Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4K Blu-ray Review

‘Oh yeah, that’s right, I stabbed her...’

by Mark Costello
MSRP: £30.00

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Review

There are not many films that can bring about a sea change in an entire country's ratings system.

While we all immediately jump to the pub quiz favourite of Indiana Jones and the Temple Doom and its ushering in of the PG-13 rating by the then MPAA in the US, John McNaughton’s grotty, gritty and downright unsavoury little film, together with the altogether more artistically inclined Peter Greenaway and Pedro Almodóvar jams (The Cook, the Thief, his Wife & her Lover and Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!), brought about the introduction of the NC-17 rating in the US, a domain previously only occupied by hardcore pornography and its traditional X-rating.

And while the film may have certainly lost some of its initial shock factor in the intervening thirty-six years since its initial planned release, its power remains; one of cinema’s greatest purveyors of making its audience feel as grubby as its protagonists/antagonists.

Loosely based on the crimes of notorious real life serial killers Henry Lee Lucas (some of which have since been called into question) and Ottis Toole, McNaughton’s film is content to show a snapshot in the life of Henry (played by an utterly magnetic Michael Rooker in his film debut), a quiet man, socially awkward and living a nomadic existence drifting through the underbelly of America. He’s living in the run-down urban sprawl of Chicago with an ex-con friend Otis (Tom Towles) whose sister Becky (Tracy Arnold) has just come to stay. But Henry has a secret. He’s a serial killer with a searing temper, unable to control his urges and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake…

Shot with an eye on the same kind of American cinema verité of John Cassavetes’s best work, the film’s power comes from its non-judgemental and horribly frank view of Henry and his actions, together with the performance of Rooker giving Henry some horribly uncomfortable blurred lines in the audiences mind. Eschewing all the gory tropes of the time (as well as many of even today) that provided all the audience-pleasing sensationalism and ‘fun’ of a traditional horror film, it replaced them with a character study of a man that while no doubt an honest-to-goodness psychopath, also had the traits of a traditional cinematic leading man, which while stereotypical today thanks to a plethora of Netflix documentaries and near-ubiquitous crime dramas, was a gut punch to audiences in the late 1980s and early 90s.

Here was a man who was no deranged lunatic, no animalistic sadist but someone who was quiet, withdrawn, very human and certainly recognisable. He gets awkward around the girl he likes; he defends her from her brother’s venomous attacks; and most importantly, he seems to like dogs. And it’s this creeping sense of not just recognition, but of the fact that as Henry and Becky steal away into the night in the film’s final act, we’re almost cheering the pair on as some form of mucky Bonnie and Clyde, despite the despicable acts we’ve just witnessed them performing, that leaves us feeling horribly conflicted about who we’re actually watching.

And that’s down to the performance of Arnold and most importantly, Michael Rooker. Going on to have a huge mainstream career that sees him take his rightful place in that most mainstream of the mainstream, the MCU, Rooker here is utterly electric. There’s no showboating, no overt sense of anything grandiose in fact. Just a look behind his eyes that shows a boiling sea of rage that the rest of his body tries to constantly push back against. He is both utterly chilling yet almost beguiling, those small elements of his humanity – his pushing back of Becky when she makes her romantic advances, his attempts at ‘regular’ human contact with the owner of the cutest little dachshund rebuffed by her snooty and disparaging responses – together with Rooker’s inherent charisma paints a picture of a man that dares us to empathise with him, sympathise with him almost.

Here’s where McNaughton meets Rooker head on – the collision of Rooker’s performance and McNaughton’s script that emphasises the mundane and a tone of casual, realistic violence and almost resentment of humanity that predated Michael Haneke’s Funny Games by nearly a decade creates an undeniable power to this small, short, minimalist little film. There’s nothing that passes as traditional narrative, no easy explanation behind the characters actions or motivations, almost to the point of being unbearable, there’s almost nothing for audiences to latch onto other than Henry himself.

