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Arrow

269 films on Best Blurays
Best video release:
Best 4K release by tier:
Based in United KingdomFounded 1991arrowfilms.com (opens in a new tab)

How we pick the best Arrow releases

Founded in 1991 as a family firm in Hertfordshire, Arrow Films started its Arrow Video imprint in 2009 for cult and horror titles and began releasing in North America in 2015. Its catalogue spans genre, world cinema and arthouse, usually with new restorations, commissioned artwork and heavy extras. The Toy Robot Video sub-label, launched in September 2026, handles lower-priced mainstream and cult releases.

Also known as: Toy Robot

How we pick the best Arrow releases

193 in 4K

Best video release on UHD Blu-ray or 4K streaming

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

Theatrical Cut: 2020 Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Theatrical Cut: 2013 Arrow Blu-ray

Director: Sergio Leone

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray for English dub, Kino Lorber 2017 Blu-ray for Italy dub

Director: Billy Wilder

4K · Excellent
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber > Capelight Germany

Audio Notes:

(transfer of the 1989 MGM LaserDisc, without problems plaguing Kino Lorber's release)

Additional Info:

Arrow UHD is an update of the original 4K scan done for their BD. It is also visually far superior to the Kino version and adds Dolby Vision HDR. The Arrow UHD uses a new LD mono capture and has none of the issues or processing found in the Kino UHD which also used an LD mono capture and somehow mucked it up. Short of a brand new scan, the Arrow UHD is as good as it possibly can be.

Director: Park Chan-wook

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Additional Info:

Neon 4K Blu-ray, Arrow 4K Blu-ray, Umbrella Blu-ray, and Korea Plain Archive Blu-ray all have differing extras

Director: Jonathan Demme

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray vs Criterion

Audio Notes:

Three masterings of the original Dolby Stereo SR mix exist: the original Orion video releases, the Criterion (which is from their LD) and the Arrow. All three are excellent with slight mastering differences between them. The original Orion still is probably the one with the most fidelity, the Criterion is the cleanest with a kind of warm feel to it and the Arrow has a bit of both aspects. The Arrow mastering has a tiny almost imperceptible bit of audio bleeding into the surround that isn't on the Criterion. Each has their own pluses and minuses but you can't go wrong with any of them. Whatever you do though: DO NOT WATCH WITH THE 5.1 REMIX. It is another MGM botch job that fundamentally alters the impact of many scenes. It is vastly inferior to the original mix in every way.

Additional Info:

Criterion Blu-ray has exclusive extras, Arrow UHD has the most extras of any release

Director: Sergio Leone

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray > Kino Lorber, see caps

Best Audio:

1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Correct grade and archival extras missing from the Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Criterion LaserDisc

Audio Notes:

Both Arrow 4K Blu-ray and Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray are worse.

Additional Info:

Criterion USA LaserDisc [CC1397L]: Original Cantonese mono.

Best Cantonese mono still was from Criterion LaserDisc, as the Shout one was boosted with clipping, with some filtering and losing dynamic range over the Criterion LD.

There’s no need for other Cantonese audio, as all 5.1 remixes are extremely bad and not worth including.

For English Dub the Shout offered the best, it was pure mono. All other 5.1 remixed of said dub are also terrible and offer no value, only less fidelity and more echo.

More info.

Director: John Sturges

4K · Excellent
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56

Best Audio:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Audio Notes:

Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)

Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD

Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)

Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.

Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.

Additional Info:

Arrow has a much better translation.

Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition. However, Imprint is FiM and has its own archival extras not present on the Arrow.

Director: Joel Coen

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Shout is still very good but Arrow has the edge due to better handling of highlights and less chroma noise, comparison

Best Audio:

All the same

Director: Brian De Palma

4K · Excellent
Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1993 Universal LaserDisc

Additional Info:

Carlito’s Way was released theatrically in both Dolby Stereo and DTS. The 2.0 on the Arrow UHD is the original stereo mix, unknown if the 5.1 mix on the  Arrow disc is the original DTS mix.

Director: John Woo

4K · Excellent
Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray > US Shout! Factory, better encoding by Engine House and redone opening credits, errors present in Shout! Factory fixed

Audio Notes:

Mono is from an alternate higher fidelity source than Shout! Factory.

Show all 193 in 4K

75 in HD

Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating

Director: Godfrey Reggio

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

Arrow

Video Notes:

Arrow has better encode than Criterion

Additional Info:

OOP IRE DVD is open matte, Criterion Blu-ray has more extras than Arrow

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

Arrow

Video Notes:

Arrow > US

Director: Vittorio De Sica

Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

2020 Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

2020 Arrow Blu-ray is new 4K restoration and encoded by FiM.

Director: Alexander Mackendrick

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Criterion or Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Not sure about France

Best Audio:

1989 MGM LaserDisc

Director: Lukas Moodysson

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray as part of Lukas Moodysson boxset

Best Audio:

SK Memfis Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray has distortion and pitch issues.

