This “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD disc will be released by Arrow Video on September 29th, 2026
Back in the late 1990s, young director Doug Liman was coming off of the success of Swingers, a little indie film starring Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn. His next project would be Go, another relatively small feature with a stunning number of future stars. The project, which was picked up by Sony Pictures, was expected to be an even bigger smash. It didn’t quite make quite the impact hoped for at the box office, but it was well-received by the press and those who saw it, also earning a devoted following on DVD. The movie ultimately helped its director transition to studio films like The Borne Identity, Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Edge of Tomorrow and the upcoming Bitcoin.
Arrow Video has noted its cult popularity and are now releasing a “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD of the title. The original 35mm picture negative has been restored for this release, and is presented in Dolby Vision. The final images have been approved by director Liman and come with several new extras, as well as bonuses from the previous editions.
In case you missed it during its original run and release on disc, Go follows one crazy night in the life of a group of characters who work at (or visit) a Los Angeles grocery store. The story takes a narrative approach similar to Pulp Fiction, splitting the story into three segments, each with a central character. By the time the movie reaches its resolution, all of the individual stories have intersected and, in one way or another, each person has played a part in the other’s experiences.
The first segment follows Ronna Martin (Sarah Polley), an employee who is several hundred dollars short on rent. When Hollywood actors Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zach (Jay Mohr) arrive at the store hoping to purchase ecstasy tablets from co-worker Simon Baines (Desmond Askew), it is revealed that he has left town on a trip to Las Vegas with friends. Ronna steps in and agrees to obtain the drugs for them. She drags friend/cashier Claire Montgomery (Katie Holmes) to the apartment of dealer Todd Gaines (Timothy Olyphant). When the situation goes utterly south, Ronna finds herself owing a lot of money to the very angry Gaines, who wants to make an example of her. So much so that he hunts her down at a local rave.
In the second chapter, we catch up with the sex-obsessed Englishman Simon Baines. He is in the company of pals Marcus (Taye Diggs), Singh (James Duvall) and “Tiny” (Breckin Meyer) in Vegas. This is the young 20-something’s first trip to ‘Sin City’, and he quickly gets himself in over his head. Their experiences involve stealing a car, and getting into a conflict with staff at a strip club. When Simon shoots a security guard (Jimmy Shubert) in the arm, the victim’s threatening gangster father (J. E. Freeman) vows to get revenge on the young man.
The final story takes viewers back to grocery store ‘shoppers’ Adam and Zach. They’re actually young actors who play cops on TV. Apparently, the pair have gotten into trouble with the law for drug possession, with detective Burke Halverson (William Fichtner) promising to let them off the hook if they help him nab a dealer. If that wasn’t enough of a chore for the pair, they are also manipulated into attending an extremely awkward family dinner with Halverson and his wife Irene (Jane Krakowski) that takes an unexpected turn. Eventually, all of these stories intersect and come to a unique close.
This film is very zippy and feels like an adrenaline-rush as each story quickly introduces conflict and features its characters encountering all sorts of strangeness. Passing moments take on more significance as we see other tales and some of the blanks are filled in, giving a clearer explanation of what occurred and how it all happened.
All of the performances are great and the cast really sells the story. Sarah Polley and Katie Holmes make lasting impressions as the grocery store employees, but the real scene-stealer is a young Timothy Olyphant as the drug dealer. His character manages to exude a sense of danger, but has a sharp sense of humor. And his bewildered reactions to the bizarre events that occur around him are absolutely hilarious. William Fichtner and Jane Krakowski also generate huge laughs as the macho cop and his eccentric wife, who initially appears to be flirting with the actors (although the film does manage to surprise viewers with an unexpected twist). And, there is a brief but memorable bit featuring a young Melissa McCarthy in her first onscreen role that really shows off her charismatic presence before she hit it big.
The storytelling is also part of the film’s charm. It doesn’t give you all the details as it plays out, and truly surprising events occur that keep the viewer’s brain engaged in trying to put the pieces together, as outrageous acts play out onscreen. The first and third bits are completely engrossing and it’s hard to imagine how they could work any better than they do here. Personally, the Vegas chapter isn’t quite as potent (and, having not seen the movie since its original release, was the one I had the most difficulty remembering), but it’s still an enjoyable ride. The segment does include charismatic performers doing silly things, a dynamic car chase, and the bit ultimately fits together nicely into the climax.
