Kino Lorber continues to flex its physical media muscles, this time bringing the cable TV staple The Bone Collector to beautiful 4k!
The Bone Collector is part of a collection (ba-dum-tsk) of horror-adjacent and thriller films that came out after the success of Se7en. In the wake of Fincher’s groundbreaking methodical serial killer opus, the entire genre shifted towards serial killers with a penchant for themes and “bits”. Some were pretty good, like Tarsem Singh’s incredibly stylistic The Cell or the simple but mean as hell Saw, while others, not so much (looking at you Suspect Zero and Resurrection).
The Bone Collector sits comfortably up towards the “pretty good” category of Se7en knockoffs (yeah, I know it’s based on a book, but we know what this is). Follows detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington, proving he can be generationally charismatic even when he only has his head and one finger to work with) who, after an accident leaves him paralyzed, now hunts for a serial killer from his mechanized bed. Said serial killer is leaving bodies around New York City, brutally mangled and left with cryptic clues, the only consistency being their age; everything is from the turn of the century. Lincoln is helped in his endeavor by disillusioned young officer Ameila Donaghy (Angelina Jolie, really making a meal out of that Brooklyn accent), whose natural instincts towards forensics help bring Lincoln closer and closer to the killer.
A real “does what it says on the tin” type film, where you walk in expecting a pulpy paperback thriller, and that is exactly what you get. The kills are cruel, the clues are complex enough to keep you guessing, and the killer is a pretty well done surprise by the climax (forgot how much I love a good red herring, and Bone Collector has like 5!). Denzel, forever the professional, adds a level of prestige to this mean little thriller, effortlessly drawing your eye to him, even when he can’t move more than a few inches at a time. Jolie is putting in fine work, even if she is kinda getting swallowed by the insane supporting cast (more on that in a sec). It’s a role that admittedly pushes her acting abilities to their breaking points, but she never comes off flat or bad; a perfectly serviceable audience surrogate.
The biggest draw, for me, is the genuinely insanely stacked supporting cast. One of those “hey, I know that guy” type of film, it’s a “who’s who” of character actors. We have *deep breath* Ed O’Neil, Michael Rooker, Leland Orser, Queen Latifah, Luis Guzman, John Benjamin Hickey, Gary Swanson, and a baby-faced Bobby Cannavale. It’s so stacked that a seasoned “that guy” like David Warshofsky is essentially an extra here.
The Specs:
Kino Lorber continues to lead the charge of bringing these mid-budget programmers back to the surface, and making them look great in the process. The 4k transfer looks stupendous here. The Bone Collector was already a good looking film, being shot on location in a pre-9/11 NYC that still had its grime, that is then juxtaposed with Lincoln Rhymes’ tasteful and warm apartment. Kino maintains that color balance in its transfer, allowing New York to feel gritty and a little gross, and keeping the sanctuary of the apartment cosy and safe (until it’s not).
It sounds great as well, with the Dolby Vision magnifying both the hectic sounds of midtown Manhattan, and the small, discordant sounds of the killer working on his kill room, all to the bombastic score from Craig Armstrong.
The extras here allow for a deeper dive for those who love commentaries. Beyond the commentary with director Philip Noyce, Kino Lorber continues their trend of finding unique perspectives for their commentaries, which include commentaries from film historians Steve Mitchell and Edwin Samuelson, and an additional commentary with novelist/critic Kim Newman and writer/journalist Barry Forshaw. Additionally, there is a making of featurette, and a theatrical trailer.
The Bone Collector is a type of film we rarely get anymore; a gritty crime thriller, shot on location, filled with an abundance of character actors, that isn’t afraid to throw a mean spirited punch here and there. It’s the exact type of thriller I wish we got more often, but at least I’ll have my copy of The Bone Collector when I need my serial killer thriller fix.
The Bone Collector comes to 4k and Blu-ray from Kino Lorber on October 14th!
