Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.0

Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 2, 2026

James Gray's "Little Odessa" (1994) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include new program with James Gray; archival audio commentary; and archival documentary on the production of the film. In English, with optional English subtitles SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"Do you believe in God? Wait ten seconds and see if God saves you."

James Gray and John Dahl’s careers are oddly similar, but not because they have discovered success in identical ways. It is because their first three films remain their best work. All of them are about criminals, too. Gray’s first three films -- Little Odessa, The Yards, and We Own the Night -- are all gritty urban crime dramas set in New York City. Dahl’s first three films -- Kill Me Again, Red Rock West, and The Last Seduction -- are all stylish neo-noir thrillers that visit rural America. Since they made their directorial debuts in the early 1990s, Gray and Dahl have struggled to replicate the quality of their first three films.

Little Odessa is the simplest of Gray’s first three films. After spending three years away from New York City, professional hitman Josh Shapira (Tim Roth) returns home to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, to take out a target. Despite trying to avoid areas where he can be easily recognized, Shapira is spotted by an old friend, Sasha (David Vadim), who then breaks the news to his younger brother, Reuben (Eddie Furlong). Shortly after, Shapira is tracked down by his younger brother and the two begin spending time together -- very, very carefully, so as not to alert local criminals who have old scores to settle with Shapira and have been waiting for him to reappear. Shapira also decides to see his mother, Irina (Vanessa Redgrave), who has an inoperable brain tumor. However, during an improvised reunion, Shapira clashes with his old-fashioned, abusive father, Arkady (Maximilian Schell), who has disowned him for becoming a professional hitman and irreversibly damaging the family’s reputation in Little Odessa, the largest Russian-speaking immigrant community in America. In the ensuing drama, Shapira’s anger begins to override his pragmatism, and the local criminals are tipped off about his reappearance.

Written and directed by Gray, Little Odessa is a contemporary Greek tragedy with Russian characters, only some of whom can also be described as Russian-American. The Russian characters are older, first-generation immigrants who have carved a niche for themselves in Brighton Beach and done their best to assimilate. The Russian-American characters are their sons and daughters, all attached to their cultural roots, but viewing Brighton Beach and living their lives there very differently. While it tells an intimate story, Little Odessa examines the vulnerable connection between the two and then correctly determines that tragedy is always lurking around them.

Gray’s grandparents had an apartment in Brighton Beach, where he spent plenty of time growing up, and Little Odessa draws on his observations of, and interactions with, the people who lived there. Some of them were hard-working immigrants and their sons and daughters. Some of them were exactly like the hitman and his rivals. Some were like the hitman’s targets.

As presented, the sum of these observations and interactions, which equals unfiltered realism, is the biggest strength of Little Odessa. Some of this unfiltered realism is comparable to the one British directors channeled in their ‘kitchen sink’ dramas during the 1950s and 1960s. However, Gray’s camera shows significantly more of the gritty and graphic that defines both.

Gray’s director of photography was Tom Richmond, whose credits include the cult films Stand Alone and Killing Zoe.

Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of Little Odessa is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray is Region-Free. However, the Blu-ray is Region-A "locked".

Please note that all screencaptures included with this article are taken from the Blu-ray. We have not provided downscaled screencaptures from the 4K Blu-ray.

The following text appears inside the leaflet provided with this release:

"Supervised and approved by director James Gray, this new 4K restoration was created from the original 35mm camera negative. The original 2.0 surround track was remastered from the original 35mm magnetic track. Please be sure to enable Dolby Pro Logic decoging on your receiver to properly play the 2.0 surround track.

Mastering supervisors: Giles Sherwood, Lee Kline.
Colorist: Bossi Baker, Resillion, Burbank, CA.
Image restoration: Prassad Corporation, Burbank.
Audio restoration: The Criterion Collection."

In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. Also, on a different day, I viewed it in its entirety on Blu-ray.

The 4K restoration is disappointing. It teals the film and gives it a cooler appearance that is extremely similar to the one Testament received. (The restorations of these films were graded by the same party at Resillion). The execution scene at the beginning of the film and the trip to the reptile house tell the whole story. However, the effects of the tealing and change in the overall color temperature of the film are present practically everywhere. Examples can be seen here, here, and here. The current cool, teal/turquoise-ed appearance is not the original appearance of the film. This film has prominent browns and grays, and natural white during the snowy footage. Needless to say, this is an extremely frustrating development because delineation, clarity, and depth are outstanding, often approaching what I consider 'reference levels'. The Dolby Vision grade makes many visuals look noticeably better, but also exacerbates the effects of the color shifts, with the brighter outdoor footage usually looking most problematic. Image stability is outstanding. The entire film is spotless.

Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 (with tiny portions of Russian). Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. A few lines or Russia are directly translated on the film, as they were during its theatrical screening.

The lossless track is very healthy and nicely balanced. It does not have a wide range of nuanced dynamics, but in areas where it needs to perform well, it does everything right. The executions and shootouts, for instance, sound terrific. While viewing the film, I did not encounter any anomalies to report in our review.

Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by James Gray and Tim Roth in 2000. The most interesting comments address the conception of Little Odessa, Gray's research on the Russian-Jewish mafia, the preparation efforts and the shooting locations (portions of the film were shot in Los Angeles), and the nature of the evolving drama. Later, there are some interesting comments about Eddie Furlong and his performance, as well as various scenes that are not in the final version of Little Odessa.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this archival audio commentary was recorded by James Gray and Tim Roth in 2000. The most interesting comments address the conception of Little Odessa, Gray's research on the Russian-Jewish mafia, the preparation efforts and the shooting locations (portions of the film were shot in Los Angeles), and the nature of the evolving drama. Later, there are some interesting comments about Eddie Furlong and his performance, as well as various scenes that are not in the final version of Little Odessa.

• James Gray with Sean Fennessey - in this new program, James Gray discusses his career and Little Odessa with critic Sean Fennessey. The program was produced for Criterion in 2026. In English, not subtitled. (30 min).

• Once Upon a Time... "Little Odessa" - this archival documentary, directed by David Thompson for French television, examines James Gray's background and the production of Little Odessa. Included in it are clips from interviews with Gray, Tim Roth, Vanessa Redgrave, producer Paul Webster, and director of photography Tom Richmond, amongst others. The documentary was produced in 2013. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles. (53 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Glenn Kenny's essay "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother", as well as technical credits.

Little Odessa 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

James Gray's directorial debut, Little Odessa, is a Greek tragedy with Russian characters, set in America's largest Russian-speaking immigrant community. It shares several qualities that defined the British 'kitchen sink' dramas of the 1950s and 1960s, but Gray shows significantly more of what made them different and some even controversial. Criterion's combo pack presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Little Odessa, supervised and approved by Gray. Unfortunately, the 4K restoration changes the film's native appearance.