No list rounding up the best movies of the 20th century would be complete without One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In celebration of the film’s 50th anniversary, One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest is releasing on 4K Blu-ray with a collectible steelbook case. Slated to release November 11, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Limited Edition Steelbook is available to preorder for only $30 (was $35) at Amazon. This edition also comes with a voucher to redeem a digital copy of the movie. A standard edition is available to preorder for $25 at Walmart.
$30 (was $35) | Releases November 11
The steelbook case features Jack Nicholson’s character pondering an escape from the prison of his mind and the psychiatric hospital, represented by a giant bird cage. The subdued color palette is similar to the film’s original posters used to promote the theatrical release.
Presented in native 4K resolution (2160p) with HDR10 and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, this edition of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest should be the best way to watch this all-time classic in 2025. This edition doesn’t come with a standard 1080p Blu-ray disc. One reason for this might be that the Blu-ray version has been out of print for a while.
There aren’t too many extras included here, but you can extend your viewing with the Conversations on Cuckoo and Completely Cuckoo featurettes as well as around 20 minutes of deleted scenes.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Special Features:
- Conversations on Cuckoo: Group Therapy featurette
- Completely Cuckoo featurette
- Deleted Scenes
Sadly, it looks like the audio commentary track featuring director Milos Forman and his producers Saul Zaentz and Michael Douglas has not been included here, which is a pity because it provided fascinating insight into how challenging it was to film this adaptation.
If you want the audio commentary, a region-free 1080p Blu-ray edition is available for $17.37 at Amazon.
$25 | Releases November 11
As mentioned, a standard 4K Blu-ray edition is also available to preorder at Walmart for $25. Preorders for the standard edition haven’t opened at Amazon yet. This version also comes with a digital copy of the film and the same special features.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is based on Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel of the same name. Kesey’s novel is regularly included in lists of the best works of fictions of the 20th century, so it’s fairly remarkable the adaptation became one of the best movies of its era. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was nominated for nine and won five Academy Awards, including Best Actor for Nicholson and Best Picture.
Nicholson’s portrayal of Randle McMurphy remains one of his most memorable roles. McMurphy, a career criminal, avoids being sent to a labor farm and is instead imprisoned in a psychiatric hospital. He soon finds himself at odds with Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher), a manipulative healthcare worker who controls patients with fear, abuse, and intimidation. Nicholson’s character is a quick-witted foil to the cold and clinical Ratched, and his rebellious nature gradually has a positive impact on his fellow inmates. In addition to Nicholson and Fletcher, the film also featured an ensemble cast of actors like Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Will Sampson, and Sydney Lassick, and William Redfield.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
As mentioned above, On Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is adapted from the book of the same name. Kesey’s novel is mostly adapted faithfully for the big screen. Still, one of the major differences here is that the story is told from the viewpoint of Chief Bromden, giving readers more insight into his life and making him the main character.
At the same time, he witnesses the battle of wills between McMurphy and Ratched. The film also made several other changes to the source material–like having a completely different ending–but it does keep the gist of the novel intact.
If you’re interested in reading it, you can pick up the One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: 50th Anniversary Hardcover Edition for $17.58 (was $30) or the paperback version for $13 (was $19).
The other option available here is the Audible version of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. This is a new reading of Kesey’s novel by Walk Hard actor John C. Reilly, and it runs for over 10 hours. It’s worth mentioning that Audible offers a pretty good deal currently, as new subscribers can get their first 30 days for free.
This will allow you to choose one free audiobook for the month–or two with the trial if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber–and the service will then cost $15/month afterward. Audible Premium Plus members get one Audible Credit each month, and you can buy more for $15 each. Effectively, this means you won’t ever pay more than $15 for a new book, and you also have access to thousands of books in the Audible Premium library as well as exclusive sales events.
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