The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		3.5
Overall		3.5

The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 15, 2026

The Ninth Gate tends to struggle at times as it combines bits and pieces of ideas from other films, despite having been adapted from a novel called The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The title of the original book may leave those who have seen this film adaptation scratching their heads, and for good reason: the adaptors (including director Roman Polanski) actually jettisoned what arguably was the main plot of the story, something that might be thought of as a mystery in the same general league as, say, The Name of the Rose and/or The Da Vinci Code, where "missing" texts provide the McGuffin. There is a text at the center of the film version, but in the book that's actually a subplot and not the central focus. That may be just one reason why this particular Polanski film probably doesn't provide the same level of chills of another Polanski film at least allusively dealing with Satan, Rosemary's Baby. The Ninth Gate had a 1080 release from Lionsgate way back in 2009 (see below for a review link), but now Lionsgate's e-tailer Lionsgate Limited is revisiting the film in both 4K and 1080 with new and archival supplements, all in SteelBook packaging.

As mentioned above, The Ninth Gate had a 1080 release quite a few years ago now, and Ken Brown's The Ninth Gate Blu-ray review of that edition provides plot information, a list of supplements and Ken's reaction to the technical presentation.

The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 disc in this package.

The Ninth Gate is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Film's etailer Lionsgate Limited with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 2.35:1. This release also includes an AVC encoded 1080p presentation on a separate disc. Ken didn't have much good to report with regard to Lionsgate's now pretty old 1080 release, but the good news is all of the major issues Ken mentions in his review have been ameliorated in both resolutions offered in this package. Lionsgate tends not to provide a ton of technical information on some of these Lionsgate Limited 4K releases, but if the all knowing internets are to be believed, these presentations were sourced off of a 2025 4K restoration culled from the original negative by by VDM laboratory under Pathé's supervision. Both the 1080 and 4K presentations differ markedly from Lionsgate's old 1080 release in the color timing department in particular. I've tried to duplicate some of Ken's screenshots from his review so that those interested can do side by side comparisons, but the entire look here is considerably darker and to my eyes much more "natural", at least in terms of things like flesh tones and background hues of various natural environments. Commendably the darker overall look does not materially detract from detail levels, at least most of the time, something that is probably aided at least in part by the HDR / Dolby Vision grades. Those grades really add some punch to maybe some slightly unexpected regions of the spectrum, with almost "golden hour" yellows looking especially lustrous. Somewhat ironically, Ken mentioned aggressive DNR on the first 1080 release of the film, and that most definitely is not the case here, to the point that this is another combo package where my hunch some videophiles may well prefer the 1080 version, which can offer a somewhat less chunky look of often yellow tinged grain throughout.

The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Ninth Gate offers a Dolby Atmos track that perhaps due to the disbursal of objects may require turning your receiver "up to 11" to get the full breadth and height of what's on tap. There is some appealing surround activity in some of the more "otherwordly" effects sequences, though some effects, like the scratching pen that opens the film, are anchored front and center. As Ken mentions in his revew, and as perhaps dictated by the very structure of what the Depp characters encounters as the story moves on, some of the most impressive surround activity takes place toward the end of the film. Polanski has introduced global audiences to any number of legendary Polish composers, with my personal favorite being "Christopher" Komeda of Rosemary's Baby fame (how did that score not get at least an Academy Award nomination?). Here, though, the probably widely unknown Wojciech Kilar contributes a score that to my ears is a bit more cliché ridden, though it, along with several booming effects, does provide some low end energy. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: As can sometimes be the case with these Lionsgate Limited release, the categorization of some bonus items as ostensibly "legacy" offerings may seem a bit strange, as in the 2024 interviews listed below. In any case, both the 4K and 1080 discs in this package sport the same supplemental content.

• Unlocking The Ninth Gate (HD; 17:28) is a new interview with cinematographer Darius Khondji. This is basically an audio interview playing to archival footage.


• Legacy Special Features

Audio Commentary with Director Roman Polanski (2000)




Making Of Featurette (2000) (HD; 2:01)




Storyboard Selections (HD; 2:40)




Gallery of Satanic Drawings (HD; 1:11)




Roman Polanski and Actress Emmanuelle Seigner EPK Interview (HD; 8:47)




Johnny Depp EPK Interview (HD; 19:44)




Dancing with the Devil (HD; 12:13) is a 2024 interview with Emmanuelle Seigner.




A Page Turning Perfectionism (HD; 10:10) is a 2024 interview with James Russo.




Theatrical Trailers (HD; 4:54)

This Lionsgate Limited exclusive features some cheeky (or perhaps more accurately, um, horny) design aesthetics. The Mylar O ring offers a cutout of sorts of Depp's face, though the way that it's cut superimposes his visage on what may appear to be some positively devilish iconography. Peeling off the O ring, however, reveals a whole different "reveal" of what certain raggedy points actually are, in another kind of arresting image. Both the O ring and the outer panels of the SteelBook emphasize somewhat neutral tones with flashes of orange and black. The inner panels offer a kind of combo image of an allusion to the film with a vintage drawing. A digital copy is also included.

The Ninth Gate 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I've had a perhaps potentially dangerous interest in various occult matters from a fairly young age, and in fact my Master's work was based on a comparison of "official nemeses" Aleister Crowley and William Butler Yeats, both of whom had wives who supposedly engaged in "automatic writing" which "delivered" certain canonical works in each man's output. That personal interest probably makes me more susceptible to certain admittedly outlandish plot points on hand here, but even given that background, I would never argue that this film delivers any substantial surprises or even the same general unease that, say, Rosemary's Baby rather easily does. This new release offers improvements in video quality especially, and both the "official" new interview and ostensible legacy supplements are enjoyable. The SteelBook packaging offers one of the nicer "reveals" in terms of its O ring vs. the front panel. With caveats noted, Recommended.