Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

Boyhood Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 22, 2023

Michael Apted rather famously made documentary history when he he helped put together Seven Up! in 1964, a television piece which followed twenty children who represented a rather wide cross section of socioeconomic strata in Britain. Apted continued to make history by taking over directorial reins from Paul Almond and then revisiting these same children (and, later, adults) at more or less regular seven year intervals for an ensuing series of documentaries which ultimately included 7 Plus Seven, 21 Up , 28 Up, 35 Up , 42 Up, 49 Up 56 Up and 63 Up, the last produced effort before Apted's passing in 2021. As audacious as this long running documentary series was (and is), it may in a way pale in comparison to a similarly bold strategy undertaken by Richard Linklater, who decided to put together a narrative film, one without a really secure screenplay, wherein he would follow a number of performers for over a decade (intermittently, of course) to craft a film about the maturation of Mason Evans, Jr. (Ellar Coltrane), who ages from six to eighteen over the course of the story. Along for the "ride" are a host of other performers, including ultimate Academy Award winner Patricia Arquette as Mason's mother Olivia, and Ethan Hawke as Mason's initially estranged father, Mason, Sr. This is a film virtually guaranteed to melt even the hardest of hearts, and anyone who has either been a son or a father will almost certainly come away from their viewing experience with any number of insights and emotional aftereffects.

Boyhood has had two releases on Blu-ray for the North American market in Region A, and those interested in more plot details are encouraged to read Martin Liebman's Boyhood Blu-ray review of the first Region A Blu-ray release from Paramount. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Criterion came along a while later and followed up with their own, release, and while Svet Atanasov defers as I do to Marty for a plot recap, Svet's Boyhood Blu-ray review of the Criterion version provides another chance, along with Marty's review, for screenshot comparisons and seeing how supplements between the versions line up.

Boyhood Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Boyhood is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet, which is the same for its simultaneous 1080 and 4K UHD releases of the film (hence some of the following verbiage about HDR and/or Dolby Vision) doesn't have a ton of information on the transfer, but does disclose the following:

Boyhood is presented in 1.85:1 with 5.1 sound. The film is presented on this UHD release in 4K resolution with HDR10 and Dolby Vision.

The 2K DPX master data files were sourced from NBC Universal. The 4K remastering and HDR10 & Dolby Vision grading was completed by David Mackenzie at Fidelity in Motion.

Judging solely by screenshots, this appears virtually identical with Criterion's 1080 release, and it offers the film with its correct aspect ratio (the Paramount release was in 1.78:1) with generally great looking detail levels and an appealing palette. The color timing seems very similar across the three releases, which can be seen by looking at some of the similar screenshots shared between the three 1080 reviews (there are a few more in my review of Arrow's 4K UHD release, for you completists out there). The outdoor material in particular pops beautifully almost all of the time, and even some fairly wide framings still support surprisingly fulsome detail levels. A few nighttime scenes can suffer from slight deficits in shadow detail. Grain is generally tightly resolved, but does show some variances, some of which I attribute to the long shoot and any differences in film stock, cameras and/or lenses.

Boyhood Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Like its two prior Region A releases, this version offers a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. My oft repeated mantra of "different reviewers means different opinions" finds another example in the different scores Marty and Svet gave in their reviews, with my own score falling in between the two of them (just to make things even more complicated). As both Marty and Svet point out in their reviews, there are no quality deficiencies of any kind here, and my sense is any reactions to the track may be based on expectations as much as anything, as a kind of wash of ambient environmental sounds is what suffices throughout this audio presentation for "surround engagement". It is engaging (pun unavoidable) in my estimation, but it's a subtle track, one that is not going to blow any audiophile's mind (and/or ears). Dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Boyhood Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Without Ambition One Starts Nothing (HD; 46:13) features father and son team of Dan Chiasson and Louis Chiasson in conversation about the film.


• In Search of Lost Time (HD; 23:45) is an appealing visual essay by Scout Tafoya.


• Before and After Boyhood (HD; 23:38) is a previously unreleased interview with Richard Linklater conducted by Rob Stone.


• Richard Linklater at the BFI (HD; 52:07) is from a 2014 appearance.


• Theatrical Trailer (HD; 1:34)


• Image Gallery (HD)

Additionally, this is another handsomely packaged Limited Edition from Arrow that includes a 60 page perfect bound collector's book featuring some really interesting writing from Ben Sachs, Rob Stone and Don Chiasson. The keepcase insert features a reversible cover, and a sturdy slipcase houses the keepcase, booklet and a double sided fold out poster.

Boyhood Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I am (not to state the obvious) a son, though my own father has passed, and I am also a father to two incredible now adult boys, and I will simply say that Boyhood is one of the most viscerally moving films I've ever seen, and it's one I never worry about revisiting. Those looking for a traditional three act structure will probably be mightily confused by this film, but those open to the wonders of how "day to day life" can suddenly transform into a span of years may find this an unusually enchanting experience. Technical merits are solid and as usual Arrow has aggregated some excellent supplements. Highly recommended.