Nothing is quite what it seems in this riveting, complex tale of greed, dementia and deceit from Hammer Films, the experts in terror. Rescued from a suicide attempt by a man claiming to be her long-dead brother, a young heiress (Janette Scott, The Day Of The Triffids) finds a new reason to live. But her relatives have doubts. They think “Tony” (Alexander Davion) is an imposter who’s trying to get his hands on the family fortune. Everyone has their own secret reasons to suspect Tony, as well as their own designs on his vast inheritance – especially brother Simon (Oliver Reed, The Curse Of The Werewolf), a magnetic but devastatingly cruel wretch who’ll stop at nothing to thwart the supposed pretender.

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Video Quality

This 2022 Blu-Ray from Scream Factory rescues Paranoiac from a dated master with a mostly pleasing new 2K scan of the Interpositive in an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.35:1. Print damage has been carefully cleaned up with this transfer outside of some faint vertical lines and specks. The film retains a sumptuous grain structure that preserves the filmic look of the picture, showcasing subtle details in the production design of the house and costumes. The practical effects and masks hold up well under the scrutiny of high definition.

The lighting appears natural and consistent throughout the runtime. The beautiful black-and-white photography sparkles in high definition with a delicate balance of shadow and light. Black levels hold up well with some admirable depth to the image. The highlights are firm with no instances of blooming. The one knock against this transfer is the slightly stretched quality of the picture that was somehow introduced to this master, but most casual viewers probably wouldn’t notice something was amiss. Scream Factory has done a fine job despite some shortcomings that hold it back.

Audio Quality

This Blu-Ray comes with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that holds up even better than the visual side of the equation. Dialogue sounds clear without sound effects or the score clipping important information. There is the slightest bit of weakness in the higher registers, but this is not a persistent problem. The screams and other sounds stemming from the thrilling sequences are given the appropriate weight within the mix. The activity taking place around the house provides some excellent ambient details. All of the complex sounds in the mix seem deftly rendered so that nothing ever feels off. The atmospheric score comes through beautifully without impeding the other more subtle elements. This is a balanced mix that should not disappoint anyone.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film Historian Bruce Hallenbeck provides an immensely informative commentary track in which he discusses the careers of the talent involved, where this fits into the Hammer Films catalog, the troubles that popped up during production, and more.

Drink To Deception: An excellent 15-minute exploration by Author/Film Historian Kim Newman in which he drills down into the inspiration for the film, the careers of the creatives involved, what phase of Hammer Films this fell into, the aesthetic of the film, the film’s legacy and more.

A Toast To Terror: A nearly 26-minute interview with Author/Film Historian Jonathan Rigby in which he details the film’s production, the script from Jimmy Sangster, the production design, the work of Freddie Francis, and more.

The Making of Paranoiac: A 28-minute featurette hosted by Author Wayne Kinsey that features interviews with sound recordist Alan Lavender, script supervisor Pauline Harlow, assistant director Hugh Harlow, screenwriter Jimmy Sangster, actor Oliver Reed, and more. This piece details the landscape in which Paranoiac was developed.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided here.

Still Gallery: A collection of images from the film is provided here.

Final Thoughts

Paranoiac is an effective thriller from Hammer Films that plays with deception and mounting fear in unique ways. The frame is never short of a creepy aesthetic that keeps you on your toes. The narrative keeps you guessing about what may be happening in a way that satisfies you. The performers do a nice job and the direction is always assured. It is not the pinnacle of the studio’s output, but it is well worth a watch. Scream Factory has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a wonderful array of special features. Recommended

Paranoiac (Collector’s Edition) is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.