The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov October 19, 2025

Jack Nicholson's "The Two Jakes" (1990) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Jack Nicholson; archival program with actor David Keith; archival program with editor Anne Goursand; new audio commentary by critics Max Allan Collins and Heath Holland; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

"What I do for a living may not be very reputable, but I am. In this town, I'm the leper with the most fingers."

If your mind is not fresh and willing to perform as well as it could when you choose to see The Two Jakes, you are undoubtedly setting yourself up for a very frustrating viewing experience. Jack Nicholson’s film is not just one big and very twisty noirish puzzle, but frequently a genuinely perplexing film, so arranging properly all of its scattered pieces can be a serious challenge even for the freshest mind.

In Los Angeles, private eye Jake Gittes (Nicholson) is contacted by power player Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel), who has discovered that his wife, Kitty (Meg Tilly), is having an affair with another man. Gittes is then offered a substantial sum of money to bust Kitty and her lover in a particular hotel room at a particular time, a setup desired by Berman, who claims that he wants to retake control of his marriage. Gittes reluctantly agrees to help Berman. However, when later he and his assistant rush into the hotel room, Berman inserts himself into the setup and guns down Kitty’s lover, who is identified as his business partner, Mark Bodine.

As soon as Berman is arrested, The Two Jakes enters a very deep rabbit hole, split by multiple trails, each ending at different places. Gittes and Berman, the two Jakes, become key players in a murder case that is constantly expanded and reset, and while trying to clear his name, the former begins making various most unexpected discoveries, a few of which have substantially more to do with Los Angeles and its future than his compromised client.

Nicholson worked with a screenplay by Robert Towne, who penned Chinatown, considered by many to be one of the greatest of all film noirs, and it is painfully obvious that The Two Jakes was supposed to be seen as a sequel to it. The connection between these films is unmissable, but they are different in so many ways that it almost feels a bit odd to view them as relatives.

As in Chinatown, Gittes’ investigation is essentially one big litmus test that begins exposing a lot of truths about the socio-political structure of Los Angeles and the people who have the ability to alter it – legally and illegally. As the investigation picks up steam, Gittes, while repeatedly risking his life, then realizes that Berman is a chameleon that aspires to be one of them. However, the same investigation is also supposed to transform the murder case into a great noirish puzzle, and the harder Gittes work to solve it, the less attractive it becomes. Several key developments in it also appear completely random and, unsurprisingly, unconvincing. The exact opposite development transforms Chinatown into a special film. In it, Gittes also digs deep, but the more information he gathers about the apparent drowning of Hollis Mulwray, the more intriguing his work becomes.

The great period environment and frequently breathtaking visuals are enough to recommend booking a date with The Two Jakes. Also, Nicholson and Keitel are joined by several very good actors, like Eli Wallach, Madeleine Stowe, and Richard Farnsworth. However, its disastrous performance at the box office is entirely deserved. It is a mismanaged project, with obvious flaws, that should have been a vastly superior film.

The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Kino Lorber's release of The Two Jakes 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 some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-27 are taken from Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #30-38 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release introduces Paramount's recent 4K restoration of The Two Jakes on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision. However, I also viewed several large sections of the film in 1080p on the Blu-ray.

The 4K restoration is magnificent and looks jaw-droppingly gorgeous in native 4K and 1080p. To be honest, it is one of the most convincing makeovers I have seen this year, and this says a lot because during the last ten months there have been some absolute stunners, on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. On my system, delineation, clarity, and depth were consistently at or around what I consider to be 'reference levels'. The density levels of the visuals were exceptional as well. The color grading job could not have been any more convincing. All primaries are breathtakingly lush, and all supporting nuances are perfectly balanced. Both are very healthy, too. I prefer how the entire film looks without Dolby Vision because some of the darker areas tend to look a tad too dark on my system when it is enabled. In 1080p on the Blu-ray, virtually all of the same areas looked better on my system. On the other hand, several outdoor sequences, like the one where Jack Nicholson drives through the desert to reach Harvey Keitel's office, looked noticeably better in native 4K. (It is where the visuals have an undeniable superior dynamic range). Image stability is great. The entire film looks spotless as well.

The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I chose to view the film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track, but tested the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in several areas. The latter clearly expands the dynamic field, and in some busy sequences, like the one with the short melee during the murder in the hotel, it is easy to appreciate that there is more going on. However, the DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track does not feel like a compromise. On the contrary, it performs exceptionally well in the exact same sequences. So, you will simply have to test both, as I did, and decide which of the two works better for you. I checked the size of the English subtitles and they looked a bit too small on my system.

The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic and writer Max Allan Collins and critic and podcaster Heath Holland.

BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critic and writer Max Allan Collins and critic and podcaster Heath Holland.

• Flying High with Jack - in this program, actor David Keith reveals how he was cast to play his character in The Two Jakes and recalls some of his interactions with Jack Nicholson during a key sequence. Keith also explains why Nicholson is the best director he has worked with, and at the end of the program confesses that he also had trouble understanding the complex story that is told in The Two Jakes. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Time Changes Things: Editing The Two Jakes - in this program, editor Anne Goursand recalls how and when Jack Nicholson invited her to work on The Two Jakes, and discusses some of the dilemmas she faced during its production and Nicholson's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Jack on Jake - in this program, Jack Nicholson reveals that he always assumed that The Two Jakes was supposed to be part of a trilogy, with Chinatown, that, sadly, never materialized. Nicholson also discusses the complicated production of The Two Jakes and its fate. In English, not subtitled. (19 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a vintage trailer for The Two Jakes. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

The Two Jakes 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The feeling that The Two Jakes should have been a vastly superior film is impossible to brush off. There is too much quality in it -- quality acting, quality visuals, quality material for a special story -- but it is not managed right. It is why in its current form The Two Jakes is a frustratingly convoluted, occasionally even perplexingly chaotic film that only reminds of its notorious relative, Chinatown. It is too bad because how it turned out and its poor reception definitely killed off the trilogy it was supposed to be a part of. Kino Lorber's combo pack introduces Paramount's gorgeous recent 4K restoration of it on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. A separate Blu-ray release of the 4K restoration is available as well. You can consider picking up one of these releases, but it is probably best to do so when they are on sale.