Adaptations are nothing new. Whether it’s transcribing oral tales to print or print to the stage or stage to the screen, there’s a long tradition of this and it’ll likely continue for as long as audiences hunger for stories in different formats. In the late ‘90s, a graphic novel by writer John Wagner (Judge Dredd) and artist Vince Locke (Leo) was tapped for one such process, resulting in the award-winning neo-western crime thriller A History of Violence, directed by David Cronenberg (Crash; Eastern Promises), written by Josh Olson (Batman: Gotham Knight; Trigger Warning), and starring Viggo Mortensen (Eastern Promises), Maria Bello (Prisoners), Ed Harris (Love Lies Bleeding), and William Hurt (Dark City). Enjoyed by both critics and general audiences alike, Cronenberg’s adaptation now joins The Criterion Collection with a digital restoration in both 4K UHD and Blu-ray editions that include previously released features and a brand-new interview with Olson regarding the development of the script and production. Smoothly-paced, profoundly quiet, and possessing bursts of disquieting violence, A History of Violence is as affecting now as it was in its original 2005 release, perhaps more-so in the current landscape of cinematic entertainment.
Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Tom Stall (Mortensen) lives a quiet life with his lawyer wife Edie (Bello) and their two children in small town Millbrook, Indiana. However, this all changes when Tom must use violent force to prevent two killers from harming the staff and customers of his diner, resulting in a great deal of news coverage. Soon after, men arrive claiming that Tom is actually Joey Cusack, a former mob hitman and their persistence in this belief threatens both the quiet life Tom has built and the safety of his family, despite his steady and measured protests.
The following review is based on a 4K UHD Blu-ray retail copy provided by The Criterion Collection.
L-R: Heidi Hayes as Sarah Stall, Ashton Holmes as Jack Stall, Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, and Maria Bello as Edie Stall in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
With the film having been out for 20 years, we’ll begin on the new home release edition before offering thoughts on the film itself, which, within the context of current releases and the sociopolitical landscapes, carries with it a new weight.
Whether the 4K UHD Blu-ray or HD Blu-ray edition, both are packaged within the standard clear plastic case allowing for images to be seen on the reverse side of the liner when opened. The front features new art from Connor Willumsen that trades the altered poster art of the previous general Blu-ray for an artistic style reminiscent of Grant Wood’s American Gothic, except featuring only Mortensen’s Tom Stall/Joey Cusack with a prominent red hue against a more idyllic rural background. Minimal yet effective, it immediately conjures the schism within Tom as someone who is unable to escape his violent past for wherever he goes, there it is within him. The back features the usual film synopsis, release information, and features listing.
L-R: Ed Harris as Carl Fogarty and Aidan Devine as Charlie Roarke in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
On the inside, the liner image maintains the same style, but with an artistic representation of the confrontation between Tom and Ed Harris’s Carl Fogarty that restages the location onto a hill which infuses the already tense showdown originally in front of Tom’s home with a more western-style quick-draw face-off (though Tom is depicted with his shotgun in-hand). The 4K UHD edition also includes a two-disc holder on the interior right with both discs decorated in the same deep red hue with a coffee pot centered and the title of the film on the left-middle and Criterion labelling on the right-middle in white text. Unlike other 4K UHD releases from Criterion which have provided a distinct color or design for the 4K UHD and Blu-ray discs, these are exactly the same with the exception of the disc-type being labeled in black ink at the bottom of the disc (orientation found if the coffee pot is positioned with its handle on the right and bottom pointing down). Honestly, it’s a shame that Criterion didn’t apply the same white text to the format name as that would make it easier to identify, though doing so may have been an artistic choice as the format text in white may have created a triangle pattern which may have drawn the eye away from the coffee pot, a significant item within the film. That said, most Criterion 4K UHD’s have the 4K UHD disc on top and Blu-ray on bottom, which this retail copy did, so chances are yours will be the same, if you’re looking for an easy way to identify which disc is which.
