Silent Scream 4K Ultra HD Review

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

A Forgotten Gem of Early Slasher Tension

Silent Scream (1979) stands as a fascinating, if uneven, entry in the dawn of the slasher era. Forget pristine perfection; this low-budget chiller offers a potent dose of atmosphere and a surprisingly effective slow burn.

Setting the Stage: Gothic Boarding House Blues

The film excels in its core setting: a stark, cliffside Victorian mansion converted into a boarding house. This isn’t a cozy home; it’s a character itself – imposing, isolated, and filled with unsettling angles and hidden spaces. The ocean view provides no comfort, only amplifying the feeling of being trapped. Director Denny Harris leverages this location brilliantly to create a pervasive sense of dread.

The Cast: Horror Royalty Anchors the Fray

While the young college students (led by Rebecca Balding’s resourceful Scotty) deliver serviceable performances for the genre, the film’s true weight comes from its veteran cast. Yvonne De Carlo is suitably stern and secretive as the house’s matriarch, Mrs. Engels. Cameron Mitchell brings gruff authority as the investigating Lieutenant. The real draw for horror aficionados, however, is the legendary Barbara Steele in a pivotal, chillingly silent role that adds significant gravitas and mystery.

Atmosphere Over Splatter (Mostly)

Don’t expect relentless gore. Silent Scream builds its horror through tension and suggestion. The focus is on unsettling discoveries, the vulnerability of the characters within the vast house, and the growing suspicion that danger lurks internally. While it features kills typical of the genre, its strength lies more in its oppressive mood and the slow elucidation of the house’s diabolical secrets. The final act delivers genuine suspense within the claustrophobic confines of the attic. In the end, however, the film cannot overcome its lack of originality.

A Troubled Birth, A Cult Legacy

The film’s notorious production history – extensive reshoots, recasting, and script rewrites leaving only 15% of the original footage – is almost as legendary as the film itself. This tumultuous process likely contributes to its slightly disjointed feel but also makes its eventual success ($7.9 million at the box office) and enduring cult status all the more remarkable.

Verdict: Imperfect but Intriguing

Silent Scream won’t dethrone Halloween or Black Christmas, but it deserves recognition. Its gothic atmosphere, strong veteran performances (especially Steele), and focus on suspense over pure carnage set it apart from many contemporaries. Flawed? Certainly. Predictable at times? Perhaps. Yet, it remains a compelling watch for fans of early slashers and atmospheric 70s horror, offering a genuinely creepy location and a mystery that unfolds with effective tension. Just don’t expect a polished masterpiece – expect a gritty, moody, and historically significant slice of genre filmmaking.

The Video

Silent Scream is a new 4K restoration from a 4K scan of the original 35mm original camera negative and mastered in HDR10. The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is presented in 1.85:1 HEVC 2160p (4K UHD) HDR10. The image for this transfer looks much better than I expected, with very sharp grain and textured detail. The shadow detail is excellent as well, as can be seen in the scenes on the beach at night when the mystery killer first strikes. The flesh tones look spot on and highlights pop appropriately. You’re not going to get any eye-blinding brightness and ultra-vibrant colors in this film, but the transfer and HDR10 look apropos to the era and genre.

The Audio

Silent Scream comes with both the original mono and a 5.1 mix, both in English DTS-HD Master Audio. I prefer the mono mix as the brass in the score from Roger Kellaway sounds less harsh and high-ended in the mono mix and also, ironically, the mono mix sound a little punchier. The 5.1 mix does have a good stereo spread, however, for the score. Both mixes have clean dialogue.

The Supplements

Kino Lorber does not include any new content with this 4K release and much of what is included is archival, standard definition featurettes.

Bonus Features:

• Audio Commentary by Writers Jim and Ken Wheat with Actress Rebecca Balding
• Audio Commentary by Actress Barbra Steele, Moderated by Film Historian David Del Valle
• Scream of Success – 30 Years Later: Featurette (SD; 00:40:42)
• The Original Script: Featurette (SD; 00:10:13)
• The Wheat Brothers – A Look Back: Featurette (SD; 00:12:17)
• Interview with Actress Rebecca Balding (SD; 00:03:15)
• Audio Interview with Director Denny Harris (SD; 00:30:04)
• Silent Scream – Radio Spots (1080p; 00:02:18)
• Silent Scream – TV Spot (SD; 00:00:33)
• Trailers:
  • Silent Scream
  • The Boogens
  • April Fool’s Day
  • Cujo
  • Happy Birthday to Me
  • New Year’s Evil
• Reversible Sleeve

The Final Assessment

Silent Scream is a middling slasher but one that has a following. It is served up in a fine 4K release from Kino Lorber’s KL Studio Classics imprint with this release.

Silent Scream is out on 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray July 22, 2025 from Kino Lorber

• Rating Certificate: R
• Studios & Distributors: Denny Harris | Kino Lorber
• Director: Denny Harris | Kino Lorber
• Written By: Ken Wheat | Jim Wheat | Wallace C. Bennett
• Run Time: 87 Mins.
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: HDR10
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 1000 nits
  • MaxFALL: 400 nits
• Primary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono
• Secondary Audio: English DTS-HD MA 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH