REVIEW – “A Ghost Story” Blu-ray

A Ghost Story was yet another darling at Sundance that never quite found an audience within its Summer release this year. I was able to catch it this Summer, and like most that actually went to go see the film, I was mesmerized by the beauty of the cinematography and taken back by how meditative and haunting the experience as a whole is. This is undeniably one of the most unforgettable films of the year, as it’s one that’s hard to unpack all at once. When I got the Blu-ray, I was excited to watch the film again and attempt to further understand the symbolism and themes throughout. Director David Lowery has made an immaculately detailed and intellectually challenging film about love, life, death, and the endlessness of time.

The Blu-ray conversion for A Ghost Story is one that I’ve been curious about even after I left the theater in July. The theater experience was such an enhancement to my enjoyment and appreciation for the film, as it has absolutely spectacular sound design and mesmerizing imagery. I was worried that the scope of the picture and the effectiveness of the sound design would be lost when translated onto a home viewing format. Luckily, my worries proved to be pointless as this is one of A24’s best conversions to date. I recommend watching the film with the best sound systems you have, or even with headphones in. It may seem a bit excessive, but I 100% believe this film is an experience and thus should be experienced in the best way possible.

Usually, I have a complaint or two about the lack of special features or any other nitpicks I can crank out – but with A Ghost Story, the special features are full of fantastic featurettes, deleted sequences, and the thing I was looking forward to the most – a commentary with director David Lowery and crew. Out of all the Blu-ray’s that I’ve reviewed this year, this is by far the best conversion and the most generously packed one.

Film Rating: 4/5

Blu-ray Rating: 4.5/5

BLU-RAY/DIGITAL HD SPECIAL FEATURES:

• Audio Commentary with Director David Lowery, Cinematographer Droz Palermo, Production Designer Jade Healy, and Composer Daniel Hart
• “A Ghost Story and the Inevitable Passing of Time” Featurette
• “A Composer’s Story” Featurette
• Deleted Scenes

PROGRAM INFORMATION

• Feature Run Time: 92 minutes
• Blu-ray™ Format: 1080p High Definition 16×9 Widescreen 1.89:1 Presentation, Containing a 1.33.1 Viewing Image with Rounded Edges
• DVD Format: 16×9 Widescreen 1.89:1 Presentation, Containing a 1.33:1 Viewing Image with Rounded Edges
• Blu-ray™ Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio™
• DVD Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio

A Ghost Story is now available on Blu-ray™ and Digital HD