‘The Killer Is Loose’ (Special Edition) Blu-Ray Review – A Gritty Thriller That Will Leave You Captivated

Detective Sam Wagner’s job is never easy. But this is no ordinary stressful day for Wagner (Joseph Cotten, The Third Man) or his wife Lila (Rhonda Fleming, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral). After pegging a recent bank robbery as an inside job orchestrated by the deceptively mild-mannered, bespectacled clerk Leon Poole (Wendell Corey, I Walk Alone), Wagner heads to the suspect’s apartment to make a peaceable arrest. Instead, Poole’s beloved wife is accidentally killed in the crossfire of a violent shootout. Sent to prison, and believing Wagner is responsible for his wife’s death, Poole is desperate for revenge. Escape and murder soon follow with the maniacal Poole hell-bent on taking away the woman Wagner loves. Helmed by the gritty Budd Boetticher, director of Horizons West, Wings of the Hawk, Seven Men from Now and The Tall T, The Killer Is Loose takes the filmmaker’s unique visual style away from the plains and into the world of suburbia for this taut and terrifying noir thriller. Close your windows, lock your doors—The Killer Is Loose!

For thoughts on The Killer Is Loose, please check out our previous Blu-Ray review here. 

Video Quality

The Killer Is Loose returns to Blu-Ray thanks to Kino Classics with a strong 1080p master that is pretty strong overall. The film was previously released by ClassicFlix on Blu-Ray in 2017. There is no mention of a new master and we can spot no observable difference between the two releases, so the previous review can be found below. 

The restoration shows off a fantastic amount of depth and enhanced detail within the film’s composition. The clothing and the production design showcase a lovely amount of detail and textures that is showcased quite well on screen. The white levels experience very little in the way of blooming, and the natural film grain resolves well throughout most of the runtime. Black levels remain strong with no noticeable abundance of black crush or compression artifacts. The moody black-and-white photography shines in high definition with impressive contrast and natural grain intact. The track does experience a subtle amount of minor nicks and scratches, but these moments are fleeting with the biggest dips in quality showing up in the optical dissolves. These boutique labels continue to find hidden gems of the past and shine them up for a new generation. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a decent DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that makes the most of its source limitations. The film is mostly dialogue driven with snappy banter and some distinct environmental sounds from the time on the run after the prison break. This track does present some brief moments of age related wear and tear, mostly when it comes to the score, but on the whole things remain solid and enjoyable. The music never comes across as overbearing in relation to other important information. Dialogue and background noises are in harmony with all the disparate elements so that fidelity is always maintained. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles included for the feature film. The folks at Kino Classics have delivered something as strong as possible here.  

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Historian/Screenwriter Gary Gerani provides an informative commentary track in which he discusses the production of the film, the background of the creative figures, the work of Budd Boetticher, the look of the film, the legacy of the feature, and more. 

• Trailers: This disc provides the two-minute trailer for The Killer Is Loose. There are also trailers provided for Naked Alibi, Human Desire, Touch of Evil, The Killing, 99 River Street, The Turning Point, Detective Story, Odds Against Tomorrow, and The Enforcer. 

Final Thoughts

The Killer Is Loose is a pretty terrific, gritty thriller which knows how to ratchet up tension effectively. Wendell Corey is no stranger to antagonistic roles, but this performance is the most unsettling we have seen from the talented performer yet. The remainder of the ensemble likewise deliver some memorable turns, including Joseph Cotten as the light to Corey’s darkness. The film is very brief which allows it to never give the audience much of a respite as we wait to see who is going to make it out of this situation alive. Kino Classics has released a Blu-Ray featuring a good A/V presentation and a nice new commentary track. This does not feel like a title that has been shown the appropriate appreciation, but it is one well worth discovering. Recommended 

The Killer Is Loose (Special Edition) will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray on December 31, 2024. 

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

Disclaimer: Kino Classics 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.