A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt. (from IMDb)

I admit I find it exciting when I see older, classic films get the Ultra-High-Def treatment. Alfred Hitchcock's mistaken identity spy thriller, North By Northwest, did get a decent Blu-Ray upgrade years ago, but for 2024, the movie graduates into the world of 4K UHD. From the moment we first see screen legend Cary Grant step into frame, the Ultra-HD quality is quite evident. Grain wasn't noticeable, and, if anything, the clarity especially shines given the format's color boost. I just love seeing classics being given a new chance at cinematic life.

As a Hitchcock film, North By Northwest is arguably among his best (or at least most entertaining). While several of his titles stand out to me (usually because Grant or another legend is placed front-and-center), North By Northwest is probably my favorite from the acclaimed director. Set in New York City, the story revolves around an advertising exec who happens to call for a teller at the worst possible moment. Just as another man is being paged, Grant's Roger Thornhill raises his arm to get their attention, only to be immediately seen by some shadowy figures who assume Thornhill is the other man in question, a "George Kaplan." Thornhill is then quickly whisked away into a car and driven out into the New York countryside where he's met by a group of shady guys who are convinced he's Kaplan and can't be convinced otherwise. Roger soon finds himself inescapably entangled in a complex plot that involves spies and criminals - and he just needs to figure out what exactly is going on... if he's not killed first in the process.

North By Northwest is probably about as confusing and twisty as Roger finds it to be, so if your full attention isn't on the film, you're liable to get lost. However, Grant's screen presence is perfect as he channels his usual charm and wit into a character that just wants to know what on earth is going on around him. Along the way, he bumps into the lovely and mysterious train passenger Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint, who he quickly falls for. But nothing is quite as it seems, and just when Thornhill thinks he might have a handle on the situation, he finds himself the target once again.

Compared to modern day film styles, North By Northwest is not only kind of a slow-burn, but it's overall a more paced effort. This works in the film's favor - especially during the iconic cropduster sequence where Thornhill finds himself alone on the side of a desolate road in the middle of nowhere as a plane attempts to take him out. The quietness and slow pacing of the scene adds a confusion and eeriness to it. You feel every bit of Roger's attempt to figure out the situation in his mind, and you feel like you're right there with him when things start going south. But Grant is just plain entertaining to watch in just about anything he's ever done, and North By Northwest is no different. The movie is really only as good as it is because of him.

Content-wise, it's funny to envision all older movies as pretty wholesome when thinking back on them, until you sit down to consider one's content for a review. While I wouldn't say North By Northwest is vulgar or crude, it's more than obvious the intentions of Roger and Eve when they meet and volley flirtations back and forth. She ends up hiding him in her personal sleeping compartment on the train in which they meet, and don't shy away from sharing some kisses and suggestive innuendo. Later in the film, it's heavily implied that they slept together that night, although it's never 100% spelled out. (After all, she does comment to him that he'd have to sleep on the floor following a remark he makes about sharing the one bed.) Otherwise, the only other content to consider (aside from three uses of "d*mn") is the violence. None of the violence is bloody, but some characters are shot or fall from a great height to their deaths. In one scene, a man Roger is talking to suddenly freezes up with a horrified expression on his face, and as he collapses into Roger's arms, we see a knife sticking out of the man's back. In shock, Roger pulls the knife out - which has no blood on it - and looks incredibly guilty in the moment. A later scene shows a man hanging off a cliffside by one hand as another man steps on his fingers in an attempt to make him let go and fall. The only scene that shows some blood is after Roger is climbing along the side of a building and looks down at his palm. We briefly see some very red blood on his hand before he covers it with a handkerchief. Lastly, there is some casual drinking during the movie, but one sequence sees Roger being held down and forced to consume an entire bottle of bourbon (we just see him being held down and the drink being poured). It then cuts to a very drunk Roger being forced into a car in an attempt to have him drive it off a cliff to his death. However, he's able to take control just enough to evade death and we then see him careening recklessly down a winding road, avoiding cars at every turn. Later, we see him quite drunk while at a police station, but at this point, his intoxication is entirely played for laughs.

If you're an Alfred Hitchcock fan, or a fan of the legendary Cary Grant, North By Northwest is a must-see film. Its new 4K UHD transfer also does not disappoint, so if you're considering picking it up for the first time - or upgrading an older copy - I can definitely recommend this release.

North By Northwest Ultra HD Blu-ray disc doesn't come with any new bonus features, but it does come with the following previously released special features:

• A 4K MoviesAnywhere Digital Copy of the film
• Commentary by Screenwriter Ernest Lehman
• North by Northwest: Cinematography, Score and the Art of the Edit
• Destination Hitchcock: The Making of North by Northwest
• The Master's Touch: Hitchcock's Signature Style
• North by Northwest: One for the Ages
• A Guided Tour with Alfred Hitchcock