The Odd Job Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

The Odd Job Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 19, 2025

Peter Medak's "The Odd Job" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Sevein Films. The supplemental features on the release include new program with Peter Medak and David Jason; new program with screenwriter Bernard McKenna; new program with co-producer Mark Forstater; new program with actor Simon Lewis; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The unprofessional hitman

The Odd Job shares some of the very dark sense of humor that permeates Homebodies. However, The Odd Job lacks the witty, borderline bruising cynicism that unleashes an avalanche of surprises in Homebodies, which is the main difference between these films, both instantly recognizable products of the freest and greatest decade for auteur cinema.

Arthur Harris (Graham Chapman), a hopeless, perpetually clueless workaholic, is shocked to discover that his wife, Fiona (Diana Quick), who has perpetually craved his attention, is leaving him on the day when they are supposed to celebrate their wedding anniversary. Not to force her husband to snap out of his repetitive cycle of existence and reenter her orbit. Not to rethink their marriage. Not to figure out a good strategy to rekindle it. She has had enough and is leaving for good, because Harris’s best friend has offered to make her feel needed, loved, and happy again.

For hours after his wife exits their posh apartment, Harris rages like a baby, and then hatches a perfect plan to end his misery. He will off himself, though not necessarily like real men do it. But several attempts later, Harris only manages to ramp up the pain his wife has caused him and, much to his surprise, make himself even more miserable.

Out of the blue, a short, goofy-looking man (David Jason) rings his bell and asks whether Harris has any odd jobs that need to be taken care of. A light bulb instantly goes off in Harris’s head, and he invites the stranger in, feeling exceptionally good about his compromised plan to end his misery. However, after trying and failing to trick the stranger into ‘accidentally’ killing him, Harris accepts a new plan, suggested by the stranger, who, in a matter of minutes, switches from being utterly perplexed by his behavior to being utterly excited by the possibility of resetting his life with a single, very well-paid job.

The new plan reinserts Harris into his repetitive cycle of existence and transforms the stranger into a hitman. Harris also becomes a target that will be taken out at a completely random time, when he least anticipates it.

But soon after Harris and the stranger part ways, each visibly satisfied with the new plan, the frustrated wife rethinks her decision to abandon her husband and returns home. Overwhelmed with joy and appreciation for her decision to give their marriage a second chance, Harris welcomes her with open arms and shortly after becomes unbearably paranoid, realizing that the hitman he has hired to take him out could be anywhere. Meanwhile, the hitman goes to work and, while trying to set up the perfect ‘casual murder’ for his client, instantly begins screwing up in the worst ways possible.

The Odd Job works with a blueprint that every comedy of errors utilizes, so it is not surprising that its narrative is loaded with accidents. For the same reason, it is also not surprising that its narrative quickly becomes extremely allergic to logic.

The most effective material is the one where Harris’s paranoia peaks while the hitman accidentally takes out random men and women. However, even there the laughs lack the stinging wit that would have been ideal to optimize them. Also, it feels like the narrative should have had plenty of zesty material that an adult viewer with a proper sense of humor would have appreciated. It would have made the hitman’s clumsiness far more attractive and, in the process, created much better opportunities for him and his target to impress.

Severin’s release introduces an exclusive new 2K restoration of The Odd Job, sourced from a 35mm release print, supplied by Medak. The film’s original camera negative is still lost.

The Odd Job Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Odd Job arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin.