... Rooker is utterly electric

However there’s no denying that what was once shocking in terms of its depiction of onscreen violence simply isn’t in these desensitized days of 2022. Gore and the showing of overt violence is almost minimal compared to mainstream horror movies available today at the push of a button on your TV remote, and it’s fascinating to think that just over thirty years ago, this film’s images of brutality caused delay to its release and massive censorship kerfuffles that seem almost quaint now. And without its shock factor, the film is now much more of a dramatic character study than anything else. The woozy amble through a few days in the lives of these characters is exactly that and those not attuned to its lack of narrative will more likely be bemused and possibly bored by the absence of plot beats and character arcs.

And yet, the film still can grab you. Watching it straight after another infamous film about getting under the skin of notorious real-life killers – Richard Brooks’ film of Truman Capote’s ‘In Cold Blood’ – you feel exactly what McNaughton was trying to do. Where Brooks and Capote seek to understand, to explain, to almost justify and to criticise the environment in which those killings took place, McNaughton offers no such easy judgement. He is simply saying “Here is Henry. And this is what he does”, his lack of commentary on it as chilling as Rooker’s portrayal. And after decades of us being fascinated with the strange glamour of serial killers thanks to their near omnipresence in popular culture, it’s a cold shower of a film that presents us firmly with the grim reality of our comfy obsession.

Not quite as overtly shocking as you remember it then. But still an uncomfortably powerful film, anchored by a stunning turn by Michael Rooker.

Note: on this disc, at the 23 min 40 second mark, there is a cut away from Rooker talking to Arnold for a couple of seconds to a shot from a few minutes previously of one of his victims outside their house, before returning to Rooker. Whilst this cut was present on the recent French and Swedish blu-ray release, it wasn’t on other older versions. Is this a ‘mistake’ by Arrow? A cut/edit made by McNaughton post release? Who knows, but it IS worth noting that there is a possible issue with this release. It certainly doesn’t render the film unwatchable at all – it’s a brief cutaway for several seconds – but this is a case of buyers beware, especially as Arrow has form with replacement programmes. Arrow has been contacted by this from across the internet but so far, there’s no official word from the company on this.

Update 23-Apr-2022: Arrow has acknowledged this issue and is recommending owners hold on to their discs until further information about the next steps is available.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4K Video

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
The included images are not sourced from the 4K disc.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was shot on 16mm film and has undergone a thorough 4K restoration from the original camera negative overseen by director John McNaughton (however the restoration is not new by all accounts, it was performed for a 30th anniversary release in the US back in 2016). This forms the basis for this new 4K UHD Blu-ray release from Arrow, which presents a native 3840 x 2160p resolution image with the almost original aspect ratio of 1.33:1 faithfully preserved using a 10-bit video depth, with High Dynamic Range (HDR10 only) and encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec.

We reviewed this Region free UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release on a JVC-DLA N5 Ultra HD 4K projector and a Panasonic DP-UB9000 Dolby Vision/HDR10 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player.

... The overall picture quality on this 4K disc is pretty fantastic

While many may quite rightly question the validity of a 4K release of a 16mm source (many sources on that bastion of truth, the internet, equate 16mm film to 2K digital resolution), those who have picked up Arrow’s 4K release of The Hills Have Eyes will now exactly how good it can look. And it's very pleasing to report that Henry’s 4K image looks even better.

It doesn’t start well – the white credits over a black background are alive with very rough looking grain. And yet almost as soon as the first frame proper arrives, we’re greeted with a fantastic image, given its origins. Grain is everywhere and, as a trademark inherent of its 16mm source, is often thick and overt. However, it looks uniform across the screen, without any tell-tale signs of ‘clumping’ that can be the indicator that digital noise reduction has been used to try and help manage it. The grain field can vary – from the obvious with the stationary shots of our cast sitting around the kitchen table; to the less so, as Becky searches downtown Chicago for a job at the 27 min mark.

