While going on a blind date, Carol (Anne Archer), becomes a witness to a brutal mob hit. Thinking that she can avoid any trouble, she decides to hide out in her brother’s cabin in Canada. Carol doesn’t know that the man with the hitman was actually an infamous Mob Boss. A Los Angeles district attorney (Gene Hackman) finds Carol and begs her to return home to testify against the Boss and put him away for good. But their conversation is cut short when assassins come to kill her. They manage to escape the cabin and make it aboard a train. Will they be able to make it back to LA or will the hitmen turn them into forgotten history?

The Narrow Margin (1990) is an action-packed remake of the 1952 film noir of the same name. I’ll try to view the 1990 version as its own film with a few mentions of the original. The remake may not be groundbreaking, but it has a lot going for it thanks to its director, Peter Hyams (2010, Outland). 

Peter Hyams is one of the few directors who also works as his own director of photography. His films never fail to dazzle with their impressive lighting and engrossing close-ups. Most of his career has been a mix of comedies and action pictures (where he excels), with even his “bad” films stand out thanks to their energy and craftsmanship. In the audio commentary on this disc, he mentioned how he wanted to challenge himself by remaking a more obscure film. Hopefully, one that could be updated to the 90s without too much work. The 1952 version of The Narrow Margin has a nail biter of a film noir with plenty of suspense, and for the most part this remake translates it well with some inspired updates. 

The biggest change is the two main characters. In Richard Fleischer’s film, the main character played by Charles McGraw was a detective and Marie Windsor as the gangster’s widow. In the remake, Gene Hackman is an in over his head district attorney who has to use his wits to stay alive. He doesn’t even have a gun to protect himself. Some of the more surprising scenes are his bits of nervous laugher when he is dealing with the hitman. Anne Archer’s Carol is a more likable and human character than her 1952 counterpart. The suspense feels more true and nonstop. The plot does start to drag if your a fan of the original (Like I am). Some of the twists and turns just don’t work since there including odd sight gags for the 1950s. Even the ending feels rushed in an old fashioned way.

But like many good films set on trains, this 1990 story is romantic escapism. From the bizarre opening credits to the chase scenes, the film is completely engrossing and visually rich. Hyams seemly makes great-looking films. Ever shot lovely uses every piece of the frame. The train scenes never feel dull or stagy. His films have a great range of lighting. Every nighttime scene is filled with strong white street lights and warm golden yellow gels on the train. 

Kino Lorber continues to surprise with their high-quality releases of films that I never thought would get attention. Peter Hyams movies are simply made for blu-ray. The disc comes with a 2.0 English DTS-HD Master Audio track. The sound is clear and bold in the action scenes. There is no hiss or pops. English subtitles are included. The 1080p HD picture is simply incredible. Hyam’s cinematography never fails to amaze me. The white lights and the golden train lights are just stunning. The nighttime scenes are especially vivid. The black levels are well defined and the focus is sharp. 

In terms of extras we have:

• A audio commentary with director Peter Hyams. He covers a lot of the production and his working relationship with Hackman and Archer. There is even some mention of his rare status as a DP and a film director.
• There is a second commentary with film critic and writer Peter Tonguette. The track has some good trivia. It starts out on an odd note when he mentions his interest in a book on Hyams, before awkwardly dropping it. The audio quality is rough and there is sadly a lot of dead air. 
• A 5-minute making-of featurette. It’s more of a promotional piece for the upcoming film.
• 9 minutes of interview sound bites
• 9 minutes of filming b roll
• Trailer gallery featuring The Narrow Margin, The Package, Prime Cut, and Company Business (which is almost unwatchable thanks to a transfer issue).

Kino Lorber releases a great looking blu-ray of Peter Hyams’s The Narrow Margin. For a remake its inventive and looks great. Any new Hyams Blu-ray release is a cause for celebration. Highly recommended!

Director- Peter Hyams

Cast- Gene Hackman, Anne Archer

Country of Origin- US

Discs- 1

Distributor- Kino Lorber

Reviewer- Tyler Miller