Dead Again - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

In the simplest terms, Kenneth Branagh’s Dead Again plays as if different eras of Alfred Hitchcock’s career made an Agatha Christie mystery film. You have the more brooding, black-and-white, chillingly creepy blend of Rebecca with more contemporary fare like Frenzy, while blending a tantalizing generational murder mystery like Five Little Pigs with a dash of reincarnation for extra flavor. 

We find our reluctantly heroic gumshoe Mike Church (Branagh) tasked by the priest who helped raise him to find the identity and family of the mute mystery woman they call Grace (Thompson). The only time Grace speaks is during recurring nightmares, horrifying dreams of the real murder of Margaret Strauss (also Thompson) at the hands of her composer husband, Roman (again Branagh). With the help of a less-than-scrupulous psychic, Franklyn Madson (Derek Jacobi), Grace begins to recall her past life and a decades-old murder that’s far from solved with a killer that’s still out there. 

Dead Again is a bit of an unsung favorite of mine. I grew up in a house that loved murder mysteries, so it wasn’t much of a surprise to me that my Mom took me to see Dead Again when I was 9. It was more of a surprise that I was the only one she took to the theater. I don’t recall why she only took me and not my sister, or why she didn’t go with my Dad instead; I suppose she just really wanted to see it, and I was there. Regardless, I was with my Mom in a darkened theater watching this tantalizing little tale of murder, reincarnation, and romance unfurl before me with a big bucket of popcorn and a box of Sno-caps. And I enjoyed the hell out of it. 

Now, some 35 years later, I may not fully love Dead Again, but I still greatly enjoy it. If there’s a flaw, I see it’s something that I’ve come to love and hate about Branagh as an actor and director. When Kenneth Branagh is at his best as a filmmaker, it’s when he doesn’t get too far out ahead of the camera. He’s always been something of an egotist filmmaker; he can’t help but routinely play the lead in his productions. Here, it’s a dual-lead role of Mike Church and Roman Strauss, and he’s much better at one role than the other. Give Branagh all the time in the world as Roman, because he sinks his teeth into it with a menacing flair. It’s his main role as “everyman” Mike Church that’s the stumble. Branagh, despite all his talents, cannot play an everyman, and it’s this character who gets the most screen time.

Contrast that with Emma Thompson, who also delivers dual roles as Grace and Margaret. Thompson, as in most of everything she’s ever starred in, can make playing two versions of the same soul displaced by fifty years look effortless. Through her deft performance, we immediately feel this connection. Branagh, on the other hand, plays his roles like strangers invited to the same party who never meet. It’s my lone gripe because it’s oddly the most obvious fault for an otherwise exciting, nerve-chilling thriller. 

To Branagh’s credit as a director, he makes fine work of Scott Frank’s screenplay. The story borders on the outlandish with the past lives angle, but Branagh keeps things tight and peppers the frame with enough clues and hints with well-executed red herrings and misdirections to keep you guessing. The film is also populated with some fun side character performances with the likes of Wayne Knight, Robin Williams, Campbell Scott, and a particularly great turn from Andie Garcia. 

It’s not a film I often pull off the shelf; realistically, Dead Again doesn’t hold up well against repeat viewing and tight scrutiny, but it’s a thoroughly entertaining film. Its heavy Gothic Horror/Neo-Noir style doesn’t outweigh its substance as a damned fun feature. If the worst I can say is that Branagh needed to pull back a tad on one half of his dual performance, that’s hardly much of a criticism. I might have a quibble or two for how the climax plays out, but that, too, is small potatoes against the rest of the crop. 

Vital Disc Stats: The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray 
Dead Again lives on with a new two-disc 4K UHD + Blu-ray release from Kino Lorber Studio Classics. The 4K is pressed on a BD100 disc with a BD50 serving up the 1080p offering. Both discs are housed in a standard two-disc case with identical slipcover artwork. The discs load to static image main menus with basic navigation options.

