the truth of his experiences. Tim Robbins is in top form throughout, alongside an ensemble that complements him admirably, especially the great Elizabeth Pena. This is one of director Adrian Lyne’s most well-rounded films. Lionsgate has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray with a stellar A/V presentation and an impressive array of supplements, all in a SteelBook package. If you are a fan of the film, you owe it to yourself to upgrade. Recommended

Jacob’s Ladder is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray in a Lionsgate Limited Exclusive SteelBook edition.

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

Disclaimer: Lionsgate 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.