Brick - KLSC 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

Just a few short years ago I reviewed Kino Lorber Studio Classics' first Blu-ray release of Rian Johnson’s Brick. In that time, the director has somewhat cornered the Whodunit murder mystery market with his Knives Out films and his slick series Poker Face. Now while we wait for the next season to stream on Peacock and the third adventure with Benoit Blanc, we can kick back to his first Neo Noir murder mystery Brick. 

As I mentioned in my review, this film was the big thing around when I was at film school. It was proof of what could be done on a small budget, with a great script, and pure determination. Before that review, I hadn’t seen Brick in a few years so some of the luster had worn off. But now that I’m four years removed from that review, I’ve rekindled a lot of my enthusiasm for Rian Johnson’s first feature. I’ve long been a junkie for murder mysteries and whodunits and after going on a tear through the Columbo and Monk series, on top of Clue: The Movie among others, I’ve found some of that raw awestruck appreciation for Brick all over again. 

The dialog crackles with the slick polish of the best noirs - but applied to the lunchroom antics of a high school detective. It’s a hybrid model that doesn’t seem like it should work, but it absolutely pops. We have Joseph Gordon Levitt as our signature detective playing all angles with Lukas Haas as our criminal kingpin. We have our damesl in distress played by Emilie de Ravin with Nora Zehetner as our stylish femme fatal. But no noir mystery is complete without the inside corner man Matt O’Leary or Richard Roundtree playing our heavy-handed right-side-of-the-law “cop” Vice Principal Truman. 

Here’s what I said in 2020, but I’m going to edge my score up a bit because I had a genuine gas with this latest viewing.

Brenden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is just like any loner high schooler his age - he wants to be left alone and yet is constantly compelled to interject himself into the business of others. When his ex-girlfriend calls him out of the blue in a panic looking for help, Brenden is forced to do the right thing by trying to find her when she turns up missing. Through a cadre of colorful characters, Brenden puts himself in the sights of The Pin (Lukas Haas) - a young criminal overlord who is more than willing to do whatever it takes to protect his thriving little empire. 

When I moved to Chicago for film school in 2005, Rian Johnson's Brick was the talk of the campus. It was a prime example of what you could do with a committed crew, a decent budget, and the will to get it done. While technically a professional shoot, the film rarely could get permission to shoot at various locations, so it was largely shot illegally without location permits - hence all of the scenes taking place behind buildings or in nondescript locations. In school, we were largely given permission to go ahead and do the same thing. Aside from not being able to shoot the Bean or in front of major landmarks, we didn't have to have location permits. I shot a short about Cookie Monster busting an illegal cookie dough operation using Chicago alleyways and my friends' really creepy laundry room in the dead of winter. By your shirtsleeves is a really fun creative way to go out and do it.

While Brick was made for a much larger budget with far better equipment and a caliber of actor that exceeded those available to me, it maintains that rough-around-the-edges feel that adds to the charm. It's a High School Noir thriller that never actually goes to school. It's about the dark underbelly of suburban Los Angeles/Orange County and yet it doesn't actually feel like it's a part of those communities at all. It's a movie that takes place within its own little world, and if you can accept how this world exists filled with world-weary youngsters and virtually no adult presence, it works! If you know the tried and true Film Noir structure you can diagnose the characters right down to the informant, the femme fatal, the hooker with a heart of gold, and so forth.

It's been a solid 12 years since I last sat down and gave Brick a thorough watch. I'm glad to see that it largely holds up. Removed from my school years, some of the charms of a high schooler detective taking on a case has lost a little of its luster, but it's still an engaging and entertaining watch. The great cast of young up-and-coming actors and actresses is what makes this film work. Gordon-Levitt brings charisma to Brenden. Lukas Haas gets to play heavy as The Pin. Matt O'Leary gets to play the know-it-all street man with the inside dope. It's a fun film. I wouldn't try to stack it against the best of the best Film Noirs, but for a first-time feature, this is a fun run for sure. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray
Rian Johnson’s Brick solves the case of the missing 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray with a new two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The 4K is pressed on a BD-100 disc with a Region A BD-50 serving the film in 1080p and the bulk of the bonus features. Each disc loads to a static image main menu with standard navigation options.

Reportedly sourced from a new 4K Dolby Vision Master approved by Rian Johnson, the film makes an excellent leap to 2160p. The previous Blu-ray was solid and made for a great disc, but with the extra resolution and HDR grade, the image adds more punch to the stylized visuals. Nothing’s been overblown or redone, but instead enhanced. Fine lines, facial features, production design, and all of the seedy spots of our story pick up notable refinements. Film grain is cleanly rendered and intact without any signs of smoothing or excessive sharpening.

The thing that instantly stood out to me was a much stronger sense of depth to the image. The next thing I noticed, thanks to HDR, was the film’s shadows and black levels looked much stronger and more refined. The film’s outdoor scenes have a sort of blue-ish tone and on the 2020 Blu-ray, I felt that held the black levels back just a bit. Now they’re nice and inky with some excellent shadow separation for those creepy low-light scenes. The scene in The Pin’s basement with the mirror is a great example in that regard. Again because of that Blue cast, some primaries skew that shade, but once the action moves inside, everything looks vivid and true. All around a lovely transfer.

What sounds to be the same DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio tracks return for this release, and I’m perfectly okay with that. Of the two I’d still call the 5.1 track the better option because it gives the soundscape more room to work with. Dialog is clean and clear. Ultimately you can’t really go wrong with either track. 

On the bonus features front, the same extras on the 1080p disc return, but the 4K disc picks up a brand new audio commentary track Professor and scholas Jason A. Ney leads this new discussion and it’s an interesting analytical track to listen to. It’s certainly not as lively as the previous Director/Cast/Crew commentary but Ney holds his own well without sounding dry or boring. 

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Rian Johnson, Nora Zehetner, Noah, Segan, Ram Bergman, Jodie Tillen, Michele Posch
• Audio Commentary featuring Jason A. Ney

Blu-ray Disc 

• Audio Commentary featuring Rian Johnson, Nora Zehetner, Noah, Segan, Ram Bergman, Jodie Tillen, Michele Posch
• Deleted/Extended Scenes (SD 22:33)
• The Inside Track: Casting The Roles of Laura and Dode (SD 3:12)
• Theatrical Trailer
• KLSC Trailers Gallery

Four years and a few more viewings later, I’m back to feeling my full enjoyment of Brick as I did back when I was in my 20s making hard-boiled muppet crime epics on 16mm in the dead of Chicago winter. I’ve long been a fan of murder mysteries, noir thrillers, and whodunits. In the last few years, Rian Johnson has positioned himself as the go-to filmmaker for this genre and I’m enjoying everything he’s throwing our way. But going back to Brick gives me a new appreciation for everything that’s hit theaters or streaming in the last five years. Kino Lorber Studio Classics gives fans another reason to come back to class and check out Brick. The new 4K Dolby Vision transfer is a welcome step up after the still very good 2020 Blu-ray. Audio is the same, but that’s fine because the tracks are still great. Bonus features pick up a new 4K Disc-exclusive commentary to sweeten the deal. Highly Recommended