Nostalgia Kinky

Arrow Home Video has released the 1973 film The Outfit, newly restored and featuring a never-before-seen ending on Blu-ray. Directed by John Flynn from a novel by legendary author Richard Stark, The Outfit features Robert Duvall fresh from his powerhouse turn in The Godfather. Working from a new restoration from the original 35mm camera negative, Arrow has curated a very nice release for this undervalued crime classic. Order a copy from Arrow or here in the States from MVD.

Even though his career stretched over six decades, the filmography of director John Flynn is frustratingly not what it should have been. One only needs look at his astonishing Rolling Thunder to recognize this guy was a heavyweight, and yet by the end of his career he was reduced to second-rate action titles starring Stephen Baldwin. In 1973 though, Flynn was still a filmmaker on the rise, with The Outfit being just the third feature of his career.

The Outfit is neither as good as Rolling Thunder nor the best Stark adaptations, but Flynn and team craft a nicely done little crime thriller here. While Flynn’s direction is strong, it is arguably his screenplay, filled with memorable lines and moments, that is perhaps the real strength of his film. The Outfit is ultimately as good a character study as it is a heist film.

Of course, a big part of The Outfit’s pleasures can be found in its quite wonderful cast. A typically terrific Duvall is joined by the likes of Joe Don Baker, Robert Ryan, Timothy Carey, Richard Jaeckel and Sheree North. It is a real old-school meets new-school kind of film, and everyone here bring the goods. Despite the many heavy hitters in the cast, The Outfit’s best performance is by Karen Black, the New Hollywood Legend who delivers a real powerhouse turn here.

Running just over 100 minutes, The Outfit is pretty tight, and it’s fairly compulsively watchable. The film never reached classic status for me, unlike the best neo-noir of the period, but still I found The Outfit both compelling and engrossing. That said, the film’s original ‘happy’ ending damages The Outfit for me, so I was thrilled to see the far superior original ending offered as a viewing option. Flynn’s original ending, which the studio balked at, is ideal for The Outfit. I can’t imagine ever watching the film’s theatrical version again.

Along with the nice new transfer of the film, Arrow has added a bunch of quality supplements for fans of The Outfit and Stark’s novels. These consist of a new commentary track, three new video essays (including a fantastic new one by Walter Chaw), and an archival interview with director Walter Hill, discussing his friendship with Flynn and uncredited work on the film. In a year of high-profile releases by Arrow, The Outfit might slip under some fans’ radars, but it shouldn’t, as this is a quality release of a pretty fine film.


-Jeremy Richey, July 2026-