NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Second Sight Blu-ray (August 2023): Second Sight have transferred David Cronenberg's Crimes of the Future to Blu-ray (and 4K UHD.) It is on a dual-layered disc with a high bitrate. It is as crisp and pristine as you might imagine a modern film would look in this 1080P format. The film is dark (largely a 'nighttime film) and loaded with effects that are all well-supported on Blu-ray. Lines are tight, contrast sublime and there is frequent depth. It is a flawless HD presentation.  

NOTE: We have added 56 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Sight use a DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround track (24-bit) in the original English language. Crimes of the Future has plenty of surround effects that are separated distinctly and there is restrained depth. The soundstage infuses well - impacting into the viewing experience.  The score was by Howard Shore (The Silence of the Lambs, An Innocent Man, Cronenberg's Crash, Maps to the Stars, Scanners and The Brood, Tim Burton's Ed Wood, Fincher's The Game and Se7en etc.) It has some deep bass with no single dominating theme with some pleasing variety in ex. the futuristic art performances. It supports the sci-fi / body horror genre well for Cronenberg's unique expression. Second Sight offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B' Blu-ray.

The Second Sight Blu-ray is overloaded with supplements starting with a new commentary by the Canadian writer and filmmaker Caelum Vatnsdal - author of They Came From Within: A History of Canadian Horror Cinema. He talks about Crimes of the Future and its place in the director's filmography. He discuses the perfomers including Lihi Kornowski, Scott Speedman, Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Canadian Don McKellar, Kristen Stewart etc. and the cast with the director's regulars. He talks about other Cronenberg films and how they may evoke scenes from Crimes of the Future. Caelum's voice is clear and he does and impressive job exporting details of the film with keen observations. A worthwhile listen. There are also many interviews. Undeniably a Love Story is a 7.5 minute interview with director David Cronenberg / Things Change is a 9-minute interview with actor Viggo Mortensen / The Chaos Inside is a 7-minute interview with actor Léa Seydoux / The Heat and the Grime is a 7-minute interview with actor Kristen Stewart / The Bureau Man is a new 1/2 hour interview with actor Don McKellar / Painkiller is a new 10-minute interview with producer Robert Lantos / The Most Wonderful Dream is a new 18-minute interview with cinematographer Douglas Koch and The Code of David is a new 23-minute interview with editor Christopher Donaldson. Each discuss their contribution and working in Crimes of the Future. New Flesh, Future Crimes: The Body and David Cronenberg is a revealing 23-minute video essay by Leigh Singer. There is a featurette on The Making of Crimes of the Future running over 20-minutes and a short film (1-minute) entitled The Death of David Cronenberg. Another view piece showcases the 'Production Design Materials'. The limited edition features a rigid slipcase with new artwork by Marko Manev and includes a 120-page book with new essays by Reyna Cervantes, Tim Coleman, Joel Hartley, Rich Johnson, Mikel Koven, Phil Nobile Jr, Ian Schultz and Hannah Strong plus 6 collectors' art cards.   

Crimes of the Future is not a remake David Cronenberg's own 1970 film, also titled Crimes of the Future, that has an unrelated story and concept, although "creative cancer" appears in both. 2022's Crimes of the Future marked Cronenberg's return to the science fiction / horror genres since 1999's Existenz. It understandably divided and confused some critics. Crimes of the Future is surreal bordering on conceptual with nightmarish visions of unnatural organs hinting at the next step in a bizarre sexual revolution or, simply, layering a transgressive examination of the artistic process. It's Cronenberg through and through - meaning it will not be to all tastes. Second Sight have gone the extra mile with their stacked Blu-ray and the director's fans will greatly appreciate their efforts. A commentary, multiple interviews, a video essay and the LE 4K UHD has a booklet making this as grandiose a package as I have seen this year. 'WOW' means a recommendation to the select niche who certainly know who they are.

Gary Tooze