Additional Info:

UK Metrodome DVD features two humanitarian campaign promos (for UNICEF and Amnesty International respectively)

Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder

Best Video, Audio & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Director: Éric Rohmer

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow Eric Rohmer set probably > Potemkine

Director: William A. Wellman

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray suffers from the Quicktime Gamma Bug see caps

Best Audio:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray from blah-ray:

Audio Notes:

Both the Plaion and Arrow audio tracks sound like they received little/any high- or low- frequency attenuation, but the audio on the new Kino Lorber restoration is much more detailed. It's likely that it was transferred from different (superior) analogue elements. It sounds excellent.

Director: Brian De Palma

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Best Video:

Arrow

Video Notes:

Arrow > Shout! Factory

Director: Robert Altman

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow newer master, but different (better?) colours than Criterion Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray with EQ adjusted or Criterion DVD

Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Arrow Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Carmen Video DVD

Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky

Best English-Friendly:

Arrow/US remastered abkco Blu-ray or Germany Bildstörung Blu-ray depending on preference

Upcoming Release:

Umbrella 4K Blu-ray, part of Alejandro Jodorowsky Collector’s Edition, scheduled for November 2026 release

Best Video:

Even though Arrow/US remastered abkco Blu-ray are the newer restoration, the Germany Bildstörung Blu-ray seeming look better in many of the scenes see caps  ut the grading might also be over-exposed see caps
Ultimately it's up to personal preference.

Show all 75 in HD

1 in SD

Best video release on DVD, SD streaming, LaserDisc or VHS · by Letterboxd rating

Director: Claude Chabrol

Best Video & English-Friendly:

UK Arrow DVD

1 with a weaker 4K

Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating

Director: Ron Shelton

4K · Worse Than BD
Best Video & English-Friendly:

UK Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray disappointing, nice new master, but poor encode, grain completely crippled in some scenes, artifacts abound, etc, makes Kino Lorber look like FiM.

5 for audio only

The best audio is Arrow's; the video and English-friendly picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating

Director: John Carpenter

Best Audio:
Audio Notes:
  • the only track on Universal 4K, which is in DTS:X, has a mixing error of around 6dB too low on side channels, otherwise very similar to other 5.1 mixes.

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray is the less manipulated track, but according to cbc: "I find it sounds a bit shrill at times, and the 4K Blu-ray is not bad at all, it does lose some high freq detail but I would probably prefer it for watching"

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China Blu-ray

Best Video:

France Coin Germany mire Cinema 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

(not English friendly)

Director: Yojiro Takita

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

The 4K Blu-ray has slightly neutered dynamics

Best English-Friendly:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray

Best Video:

WCL China 4K Blu-ray, caps

Additional Info:

4K Blu-ray is from a 4K restoration, better detail, compresison is passable, grading is a bit of a mixed bag (might have been a regrade from SDR)

Director: Steve De Jarnatt

Best Audio:

Either the 2015 Kino Lorber Blu-ray or the Arrow Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

UK Transmission 4K Blu-ray in January 2027

Audio Notes:

The 2024 Kino Lorber Blu-ray is botched.

Best Video & English-Friendly:

2024 Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: John Carpenter

Best Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray has lossless original stereo

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Italy Koch Media Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Italy Koch Media Blu-ray is not stretched compared to US Shout! Factory and UK Arrow Blu-rays

As for the color grade, unsure whether the Italy or US/UK Blu-ray is more accurate to the theatrical colors.

Additional Info:

Shout! Factory Blu-ray has the most extras with a lossless isolated score

16 announced

Arrow's release is announced; until it is out, the picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating

Director: Rob Reiner

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray releasing December 14 2026

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Like many of Capelight's other releases, the 4K Blu-ray is low-passed but still looks good.

Best Audio:

30th Anniversary Shout! Factory BD has the original stereo mix

Director: David Lynch

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December

Best Video & English-Friendly:

 Criterion 4K Blu-ray or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking

Best Audio:

1993 MGM LaserDisc/2000 Region 1 MGM DVD

Audio Notes:

Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110

Director: Bob Clark

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray

Director: John Carpenter

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

1994 Criterion LaserDisc

Director: John Badham

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray in November

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

5.1 mix: Germany Capelight 4K Blu-ray
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: MGM NTSC DVD

Audio Notes:

The 5.1 track sounds very good and is said to be sourced from the original 6-track mix used for 70mm blow-up releases, but there is no conclusive proof of that.

Director: John Woo

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in August

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray

Director: Teruo Ishii

Upcoming Release:

Arrow Blu-ray scheduled for July 2026 release

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Discotek Media Blu-ray

Director: Michael Anderson

Upcoming Release:

Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Warner Bros Blu-ray

Director: Rick Rosenthal

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Director: Charles Martin Smith

Upcoming Release:

UK Toy Robot 4K Blu-ray in October

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Synapse 4K Blu-ray

Director: James Foley

Upcoming Release:

Toy Robot 4K Blu-ray

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Warner Bros Blu-ray

Director: Dwight H. Little

Upcoming Release:

UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?

Best Video & English-Friendly:

Australia Imprint 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

1990 CBS/Fox LaserDisc: Original Ultra Stereo mix on the Shout Factory 4K is sourced directly from the 1990 Laserdisc

Show all 16 announced

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