North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		5.0

North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Suspense in every direction.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 19, 2024

Just in time for its 65th anniversary, Alfred Hitchcock's outstanding thriller North by Northwest starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint finally arrives on UHD. Featuring a terrific new 2160p/HDR10 transfer, two lossless audio options, and a nice collection of mostly familiar extras, it's a perfectly well-rounded disc and the best overall in WB's November slate of catalog 4K reissues. Just like those other two (Blazing Saddles and The Terminator), North by Northwest is also available as a Steelbook edition... but guess what? This cover design actually looks pretty good.

For a synopsis and appreciation of North by Northwest, please see Casey Broadwater's review of the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray. I've nothing to add and 100% agree with his five-star rating, so let's just keep things moving.

North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These slightly compressed screenshots are sourced from the new 4K disc but downscaled to 1080p/SDR; therefore, they should not be considered a 100% accurate representation of this release's video quality.

For my thoughts on North by Northwest's inarguably outstanding new 2160p/HDR10 transfer, please see my recent review of Warner Bros.' standard 4K edition.

North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

For my thoughts on the both separate audio options (which yes, finally includes the original theatrical mono mix in lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio), please likewise see my review of the standard 4K edition.

North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a striking matte-finish Steelbook that takes its cues from original poster artwork (which has been used before) and features black-and-white imagery with bold red highlights. Never mind that the crop-dusting plane doesn't really fly over Mount Rushmore, of course -- at least it looks cool. Inside is a more traditional full-color still image of Roger Thornhill running from danger with a disc hub on the right side. This is a clean and stylish design overall, although the standard 4K artwork was pretty decent for a "remixed" design.

The fairly well-rounded bonus features listed below are mostly sourced from previous releases including the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray and are all detailed in my recent review of the standard 4K edition.

• Audio Commentary

• North by Northwest: Cinematography, Score, and the Art of the Edit (23:06)

• Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest (39:27)

• The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style (57:32)

• North by Northwest: One for the Ages (25:29)

• A Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock (3:16)

North by Northwest 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

North by Northwest is quintessential entertainment from Hollywood's Golden Age and also one of Alfred Hitchcock's most celebrated films. Its strengths are many and it's routinely placed on Top 100 lists for very good reason, but luckily it's been well-represented on home video during the last few decades. Despite a rather long 15-year gap between its last major edition (WB's solid 50th Anniversary Blu-ray), the studio's long-awaited new UHD release beats it in almost every category and is highlighted by an absolutely top-tier A/V treatment including an outstanding new 2160p/HDR10 transfer, solid Dolby Atmos audio, and of course the long-missing original theatrical mix. It's an essential purchase whether you choose the regular edition or this Steelbook and comes very, very Highly Recommended.