Well, color me (or black-and-white) me happy with this presentation. Reportedly sourced from a new 4K scan of the original 35mm negative and approved by Branagh, the image looks much better than the one Paramount put forth back in 2021. I never did pick up the Imprint disc; from what I gathered, it was the same aged master that probably dated back to the DVD days (honestly didn’t keep that paramount disc long). It was murky, with poor black levels and shadows, and iffy detail clarity. Comparatively, this transfer is crisp, clean, sharp, and damned good-looking. 

The Dolby Vision grading is also a welcome touch, letting the intricate visuals pop nicely. Considering they were an afterthought and figured out in post-production, the black-and-white sequences are often striking, with an impressive grayscale that delivers bright, blistering whites and deep, ominous black levels. The contemporary color sequences (the bulk of the film) find time and place to let those noir-ish shadows percolate while enjoying healthy primary saturation and skin tones. Details are much improved, offering cleaner lines, fine facial features, and tight patterns and textures. Film grain is well resolved and appropriately cinematic. It’s a little more prominent for the black-and-white sequences, but it’s never distracting. All in, this is a very good transfer for this film, probably the best we’ll see.

For this audio outing, we’ve got a DTS-HD MA 5.1 and a DTS-HD MA 2.0 track. Without the disc on hand, I can’t compare this DTS-HD MA 5.1 track to the Dolby TrueHD 5.1 mix on the Paramount Blu-ray. To that, I have to give credit where due; it’s a hell of a track. The film’s soundscape is a fun blend of the two eras, giving the 1940s and the early 1990s distinct feels and atmospheres. The film is certainly dialog-heavy, but there’s never any issue with clarity. And while we may have lengthy chatty exchanges in antique shops or even in a grocery store meat freezer for exposition, there’s always something happening in the background to keep the surround channels engaged, even if only subtly. Patrick Doyle was under instructions to deliver a Bernard Herman Hitchcockian-style score, and I’d say he did great work. It’s certainly dynamic, and it can be quite overpowering, but given the scenes where that happens, it’s by design. I didn’t spend a whole lot of time with the 2.0 track; it works for what it offers, but I wasn’t wowed. The 5.1 was more present and impactful.

On the bonus features side of the coin, we have the same two commentaries from the last 25 years, reincarnated on the 4K and Blu-ray discs. Both tracks are informative. Branagh delivers a very insightful and measured track detailing the struggles of trying to nail the tone and the long editing period he took to find the balance of humor, romance, and thrills. Producer Lindsay Doran and screenwriter Scott Frank have their own track that offers more insight into the story and production, just from their point of view as two individuals who were not also in front of the camera. Two great tracks if you haven’t heard them. Sadly, that’s all that’s here beyond the traditional KLSC gallery of semi-related trailers on the Blu-ray

4K UHD Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Kenneth Branagh
• Audio Commentary featuring Scott Frank and Lindsay Doran

Blu-ray Disc

• Audio Commentary featuring Kenneth Branagh
• Audio Commentary featuring Scott Frank and Lindsay Doran
• Theatrical Trailer
• KLSC Trailer Gallery:
• The Gingerbread Man
• Internal Affairs
• The Two Jakes
• After Dark, My Sweet
• Snake Eyes
• The Underneath
• Twilight
• The Usual Suspects
• The General’s Daughter

Dead Again probably isn’t the greatest mystery thriller ever made; I’m probably even letting long-held nostalgia color my opinion. With that, I still feel this is one satisfying, twisty, turny Neo-Noir thriller with a terrific cast made by a filmmaker who, when he doesn’t get too far ahead of himself, can deliver one damned entertaining film. After a somewhat spotty record on disc-based media, Dead Again comes home with a generally excellent 4K UHD release from Paramount. The new director-approved transfer is sharper and cleaner than past editions, with a steady Dolby Vision grade and audio package to match. I wish the bonus features package had been a little more robust, the old commentaries are still very good, but there’s nothing new in the stew. As is, it’s a worthwhile upgrade for a solid feature. Highly Recommended