Arrow Video’s new 4K restoration of Takashi Miike’s Audition in 4K is surely going to have fans, new and old, jumping at the chance to add it to their collection. Audition defined Miike’s style as a director and the adrenaline-filled third act is a benchmark for the horror genre. Adapted by Daisuke Tengan (13 Assassins; The Eel) from a book by Ryū Murakami, this rich story is hard to dismiss as straight horror.

To briefly and vaguely summarize Audition, Shigeharu Aoyama (Ryo Ishibashi) is a mild-mannered man who’s become a widower much earlier than expected. His son, Shigehiko Aoyama (Tetsu Sawaki), tries to convince his father to get remarried, despite his views on a woman as an add-on to life rather than as an actual human being. Shigeharu, being a film maker, discusses his situation with his professional partner, Yasuhisa Yoshikawa (Jun Kunimura), who agrees that Shigeharu should remarry, convincing him to hold fake audition calls for a non-existent role to find himself a new wife. It is a very uncomfortable plot riddled with problematic ideas and executions. When Shigeharu meets Asami Yamazaki (Eihi Shiina), he is determined to choose her, blinding him to who she really is — the catalyst for the film audiences have been enamored with since 1999.

Packshot for the 4K UHD restoration of AUDITION. Photo courtesy of Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group.

The 4K restoration is presented in Dolby Vision, allowing the film to be rich in a way that the streaming services and Blu-ray haven’t been capable of displaying previously. The colors, especially the deep reds, throughout Audition are vibrant. There are still some artifacts and grain left on this restoration, which is a nice change of pace since so many restorations of older films seem to try and eliminate that grain, but leaving that speck of dust, leaving those artifacts, just adds another layer to the grittiness of Audition and the subject matter at hand. Moreover, restoring from the original 16 mm print allows Audition to be seen in the best way possible since its first release. The restored audio track is available in original lossless, 4.0, and 5.1 surround options.

When looking at the special features, it seems every one that was included on the 2019 Blu-ray, which Arrow also released, has been included on this 4K along with a handful of new features. Two of the new features are an interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi (The Grudge) and a new audio essay from critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas. These both offer insights about the subject matter of the film and talks about the themes that are presented throughout.

The Blu-ray, now seven years old, is still in print and often appears in sales, so, with only a slip cover and two new bonus features to go along with the restored video and audio, the need to purchase Audition on 4K UHD on day one comes down to how soon one wants to add it to their collection.

Audition 4K UHD Special Features:

• *NEW* Brand new 4K restoration from the original Super 16mm camera negative by Arrow Films approved by director of photography Hideo Yamamoto
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• *NEW* Newly restored original lossless stereo and 4.0 audio, plus optional DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Introduction by director Takashi Miike
• Audio commentary by director Takashi Miike and screenwriter Daisuke Tengan
• Audio commentary by Miike biographer Tom Mes
• *NEW* Callback, a brand-new interview with actor Ryo Ishibashi
• Ties that Bind, an interview with director Takashi Miike
• Damaged Romance, an appreciation by Japanese cinema historian Tony Rayns
• Archive interviews with stars Ryo Ishibashi, Eihi Shiina, Renji Ishibashi and Ren Osugi
• Deeper Deeper Into Audition, an audio essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• Trailers
• Image gallery
• Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel, Jennie Kermode and Jamie Graham
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dark Inker – Sampson and original UK artwork by Graham Humphreys

Available on 4K UHD June 16^th, 2026.

For more information, head to the official Arrow Video Audition webpage.
To purchase, head to the official MVD Entertainment Audition webpage.

Categories: Home Release, Recommendation

Tags: 4K UHD, Arrow Video, Audition, オーディション, Basara Pictures, Creators Company Connection, Daisuke Tengan, drama, Eihi Shiina, foreign film, home release, home video, horror, Japan, Japanese, Jun Kunimura, MVD Entertainment Group, Omega Project, restoration, Ryo Ishibashi, Ryu Murakami, Takashi Miike, Tetsu Sawaki