South Bronx teen Kadir (Asante Blackk) is a gifted visual artist who loses his way following the death of his younger brother. Overcome with grief and struggling with the pressures of school and family, he escapes into the thrilling yet dangerous world of graffiti gangs, seeking an outlet for the creative force threatening to explode out of him. To prove himself and join his neighborhood’s ruling gang, Kadir tries to rob no-nonsense MTA conductor Luis (Luis Guzmán) on the Story Ave subway platform. He is caught off guard when Luis agrees to give Kadir the cash if he’ll sit down to a meal with him. Following their conversation and the delicate, transformative friendship that grows out of it, Kadir sees for the first time how his artistic talent could lead to a better life. Winner of the Best Cinematography prize at SXSW, this moving and authentic portrait of the South Bronx announces an exciting new cinematic voice in Aristotle Torres and offers a welcome showcase for beloved character actor Guzman and rising star Blackk (This Is Us), alongside a supporting cast of up-and-comers including Alex R. Hibbert (Moonlight), Cassandra Freeman (Bel-Air), Coral Peña (For All Mankind), and Melvin Gregg (The Blackening).

For in-depth thoughts on Story Ave, please see my colleague Tristian Evans’s review from its original theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

Story Ave comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that represents the narrative practically perfectly. This story takes place in a variety of different environments around the city, which provides a visually dynamic experience where you can immerse yourself in a great deal of detail. The colors are bold and steady throughout which captures the look of the urban location. There is nothing candy-colored here, but the filmmaker frames the world in a way that impresses through its stylistic lens. Skin tones are natural and detailed across all characters. Highlights are handled favorably with no instances of blooming, but the blacks seem slightly raised while still avoiding compression artifacts. The transfer allows for some rich texture within the outfits and production design that adds depth to the image. This presentation holds up well.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original English that complements the story perfectly. The environmental effects create a textured soundscape of city life that makes the world feel more bustling. The film uses music effectively as it emanates with proper fidelity. The sound design is a bit more dynamic than you might expect, and it remains precise with sounds positioned just right in the mix. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being drowned out by the sound effects or the music. This is not an action-heavy film by any means, but activity in the low end adds some texture to certain scenes. This is a robust release from Kino Lorber. There are optional English, English SDH, and Spanish subtitles provided.

Special Features

Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Story Ave is a somewhat familiar tale of a wayward youth finding their way with the help of an unexpected figure of positivity in their life, but that does not make it any less heartfelt. The film does not overly indulge in the sentimental, but it hits a few of those notes in a way that feels built for mainstream appeal. What really sets this one apart is the two central performances from Asante Blackk and Luis Guzmán. Even when we wish the story was a little less predictable, these two always keep you invested in their dynamic. Kino Lorber has provided a Blu-Ray featuring a solid A/V presentation but not much in the way of special features. This is a movie that is a bit under the radar, but it is worth checking out if you have the chance. Recommended

Story Ave 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: Kino Lorber 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.