For a relatively small movie, it’s still a blast and holds up as a wild time. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the picture, and the disc itself offers a great presentation. As noted, this movie was made on a limited budget and features some raw, simply lit moments that include a minor amount of grain. So, it doesn’t always look like reference material video. But it is sharp, and the rave and Las Vegas sequences feature bright, clear colors that will not only impress, but in some instances, pop off the screen and show some depth. It’s easy to see that this is a vast improvement over previous releases, and a few moments will not only impress, but even wow fans.
As for extras, there is an archival commentary track with director Liman and editor Stephen Mirrine. It becomes clear very quickly that their approach to making the movie was hectic, and that it may have unintentionally helped the performances. There was a lot of improvisation and reacting to events occurring around them. Because the makers were editing the movie while shooting, a splinter unit would take care of additional bits and pieces when editor Mirrione noted that something was missing or the scene wasn’t working as well as intended. A lot of the discussion is about the editing process, and figuring out how much information to reveal and hold back at various points. It’s an interesting piece.
Additionally, a film critic commentary adds additional analysis on the movie. There’s a lot of background detail on the cast and filmmaker, with quotes from various interviews. They also discuss movies in the same vein as this title, including Mystery Train, as well as going into other recommended features about young people getting into shenanigans over the course of a day or two.
One fantastic new bonus on this set is an interview with screenwriter/co-producer/second unit director John August. It’s a very honest talk about the production, how he came up with the concept, and the complicated shoot. He notes that he was inspired to write the movie based on stories from that earlier time in his life, when young people would have crazy experiences, get into trouble and somehow (mostly by luck) find their way out of it. He talks about how the budget was raised independently, only for it all to fall through at the last minute. Thankfully, after a number of phone calls, Sony stepped in and put down the money at the last minute. August amusingly notes that many familiar cast members, with the exception of Wolf and Mohr, were relative unknowns at time with only a couple of minor credits. The speaker also mentions McCarthy and Krakowski (who would later co-star on 30 Rock) as being incredible in the story.
August discusses the unusual shooting style, and notes that there were reshoots and tinkering after the first cut resulted in a disastrous screening for Sony executives. They massaged the storytelling, reworked the beginning and ending, and added pieces in order to make the movie work with audiences. He was very pleased with the end result. And even though it wasn’t a big box office hit, the movie was well-received, earning him writing gigs and credits on Charlie’s Angels, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and several other titles).
Another phenomenal bonus is the short film God that August directed. After the Go shoot, the screenwriter was allowed to take unused 35mm short ends from the production and film this 12-minute comedy with Melissa McCarthy. She plays a young woman who ends up in a relationship with God, who communicates with her via phone. The two chat like besties, until the lead becomes bothered that the deity is calling too often, not giving her enough space, and suffocating her. God doesn’t respond well to her complaints. It’s a fun little short and has been given an impressive transfer.
You’ll also get a new interview with co-star Desmond Askew, who also notes the unique filming techniques. He was asked to do things he wasn’t expecting (including run around a Vegas hotel hallway naked), and it seems the surprising tasks he was given on-set helped him act appropriately panicked and confused, just as his character was in the moment. The performer also goes over his lasting friendship with co-star James Duvall, and other experiences in the business.
There is also an archival making-of, a lot of deleted and extended scenes (nearly 25 minutes) where you can see alternate versions of opening and closing bits that were reshot. The original ending was darker and more violent involving a physical confrontation between the Vegas pursuers and more characters, and it’s clear that the reworked ending was a significant improvement. A trailer and image gallery is also included on the disc.
Finally, there is a booklet with a pair of essays on the movie and production notes.
Yes, the final result may not be quite as iconic as Pulp Fiction. But Go is about the best facsimile of that style of picture out there, with an unpredictable story, laughs, tension, star-making performances, and a tight pace. This is an excellent feature, and the disc itself presents an upgraded and superior picture with some fun and unique extras that are sure to impress. This “Limited Edition” 4K Ultra HD release is well worth adding to your collection.