In terms of bonus features, the Criterion edition is a mix of new and old. Both the 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition each include a director’s commentary track from Cronenberg with the rest contained on the Blu-ray (a consistent choice by Criterion which benefits the viewing experience) and the majority of those –—“Acts of Violence,” a 2014 Toronto International Film Festival excerpted conversation between Cronenberg and Mortensen, “Too Commercial for Cannes,” “Scene 44,” “On the Versions,” and the theatrical trailer — are all carried over from the existing New Line Cinema-released Blu-ray. What is new, however, is a 32-minute conversation between Olson and writer-producer Tom Bernardo (Bosch: Legacy) in which Olson discusses (among other things) how he found the graphic novel, his experience pitching his version (in which he was repeatedly told he wasn’t getting the job), working with Cronenberg, being on set and seeing the film get made, and sharing the experience of Cannes with his father. The discussion of the adaptation process and where/when/how Olson chose to maintain or turn away from the source material is particularly fascinating. The only new piece of material comes in the form of an essay from Hollins University professor Nathan Lee titled “Dead in the Eye.” Without giving too much away, Lee examines A History of Violence through Cronenberg’s own filmography which explores disintegrating families, the historical context of the Bush Administration’s crimes in Abu Ghraib (occurring around the time of the film’s release), and the ways in which the characters are all putting on performances for each other. As expected, the bonus features encourage viewers to delve deeper into the film beyond their initial reaction to it.
As with previous Criterion 4K UHD titles, the on-disc presentation does not disappoint. From a technical perspective, the 4K UHD maintains a fairly steady bitrate in the 80s, with occasional jumps up (90s/100s) and down (70s) without any demonstrable audio or video issues. Blu-rays max out at 40 Mbps, so the 4K UHD presentation here is delivering roughly twice the bitrate. The film itself may not look like it’s receiving any kind of upgrade as Peter Suschitzky’s (The Rocky Horror Picture Show; Eastern Promises) cinematography is on the neutral/muted side of things in order to lean into the thriller elements of the themes while not creating any sense of hyperreality as the question of Tom and Joey is answered. Leaning into the rustic nature of Millbrook, much of the film is filled with varying browns from tan to muddy, while also keeping skin tone healthy and natural. This enables the more violent moments to hit the audience a little harder as red crimson emanates from a gunshot wound, knife slice, or palm strike impact. By keeping things as grounded as possible amid the more heightened psychological elements, the violence possesses far more impact and unpredictability. In particular, the way that Cronenberg shows the wake left by any violence often comes across as cataloguing or documenting rather than highlighting or displaying, the difference being the intention of the violence within the scope of the story (more shortly). For its part, the audio is well-balanced and immersive, enabling the few instances of violence (often occurring as bursts, rather than sustained action) to pack an auditory punch, breaking through the relative stillness of the rest of the film. Not that one expects a 20-year-old film to possess much, if any, grime, dirt, or distortion, but none exists here. Of course, that Cronenberg approved the final version should also give viewers comfort in that this version is exactly how the filmmaker intends it to be (optimistic a view as that is).
L-R: Maria Bello as Edie Stall and Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Where Lee’s essay looks at the film in the context of its release year, I’m going to look at the film as it exists within the context of today’s sociopolitical climate and the films being released. Admittedly, viewing the film for this 4K UHD restoration review is my first time. I knew it by reputation and the “truth” of it, if you will, but had never seen it for myself. Watching the film, however, I couldn’t help but think of 2021’s Ilya Naishuller-directed action comedy Nobody, which is not too dissimilar from this one in that the lead character has a double life, his past is filled with violence, and, because of a choice, that violence comes down on his family. The biggest difference (amid many) is that the presentation of violence within Cronenberg’s is treated as concrete, as lethal and life-ending, and perpetually with pathos meant to rattle the audience and cause introspection, compared to the violence in Naishuller’s which is often played for laughs and pure entertainment. This particularly stands out in the way that Nobody’s Brady Mansell (Gage Munroe) looks down upon his father for not standing up to the robbers that broke into their home (Brady doesn’t know yet of his father’s talents), whereas Tom and his son, Jack (Ashton Holmes), have a discussion about the consequences of violence and how it’s not heroic in the aftermath of Jack’s brutal dispatching of a school bully. Continuing the contrast, Brady grows to respect his father by the end of the film (we presume) because Brady sees his father “man up,” whereas Jack starts to question everything he believed about who Tom is once the violence comes to their doorstep. Within A History of Violence, there’s nothing to be celebrated about Tom’s past and, rather than see Tom as becoming who his family wants him to be, they fear what they don’t know as the carnage he causes seems to come from a darkness they’ve never experienced before. There’s hope in the ending of the film that a reconciliation can occur for Tom and his family, one which is presumed at the end of Nobody, especially in light of the family vacation plot point in Nobody 2 (2025); yet, Cronenberg’s tale is not one of invigoration through violence but a warning about the type of toxic masculinity that brings down good people.