However, it is always there and that means that also there is the fine detail sitting just underneath it. Often giving the impression you’re not watching 16mm, it massively impresses – as Henry is chatting to his boss outside the condo he’s just fumigated on 13 mins, the textures visible on the clothing of both men, even in a medium shot, are hugely impressive. This fine detail is retained throughout and looks surprisingly good, especially for a film that most will have likely previously seen via grubby VHS dubs. Close ups look sharp, with fine hair and pores clearly visible. The sharp edges of cars, of tables, of buildings all are here without any form of digital tampering and I’m still surprised now, days after watching the film, how good this looked.

Black levels are also impressive – on 40 mins as Henry and Otis arrive to buy a TV, the shot from behind them opens in complete darkness as they open the lift door and the image is indistinguishable from the black bars to either side of the picture. However shadow detail suffers, again given its source – at the 53 min mark as Henry and Otis are prowling a night time neighbourhood, the night outside the car is a solid mass of black, punctured by the odd bright light with little of anything being able to be seen within it. But there’re few instances where the film shoots in this near total darkness.

The use of HDR10 gives some wonderfully naturalistic colours, especially skin tones – as Becky is on the phone in a close up at 58 mins, she has a lovely, pale, but shaded skin tone that carries over to the rest of the film. It's not a film of searing colours – even the blood is dull and drab – however when called for, the transfer delivers: on 77 mins, as Henry and Becky pull into the motel, the bright reds and blues of a Pepsi vending machine, the bright amber of porch lamps and the searing turquoise neon of the office sign manage to vividly stand out against the motel walls in shadow behind them. Highlights also pop – on 54 mins, as Henry and Otis select their victims and pull their car up outside of their house, the headlights burn bright, even if there’s little detail within them.

The restoration is completed by the almost total eradication of any print damage and stability is just as impressive, with even the opening credits rock solid in terms of their lack of any judder. And finally, bit rates are fantastically healthily, averaging between 90mbps and 100mbps throughout the entire film, peaking at over 103mpbs on several instances.

The overall picture quality on this 4K disc is pretty fantastic – grain haters aren’t going to like it one bit. But as an example of how well modern transfers can handle even the least impressive source material, Arrow has done a bang-up job once again. Note: the score for video quality is wholly cognisant of its origins and its director’s intent and should not be seen as an overall comparator to other video/film sources

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4K Audio

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

The 4K disc has two English soundtracks – the original stereo track in LPCM and a remixed 5.1 version in lossless DTS-HD MA. Subtitles are also limited to a single English for the Hard of Hearing.

We reviewed the Region free UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer on a Denon AVR-X4300H and a 7.2.4 array of Kef speakers (including the Q range and ci in-walls/in-ceilings).

... ominous bass drones and piercing themes suit the material perfectly

While expectations may be low for this, both tracks offer up a surprisingly modern electronic/piano driven score that at times sounded very good. Deep pulses reverberate around the speakers (here’s where the 5.1 track trumps the original by expanding these around the speaker array), while the high notes of the piercing themes sound sharp and fast, responsive and crisp. Overall, the fidelity and dynamics of this soundtrack bely its age, especially given the resurgence of electronic music scores in recent years, and its reproduced very well here on both tracks.

All but two lines of dialogue were recorded on-set, so there are at time some variability in terms of volume and clarity, especially with regard to some of the sound effects. However, lines are always clear and intelligible, with no hiss or sibilance inherent, and the balance with the score even throughout.

