Arrow Video, out now

A mysterious man is admitted to a psycho ward after an unsuccessful suicide attempt, but what exactly is he running away from?

Roger Christian’s feature debut gets a UK Blu-ray premiere release, made after he’d won an Oscar for set decoration on Star Wars and before the clunker that was Battlefield Earth. It’s an intriguing horror thriller, starring Zelijo Ivanek (Heroes) as John Doe, a ‘Sender’ who can transmit his thoughts to others when he’s under duress.

With little gore to speak of, the emphasis is on psychological horror, and Ivanek is very good as the troubled soul who has something of a mother complex. Less successful is Kathryn Harrold as bland Dr Gail Farmer, who really has little more to do than look shocked, and even Raiders of the Lost Ark’s Paul Freeman turns up as a doctor keen to use shock treatment to jolt their John Doe back to life. It’s well photographed, there’s a lush Trevor Jones score and apparently it was Quentin Tarantino’s favourite horror movie of 1982… erm, not The Thing then?!

Arrow’s packed disc includes a commentary by director Roger Christian, new interview with screenwriter Tom Baum, an appreciation by critic Kim Newman, deleted scenes from the screenplay, including the original ending, and the expected trailer and image gallery.

Verdict: A solid psychological horror movie that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome at 92 minutes and contains enough shock moments to warrant your continued interest. 7/10

Nick Joy

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