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.
Arrow
265 films on Best BluraysBest video release: 189 in 4K75 in HD1 in SD5 more for audio only18 more announced
Best 4K release by tier:
- Excellent116
- Solid37
- Worse Than BD1
Films where Arrow's release is the pick. How picks are made
Also known as: Toy Robot
Films where Arrow's release is the pick. How picks are made
189 in 4K
Best video release on UHD Blu-ray or 4K streaming
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
> Kino Lorber, see caps https://slow.pics/c/P4E9uTHR
Best Audio:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray for English dub, Kino Lorber 2017 Blu-ray for Italy dub
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Best English-Friendly:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Theatrical Cut: 2020 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Theatrical Cut: 2013 Arrow Blu-ray
Director: Billy Wilder
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
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
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Additional Info:
Neon 4K Blu-ray, Arrow 4K Blu-ray, Umbrella Blu-ray, and Korea Plain Archive Blu-ray all have differing extras
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Criterion 4K Blu-ray scheduled for October 2026 release
Video Notes:
Best Audio:
1991 Orion LaserDisc vs 2024 Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Sturges
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Audio Notes:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray, comparison: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=22712768&postcount=297
Director: John Woo
Best English-Friendly:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Best Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray or Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Arrow has a different grade and a better encode, though the difference in either is not major.
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.
Additional Info:
Arrow has a much better translation.
Arrow LE has the Taiwan Extended Cut which will not be present on the standard edition.
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
> Kino Lorber, see caps
Best Audio:
1984 Key Video Hi-Fi VHS
Director: John Woo
Best English-Friendly & Video:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Video Notes:
Correct grade and archival extras missing from the Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
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.
Director: Ted Kotcheff
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
Umbrella/Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
Umbrella/Arrow 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode but the mastering shows signs of DNR albeit only momentarily); all other BDs pretty bad.
Audio Notes:
But whether in the correct speed/pitch is TBC.
Director: Sergio Leone
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Audio:
Arrow's English mono is from the soundtrack negatives, with light noise reduction but still the highest quality anywhere. The main title is restored from the 1985 LaserDisc analog mono.
The 1985 CBS/Fox LaserDisc for untouched English mono despite element defects and an incomplete print used. The main title on this LaserDisc is the highest quality version known to exist.
The Arrow 5.1 is a careful upmix from their mono restoration to create a purist multichannel mix.
The Italy mono exists in lesser quality but Arrow performed additional restoration work to improve what they could.
Director: Robert Eggers
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Arrow UK 4K Blu-ray has better encoding and extras, but the A24 US version is still very strong
75 in HD
Best video release on Blu-ray or HD streaming · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:
2020 Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Video Notes:
2020 Arrow Blu-ray is new 4k resto
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Best English-Friendly:
Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
Video Notes:
Director: Éric Rohmer
Best English-Friendly:
Arrow/US remastered abkco Blu-ray or Germany Bildstörung Blu-ray depending on preference
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Upcoming Release:
Umbrella 4K Blu-ray, part of Alejandro Jodorowsky Collector’s Edition, scheduled for November 2026 release
Director: Krzysztof Kieślowski
Director: John Ford
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Director: Jacques Rivette
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Arrow/Kino Lorber/Carlotta Blu-ray
Video Notes:
Arrow/Kino Lorber/Carlotta all very similar
Best English-Friendly:
Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Best Video:
2017 Arrow Blu-ray
Best Audio:
?
1 in SD
Best video release on DVD, SD streaming, LaserDisc or VHS · by Letterboxd rating
1 with a weaker 4K
Best 4K release rated Disappointing or Worse Than BD · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Ron Shelton
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:
1997? Signature Collection LD
Good: 2017 Arrow and 2016 Shout! Factory Blu-ray have the original audio options.
Sources: blog.sporv.com (opens in a new tab)
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 English-Friendly & Video:
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot
Best Audio:
Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
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 Video:
France Coin Germany mire Cinema 4K Blu-ray
Video Notes:
(not English friendly)
Director: Yojiro Takita
Best Audio:
Arrow Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Audio Notes:
The 4K Blu-ray has slightly neutered dynamics
Best English-Friendly:
Best Video:
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 English-Friendly & Video:
2024 Kino Lorber Blu-ray
Best Audio:
Arrow Blu-ray
Audio Notes:
Arrow Blu-ray has lossless original stereo
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
18 announced
Arrow's release is announced; until it is out, the picks are other releases · by Letterboxd rating
Director: Joel Coen
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for November 2026 release
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Best Audio:
All the same
Director: Rob Reiner
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray releasing December 14 2026
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director: Bob Clark
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Scream Factory 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Carpenter
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Director: John Badham
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray in November
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
> US Shout! Factory - caps
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: Peter Jackson
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray teased for many years, will come out once Turbine's exclusivity rights expire
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Best Audio:
Upcoming Release:
UK Toy Robot 4K Blu-ray in October
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director: Rick Rosenthal
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Director: George Pavlou
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray teased
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Germany Wicked Vision 4K Blu-ray better than US Kino Lorber?
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Director: Michael Anderson
Upcoming Release:
Arrow 4K Blu-ray scheduled for Dec 2026 release
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Director: David Lynch
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Best English-Friendly & Video:
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
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
Upcoming Release:
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray possibly teased?
Best English-Friendly & Video:
Video Notes:
Best Audio:
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