The story of Narc is a pretty incredible one. For years, financiers turned down director Joe Carnahan's pitch for this raw, gritty cop drama inspired by the 70s films of Sidney Lumet and William Friedkin, claiming it felt like an episode of NYPD Blue. Pitch after pitch, Carnahan was told that nobody cared about the cop genre anymore. Not long after, Ray Liotta joined the project as its star and producer, gaining funding that would put the film into production.

After a world premiere at the renowned Sundance Film Festival, it looked as though Narc would be yet another straight-to-video cop movie that would soon be forgotten, despite support from actors like Dustin Hoffman and Warren Beatty. That was, however, until Tom Cruise and his producing partner Paula Wagner saw the film and were so enthusiastic about it that they agreed to come on as executive producers – a move which caught the eye of Paramount Pictures, who would go on to distribute the film.

Though it may have doubled its budget, the feature still only made twelve million dollars worldwide and eventually faded into obscurity, remembered only as the sort of gritty cop movie that littered the shelves of video stores after the success of 2001's Training Day. In recent years, however, Narc has gone through somewhat of a reappraisal, finally earning the respect it deserves over twenty years after it was released. Thus, it has found its perfect home in this Blu-Ray release from Arrow Video, famous for giving the cultiest of cult films feature-packed limited editions.

The film opens with a chaotic handheld chase scene through backyards and playgrounds that immediately throws us into Nick Tellis's (Jason Patric) frame of mind. With gunshots ringing, the screams of passersby, and John Gilroy's edit choosing incensed slashes over delicate cuts, we are immediately shocked and appalled by the nature of both the filmmaking and of Tellis's job as a narcotics officer in Detroit. When he shoots a pregnant woman in the pursuit of the law, no less, we find ourselves fearing the hand of the law, rather than believing in it. This fear only worsens when Patric's character is reinstated and partnered with Henry Oak (Ray Liotta), a good but unstable cop, to lead the investigation into the murder of an undercover officer.

There is a fantastic scene about halfway through in which Patric and Liotta's characters discuss their wives, leading to a masterclass Liotta monologue about the day his wife died, and how it removed any hesitations he had on the job. In the same monologue we see a flashback to a time where Liotta beat a criminal back and blue when he discovered that the suspect had been pimping out his own daughter to pay off his debts. These are clearly two troubled, damaged men, broken by the horrible sights they have seen after years on the job, and this is what sets Narc apart from your bog-standard cop movie. Training Day may have shown us the corruption at the heart of the police force through Denzel Washington's wicked portrayal of Detective Alonzo Harris, but Ethan Hawke's Officer Jake Hoyt showed us that all it takes is one good cop to change the system. Narc, on the other hand, portrays the police force as a system that not only breaks men down, but relies on broken men in the first place.

Public trust in the police has fallen in recent years, following the murders of innocent people like Sarah Everard and George Floyd at the hands of law enforcement. With this in mind, Narc might be more impactful today than it was in 2002.

After years of floating around in relative obscurity, now feels like the right time for Narc to finally get the respect it deserves. Sure, it has all the ingredients of a perfect dad movie, but it also goes much deeper than that, and is sure to have a great impact on any and all who pick up this new edition.

Limited edition 4K ultra HD Blu-ray special features

Archival feature commentary with director Joe Carnahan and editor John Gilroy
Introduction from director Joe Carnahan
Shattering the Blue Line, an interview with writer/director Joe Carnahan
Shooting Narc, a video essay on the look of Narc featuring an interview with director of photography Alex Nepomniaschy
If You Live Another Day, an interview with actor Krista Bridges
The Journey of the Costume, an interview with costume designer Gersha Phillips
Making the Deal, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the making of the film
The Visual Trip, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the visual style of the film
The Friedkin Connection, a vintage promotional featurette interviewing William Friedkin and discussing the connections between his body of work and Narc
Shooting Up, a vintage promotional featurette looking at the making of the film
Vintage EPK interviews with Joe Carnahan, Ray Liotta, Jason Patric, Diane Nabatoff, Alex Nepomniaschy and William Friedkin
Theatrical trailers and image gallery