It’s certainly not a flashy soundtrack. But its ominous bass drones and piercing themes suit the material perfectly and both soundtracks here do a suitable job of replicating it. The 5.1 track may be the track of choice given how respectful it is of the original stereo (no horrible new foley effects have been added or anything like that), but nicely opening it out to envelop the listeners. However, purists will find the original stereo just as able.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4K Extras

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

Sadly, Arrow only sent the 4K disc in this set for review. The extras on this are:

  • Brand new audio commentary from director John McNaughton
  • Two archival commentary tracks from McNaughton
  • Scene specific commentaries from McNaughton and film critic Nigel Floyd
  • Deleted scenes and outtakes – 21 mins (all play with commentary from McNaughton)
  • Original script
  • Trailers
  • Photo gallery

... suitably comprehensive

However, in the final package, Arrow is including a second disc (a regular Blu-ray which hasn’t been included with my review copy) that will house the following supplementals:

  • Portrait: The Making of Henry - 50-minute behind-the-scenes documentary
  • In Defense of Henry - an appreciation by Joe Swanberg, Kim Morgan, Jeffrey Sconce, Joe Bob Briggs and Errol Morris
  • Twisting the Lens: The Diegetic Camera and Voyeurism in Henry – a new documentary with John McNaughton, Adam Rockoff, Anna Bogutskaya and Jonathan Rigby discussing killers behind cameras
  • Henry vs. MPAA: A Visual History – a featurette on the story of the struggle to get Henry into North American theatres
  • Henry at the BBFC with Stephen Thrower – a featurette discussing Henry's troubled history at the hands of the British censors
  • John McNaughton on Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer – an exclusive interview with John McNaughton and Stephen A. Jones, conducted at the time of Henry's UK premiere in February 1990
  • Interview with John McNaughton from 1998
  • It's Either You... Or Them: An Interview with Joe Coleman, the artist behind Henry’s legendary original theatrical release poster
  • John McNaughton in conversation with Nigel Floyd - interview from 2003
  • In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton, conducted by Spencer Parsons in 2016

In addition, the package also includes:

  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Eric Adrian Lee
  • Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing by Shaun Kimber, Peter Vronsky, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Julian Petley
  • Booklet containing the original storyboards for Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
  • Double-sided fold-out poster
  • Six collector’s postcards (Limited Edition exclusive)

There’s some repetition between the audio commentaries but they offer great insight and McNaughton’s a fantastic speaker. There’s no option to view the deleted scenes without the commentary but again, they offer up real insight into the creation and moulding of the story as the shoot and the edit went on.

However, it’s a real shame I wasn’t able to watch any of these extras on the second disc though as they look suitably comprehensive. There’s a lot of McNaughton here again and I’m sure there is some further repetition, but overall this looks to be a superb package from Arrow, covering both the film’s production and its cultural context, including its many battles with censorship, which look to be an interesting mix of those involved in its production and those able to bring a slightly more academic view to it and its place in cinema history.

The same goes for the non-disc extras, so my score therefore will be for the assumption that these are of the usual high quality from Arrow, but obviously caveated that the majority of these haven’t actually been observed.

Conclusion

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 4K Blu-ray Review

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

No doubt less shocking than it was on release, it still retains an uncomfortable power via the mirror it holds up to society in terms of its own enjoyment of the shocking scenes associated with so much of our ‘entertainment’. Together with Michael Rooker’s magnetic turn making this grotesque psychopath have many recognisably human traits and blurring the lines in our own minds about potential differences between protagonist and antagonist, its sleazy grubbiness, its unrelenting darkness and its deeply realistic portrayal of horrific acts mean Henry remains a fascinating depiction of ‘evil’ all these years later.

... Arrow presents the film in all its glory on a quite wonderful 4K disc

Arrow presents the film in all its glory on a quite wonderful 4K disc that shows just how good modern digital technology can faithfully preserve and so often enhance these films from when we likely first saw them. The raft of extras looks superb, however most were unable to be watched, so the score below remains caveated. Also buyers do note the potential issue with the edit mentioned above and keep an eye out in the forums for any response from Arrow regarding this.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is released by Arrow in the UK on 4K UHD Limited Edition and Limited-Edition Blu-ray on the 18th April.

Scores

Movie

.
.
8

Picture Quality

.
9

Sound Quality

.
.
.
7

Extras

.
9

Overall

.
.
8
8
AVForumsSCORE
OUT OF
10

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