The release introduces an exclusive new 2K restoration of The Odd Job, sourced from a 35mm release print, the best surviving element, supplied by Peter Medak. Unsurprisingly, the 2K restoration produces visuals whose overall quality is not as impressive as that of other recent 2K and 4K restorations sourced from interpositives and original camera negatives. While pleasing, most of these visuals look a bit soft, and some convey small density fluctuations. Also, the dynamic range of these visuals remains average at best, which is probably the biggest limitation of the current presentation. Color reproduction and balance are acceptable. However, in an ideal world, saturation levels, stability, and even some darker ranges of supporting nuances would be quite a bit better. The good news is that the current presentation still has a proper period appearance. It just isn't the great period appearance one would rightfully expect from a new 2K restoration. Image stability is good, but a few shaky spots can be noticed. A few surface bumps and blemishes are retained, but there are no large cuts, warped, or torn frames to report. So, what is the final verdict on the presentation? Despite all inherited limitations, The Odd Job still has a decent organic appearance on Blu-ray. It is just unfortunate that the original camera negative appears to be lost, and the folks at Severin could not produce a typically gorgeous and convincing presentation of the film. My sscore is 3.25/5.00. (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 Odd Job Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

Given the source limitations that are discussed in the video section of this article, the lossless track is surprisingly good. All exchanges are stable and balance remains pretty good. Dynamic activity is underwhelming, but the original soundtrack is not exactly put together to impress. Even the action material is very modest, without any real opportunities to create excitement in memorable ways. Most of the music sounds pretty thin, too. I did not encounter any distracting anomalies to report in our review.

The Odd Job Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - in this exclusive new program, Peter Medak explains how The Odd Job came to exist and comments on the environment from which it emerged. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Audio Interview with Peter Medak - in this exclusive new audio interview, Peter Medak, recalls, as best as he can, how he became involved with The Odd Job, what it was like to work with David Jason and Graham Chapman, how the production process was managed (what worked and did not), and how the film was received. At the end of the interview, Medak also reveals how he feels about the film, after revisiting it, in preparation for the interview, for the first time since the 1970s. In English, not subtitled. (32 min).

• The Odd Job Men - in this new program, David Jason and Peter Medak reunite, via a Zoom session, for the first time in forty-five years, and discuss their friendship and collaboration on The Odd Job. Jason and Medak also comment on the TV version of The Odd Job and some of the funniest improvisations the former did before the camera. In English, not subtitled. (17 min).

• The Unusual Work - in this exclusive new program, writer Bernard McKenna recalls how the opportunity to team up with Graham Chapman on The Odd Job came along, and explains why the type of comedy that is channeled through it is no longer possible to pen today. McKenna also has some very interesting comments about the image and special qualities of David Jason's character, as well as Peter Medak's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (20 min).

• Producer, An Odd Job - in this exclusive new program, co-producer Mark Forstater discusses his involvement with Monty Python and the Holy Grail and relationship with Graham Chapman, as well as work on The Odd Job. Forstater also mentions Chapman's notorious drinking problem, and reveals that it was not an issue during the production of The Odd Job. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• The Odd Batch - in this exclusive new program, actor Richard O'Brien explains why London was the place to be during the 1960s, and why a lot changed during the 1970s, and comments on his contribution to The Odd Job. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• The Naughty Neighbor - in this exclusive new program, actress Carolyn Seymour, who plays the voracious neighbor Angie, recalls how she landed her part in The Odd Job and comments on her interactions with Peter Medak. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Most Peculiar Craft - in this exclusive new program, actor Simon Lewis discusses the early stages of his career, and recalls his interactions with Peter Medak and various cast members during the filming of The Odd Couple. Lewis also has some interesting comments about David Jason's acting style and the evolution of his career. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

The Odd Job Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Bernard McKenna confesses that he can no longer write as he did when he collaborated with Graham Chapman on the screenplay for The Odd Job, which is hardly shocking news. However, this is one of the big reasons The Odd Job is worth seeing. The humor in it is unrestricted, quickly reaching different places to create good laughs and surprises. This said, I think that The Odd Job, which is a cinematic reimagination of a short TV play, could have been a wittier, much wilder film, channeling the sexual innuendo and fireworks that many of Leslie Phillips's comedies are known for. David Jason would have been unstoppable in such a comedy. Regardless, I could not be happier that the folks at Severin prepared this imperfect but still very nice Blu-ray release of The Odd Job. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.