Before he made the somber sci-fi odyssey Ad Astra (2019), the compelling cop drama We Own the Night (2007), and the critically-acclaimed adventure The Lost City of Z (2016), James Gray stepped onto the scene with the 1994 crime drama Little Odessa. Not critically revered upon its initial release, Gray’s film is an emotionally devastating drama that deserves critical reassessment and is getting new appreciation courtesy of the Criterion Collection via a 4K UHD and Blu-ray edition.
L-R: Tim Roth as Joshua Shapira and Edward Furlong as Reuben Shapira in LITTLE ODESSA. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
The film follows cold-blooded Joshua (Tim Roth), a hitman for the Russian-Jewish mafia who returns to his childhood neighborhood of Little Odessa in Brooklyn for a new assignment. In addition to the routine job, Joshua finds himself reconnecting with his younger brother, Reuben (Edward Furlong), and warring with his abusive father, Arkady (a great Maximilian Schell), who wants to keep him away from his ailing mother, Irina (Vanessa Redgrave). As Joshua’s violent life collides with his personal and familial ties are challenged, the film soon builds to a tragic Dostoevskian finale.
L-R: Maximilian Schell as Arkady Shapira and Tim Roth as Joshua Shapira in LITTLE ODESSA. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
If there’s any opening to a film that lets you know exactly who a character is and how they operate, it’s the first scene in which we meet Joshua. He nonchalantly walks up to a man, shoots him dead, and briskly runs away without hesitation. In the next scene, he gets orders with the location for his next hit — Little Odessa. He gives little pushback but … it is what it is. THIS is where his next hit is — no exceptions. Herein we are introduced to the sad, lonely life of the hitman. No Hollywood glamorization, no slick, neon-tinted nights of a John Wick-like universe, just cold, detached murder and orders for the next one. Roth (Rob Roy) delivers a magnetic cold performance of a man who kills his internal pain away rather than confronting it. His gun is not just for his job, it’s his defense mechanism — any time someone defies his orders or gets into his business, he points his gun to their face, daring them to say another word of disapproval. This can only take him so far as he can’t hold a gun to the brewing hatred of his father, he can’t shoot away his mother’s ill health, and he can’t protect his brother’s innocence which is doomed to be corrupted. Balancing well off Roth’s internal performance, Furlong (Brainscan) delivers as Reuben, a disillusioned young man who is trying to emotionally pick up the pieces left by his toxic older brother. As he navigates adolescent life and tries to reconcile the brother he knew with the cold-blooded one that is now before him, Furlong commands the screen and aptly places himself as the heart of the film. Moira Kelly (With Honors) delivers understated work as Alla Shustervich, a love interest for Joshua who has as much devastating cold regard for the world as he does. They’re both loners, they both know there’s nothing good coming for them in this world, and they know that being the glue that connects them is probably the saddest thing of all.
L-R: Edward Furlong as Reuben Shapira and Vanessa Redgrave as Irina Shapira in LITTLE ODESSA. Photo courtesy of The Criterion Collection.
In the film’s opening scene, a film projector goes on the fritz, destroying the screening of Richard Thorpe’s 1951 western Vengeance Valley in a rundown movie theater. As Reuben witnesses this destruction of cinema before his young eyes, he asks the theatre attendant “is that it?” before lighting a cigarette and simply leaving the theater. From the destruction of cinema to the destruction of family, James Gray’s brilliant Little Odessa leaves us just as devasted as we came in and coldly lets us know … that’s the way it is. At least that’s the way it is in Gray’s world. As he showcases tender moments between Joshua and Reuben in empty boardwalks, brings us into love scenes shot with cold voyeurism, and brings us into murder shot with unflinching detachment, Gray directs a film that grabs you hot and fast and stubbornly doesn’t let go, even in its quiet reflective moments.
With this Criterion release, the supplemental features are simple but effective. In addition to a written essay by film critic Glenn Kenny, the features include an archival 2000 audio commentary from Gray himself and a new conversation between Gray and critic/podcaster Sean Fenessey. For any lovers of cold noir or nuanced crime films, I would strongly encourage buying this release.
Little Odessa Special Features:
- *NEW* 4K digital restoration, supervised and approved by director James Gray, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
- Audio commentary from 2000 featuring Gray
- Once Upon a Time . . . “Little Odessa,” a making-of documentary by David Thompson produced for French television
- *NEW* conversation between Gray and critic and podcaster Sean Fennessey
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- PLUS: An essay by film critic Glenn Kenny
- *NEW* cover by Michael Boland
Available on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray August 25th, 2026.
For more information or to purchase, head to the official The Criterion Collection Little Odessa webpage.
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Categories: Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews
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