If you’ve never seen a Jonathan Glazer film before, his second feature may be his most accessible in terms of content and execution. Birth (2004) is weird and unsettling, but not in the same ways as Under the Skin (2013) or The Zone of Interest (2023), and is different subject matter from Sexy Beast (2000), but the film is certainly “for the freaks,” as one could say. It has now entered The Criterion Collection on 4K UHD and Blu-ray with the transfer being supervised and approved by Glazer himself with a 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master audio soundtrack. The movie looks incredible and, for the sake of argument, the 4K UHD + Blu-ray combo pack is the best bang for your buck.
Nicole Kidman as Anna in BIRTH. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Birth focuses on Anna (Nicole Kidman), a widow mourning the death of her husband who passed away a decade earlier. She is in a constant state of grief and, one day, Sean (Cameron Bright), a 10-year-old child, stumbles into her building and, seemingly, into her life. However, nothing about Sean is ordinary. He tells Anna that he is the reincarnation of her dead husband, also named Sean. At first, Anna believes that she is essentially going crazy and that someone is trying to pull a fast one on her, but something this child says and does makes her think, or at least want to believe, that what he says is, in fact, accurate. She has no choice but to face her grief, her husband’s death, and the life she’s had since his passing, head on with this mysterious 10-year-old, taking the audience on an uncomfortable and unsettling ride that almost feels restrained by today’s standards but still proves to be unsettling and shocking.
L-R: Nicole Kidman as Anna and Cameron Bright as Sean in BIRTH. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
The only iteration of Birth on physical media previously was a highly sought after DVD. And it was available digitally in an HD version. The version bringing Birth into the Criterion Collection is the new 4K, which is stunning. The picture is cleaned incredibly well while the early 2000s aesthetic is well maintained. It is presented in Dolby Vision HDR which helps project a cleaner crisper picture which truly helps engage the audience, making this jump in presentation a must-have for anyone who’s a fan of the movie, a fan of Glazer’s or of Nicole Kidman’s (as she is simply electric), or someone who just collects Criterion.
There are only two new features and one legacy feature, but the two features are incredibly in-depth and interesting. The first is a new documentary on the making of the film with behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Glazer, producers, and select cast members, which provide a lot of insight and tidbits of information. The second feature gets into the technical aspects of the cinematography of Birth with camera operator Craig Haagensen and first assistant cameraman Eric Swanek, while the archival feature is a 2004 interview with Glazer and Kidman (To Die For). Like all Criterions, it comes with an essay, this time written by author Olivia Laing.
L-R: Nicole Kidman as Anna and Cameron Bright as Sean in BIRTH. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
Overall, while Birth may not be a reference-quality disk, the movie itself is a must-see for fans of Glazer’s. Even if you’re not a fan of his newer work (which I am not) Birth is a grounded, disturbing character study that is powerful and entrancing. While the movie doesn’t go as far as expected, where it does go is interesting, powerful, and disturbing. The astounding 4K transfer from Criterion, which was supervised by Glazer, himself, along with two behind-the-scenes features, this Criterion release of Birth boasts a well-rounded package.
Birth Special Features:
- *NEW* 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director Jonathan Glazer, 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
- Interview from 2004 with Glazer and actor Nicole Kidman
- *NEW* documentary on the making of the film featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with Glazer, producers, and members of the cast
- *NEW* program on the film’s cinematography featuring interviews with camera operator Craig Haagensen and first assistant cameraman Eric Swanek
- Trailer
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by author Olivia Laing
- *NEW* cover by Neil Kellerhouse
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-ray January 27th, 2026.
For more information, head to the official The Criterion Collect Birth webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Recommendation
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