The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 19, 2026

John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new program with casting director Simone Reynolds; exclusive new program with actor Rob Walker; exclusive new program with costume designer Tudor; archival audio documentary by John Mackenzie; archival documentary; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The late Bob Hoskins is Harold Shand, a wealthy British gangster who is dying to change his beloved London. He has a grand plan in his head and is convinced that if he plays his cards right, very soon, London will be the most important city in Europe.

Powerful American gangster Charlie (Eddie Constantine, Alphaville) is interested in Shand’s plan, but wants to hear more from him before he becomes his partner. Shortly after he lands in London with his lawyer, Shand, and his mistress, Victoria (Helen Mirren, Excalibur), welcome him on their luxurious yacht.

Meanwhile, someone kills Shand’s trusted assistant, Colin (Paul Freeman, The Sender), who prefers the company of men. Another one of Shand’s associates also dies in a car explosion. Shortly after, someone plants a bomb in Shand’s favorite pub and destroys it.

Confused and concerned that the chaos could compromise his business partnership with Charlie and collapse his plan, Shand begins searching for answers, but the deeper he digs, the more perplexed he becomes. If all of his enemies are dead, who could be stupid enough to challenge him on his own turf?

John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday was initially meant to be a TV show, not a feature film. There is a good chance the TV show might have been fairly entertaining, but it is difficult to see how it could have been as effective as the feature film.

The current version of The Long Good Friday resembles a documentary with an attitude. It has many explosions and killings, but none of them look or feel flashy. At the center of it is a giant puzzle with many missing pieces, and yet the focus is on the big picture and how Shand fits in it.

The socio-political overtones emerging from the big picture are very interesting because they define the two opposing sides – the businessmen vs. the idealists. Shand and Charlie are looking to expand their empires in a rapidly changing world. (The many observations about a united Europe and the lucrative business opportunities it offers are strikingly relevant today). On the opposite end, Shand’s enemies are stuck in an ideological conflict that feels terribly dated. So, there is a clash of ideas before there is a conflict of interests.

The Long Good Friday belongs to Hoskins. His massive character transformation rivals some of the very best performances seen in crime films over the years. Hoskins' violent outbursts, in particular, are so intense that at times it is quite difficult to believe they could have been penned and rehearsed. In the original script, Mirren’s character apparently had different qualities and a secondary role. However, her strong presence is one of the biggest strengths of the current version of The Long Good Friday. Constantine very much looks like a wise guy who has left his violent past behind. A very young Pierce Brosnan has a short but memorable cameo before the finale as well.

Mackenzie worked with cinematographer Phil Meheux (Entrapment, Casino Royale), whose preference for earthy and warm colors becomes obvious almost immediately after Shand leaves the airport.

Francis Monkman’s classy soundtrack blends smooth jazz, electonica and funk to create a very special retro vibe.

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 and granted a 1080p transfer, The Long Good Friday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

We have posted reviews of different American and British releases that introduced very good 4K and 2K restorations of The Long Good Friday. You can see our review of the American release here. You can see our review of the British release here. Imprint Films' release is sourced from an older master, supplied by MGM.

The overall quality of the visuals is quite good, occasionally even very good. However, the age of MGM's master easily shows. For example, the film's opening credits are very shaky, and elsewhere there are tiny nicks and blemishes. Also, some highlights and shadow nuances reveal small inconsistencies that are eliminated on the 4K and 2K restorations. The biggest strength of MGM's master is the absence of problematic digital corrections. This is why all visuals, while looking dated, retain good organic qualities. Color reproduction can be described as good. However, the 4K and 2K restorations rebalance various primaries and supporting nuances, and because of these adjustments, the overall color temperature there is different and better. On the 4K and 2K restorations, the dynamic range of the visuals is noticeably better as well. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very good, borderline excellent. I cannot say I am surprised because a lot of older MGM (and Sony) masters have great audio. It has a wonderful dynamic range that helps the music create many good contrasts, and clarity, sharpness, and depth are great. In the upper register, I noticed small unevenness, but there are no serious age-related anomalies.

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - in this archival audio commentary, John Mackenzie explains how multiple sequences in The Long Good Friday were shot and edited, and discusses the manner in which the various characters are introduced, Bob Hoskins' magnificent performance, the script and the different changes that were made to it, Francis Monkman's soundtrack, etc. The commentary was recorded in 2002.

• Bloody Business: The Making of The Long Good Friday - this archival documentary focuses on the production history and success of The Long Good Friday. Included in it are clips from interviews with John Mackenzie, producer Barry Hanson, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment and initially appeared on the label's Special Edition DVD release of the film. In English, not subtitled. (55 min).

• London Casting - in this exclusive new program, casting director Simone Reynolds comments on her involvement with The Long Good Friday and interactions with Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, and several other supporting actors. Also, there are some interesting comments about the original version of the screenplay John Mackenzie worked with and why very little in it was altered. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Gangster Style - in this exclusive new program, costume designer Tudor George describes the exact moment he was invited to work on The Long Good Friday and comments on his interactions with John Mackenzie and several cast members. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• One of the Gang - in this exclusive new program, actor Rob Walker explains how he landed his part in The Long Good Friday and comments on a couple of scenes he appeared in, including the famous abbatoir scene where several gangsters are hung upside down. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• The Upside Down Side - in this exclusive new program, stuntman Jim Dowdall discusses the work he and several other stuntmen did during the famous abbatoir scene, where several gangsters are hung upside down. Apparently, during and after the filming of the scene, multiple people became very ill. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Long Good Friday. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A visionary gangster, played with incredible intensity by the late Bob Hoskins, tries to transform London but faces a powerful enemy in director John Mackenzie's classic film The Long Good Friday. Arrow Video and Criterion have introduced very good 4K and 2K restorations of it, so it is rather unfortunate that this release is sourced from an older master, supplied by MGM. On the other hand, the release has a very nice selection of exclusive new and archival bonus features. It is included in Directed by John Mackenzie, a four-disc box set. RECOMMENDED.