Blu-Ray Review: The Boondock Saints

Whilst Willem Dafoe has a distinct look, his ability as an actor has often been overlooked. However, his Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Florida Project this year was the third Oscar he’s been up for (the other two were Shadow of a Vampire and Platoon). His most iconic roles have probably come in films where he’s been allowed to let rip. Notably, Wild at Heart, Spiderman and especially in Troy Duffy’s live-wire crime thriller The Boondock Saints.

Conner (Sean Patrick Flanery) and Murphy MacManus (Norman Reedus) are celebrating St Patrick’s Day in their local when three Russian mobsters appear. A scuffle ensues and the brothers end up killing them in self-defence when they come after them the next day. Agent Smecker (Dafoe) is assigned to the case but when they hand themselves in he decides not to press charges, partly due to the public support for their actions. That night, they receive a calling from God and vow to hunt down all the bad people.

The Boondock Saints is an absolute blast. Feeding off the buzz created by the likes of Pulp Fiction, Duffy created an unapologetically bloody, brutal and bizarre action film. He’s laced it liberally with comedic moments and all the actors seem to be having a whale of a time. Dafoe gives a Nicholas Cage-worthy performance as a maverick gay detective; throwing his heart and soul into the role. Whilst it’s admittedly slightly dated, The Boondock Saints still remains great entertainment and a riotous descent into vigilante justice.

Special Edition Contents:

High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the director’s cut of the film
Original 5.1 lossless English audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by writer/director Troy Duffy
Audio commentary by actor Billy Connolly
Outtakes
Deleted scenes
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Kieran Fisher