L-R: Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, Maria Bello as Edie Stall, and Peter MacNeill as Sheriff Sam Carney in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
A great example of this is the posturing by current Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in September 2025 who called forth all the top generals in the U.S. military in order to give them a pep talk and tell them what the new standards are for being in the military. Not only did the Trump Administration widely advertise this event, a seeming breach in security as it informs our geo-political enemies to know where the leadership is and also creates a massive target, the entirety of it is truly ludicrous as Hegseth, who did serve in the National Guard from 2002 – 2021 and earned the rank of Major, was removed from service due to possessing White Nationalist tattoos. Hegseth promoted a “warrior” mentality, citing examples of violence regardless of legal standing (national or global) to reframe how our soldiers will comport themselves. His entire speech seems aimed at the audiences who enjoy Nobody without consideration that it’s a fiction meant to entertain and not intended to become a lifestyle. By contrast, A History of Violence is absolutely a warning about the kind of consequences that come from thinking that the violence one commits today won’t come back to haunt them tomorrow. Seeing as Tom managed to avoid detection for close to 20 years based on Jack being in high school, Mortensen convincingly plays Tom as in actual disbelief when Fogerty calls him Joey, as though Tom had managed to erase his past. But he hadn’t erased it, he’d merely taken himself out of play, away from the flow of violence his old life existed within. If there’s anything to be learned from a tale like A History of Violence, it’s that playing soldier and being one are two entirely different things and that a warrior needs to know when it’s time to pick up a sword or a shield or a plow shear. Additionally, a warrior always knows that any violence they inflict is likely to come back to them, regardless of how righteous they feel in the moment. Tom allows himself to forget this and that’s part of the crushing drama as it all starts to fall apart.
L-R: Heidi Hayes as Sarah Stall, Maria Bello as Edie Stall, Viggo Mortensen as Tom Stall, and Ashton Holmes as Jack Stall in A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Between its cultural commentary then and now, as well as the presentation, for viewers not yet steeped in Cronenberg’s neo-western, this is an easy recommendation. Not only does it look and sound great, but you get a solid mix of new and old supplemental materials to take the experience beyond the runtime. If you already own the Blu-ray and are happy with the bonus features, that this only includes a single new 32-minute featurette and a new essay, the cost may seem too great, in which case, waiting for one of Criterion’s many discount sales is the way to go. Regardless, A History of Violence not only earns its reputation as a contemplative piece of visual literature. It’s a welcome addition to anyone’s permanent home library.
A History of Violence 4K UHD Special Features:
- *NEW* 4K digital restoration of the international cut, supervised by director of photography Peter Suschitzky and approved by director David Cronenberg, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- One 4K UHD disc of the film presented in Dolby Vision HDR and one Blu-ray with the film and special features
- Audio commentary featuring director David Cronenberg
- Acts of Violence, a documentary directed by Carolyn Zeifman on the making of the film, featuring behind-the-scenes footage
- Excerpts of Cronenberg and actor Viggo Mortensen in conversation at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival
- *NEW* interview with screenwriter Josh Olson, conducted by writer-producer Tom Bernardo (32:18)
- Too Commercial for Cannes – 2006 featurette directed by Carolyn Zeifman ring the 78th edition of Cannes
- “Scene 44” – A scene director David Cronenberg chose not to include, with optional commentary and featurette
- “On the Versions”
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by critic Nathan Lee
- *NEW* cover by Connor Willumsen
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray October 21st, 2025.
For more information, head to the official The Criterion Collection A History of Violence webpage.
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Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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