She Killed in Ecstasy – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: West Germany, 1971
Director: Jesús Franco
Writer: Jesús Franco
Cast: Soledad Miranda, Fred Williams, Paul Muller, Howard Vernon, Ewa Strömberg, Horst Tappert, Jesús Franco

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 80 Minutes 27 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono German
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"In her greatest role—and one of her final performances before her tragic death—the luscious Soledad Miranda stars as a vengeful widow who seduces and murders the men and women responsible for her husband’s suicide." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD), 4.5/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

She Killed in Ecstasy comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 58.9 GB

Feature: 57.8 GB

The source looks exceptional, easily the best this film has ever looked on home media. Flesh tones look correct; colors look appropriately vibrant; image clarity, black levels, contrast, and compression are solid; and the image always looks organic.

She Killed in Ecstasy comes on a 50 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 37.9 GB

Feature: 23 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in German with removable English subtitles. While there are always going to be limitations due to the low-budget attributes of this film, it is a solid track that exceeds expectations. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, ambient sounds are well represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles).

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled Sublime Soledad (20 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival interview with Jess Franco titled Jess Killed in Ecstasy (16 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Paul Muller (6 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a locations featurette titled In The Land Of Franco Part 13 (21 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with removable English subtitles), and an interview with Stephen Thrower author of Murderous Passions, Franco Volume 1: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús and Flowers of Perversion, Volume 2: The Delirious Cinema of Jesús Franco (41 minutes 56 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include a slipcover. 

Summary:

There are two things that clearly inspired She Killed in Ecstasy, and actually a third connection to something else if one factors in that the film is a loose remake of Jess Franco’s own film, The Diabolical Dr. Z. The other two inspirations for She Killed in Ecstasy include Jess Franco’s affinity for monster and mad scientist films. Additionally, there is a notable similarity between She Killed in Ecstasy and François Truffaut’s The Bride Wore Black.

Structurally, She Killed in Ecstasy's narrative is more fleshed out than the other films that Jess Franco was making during this phase of his career. The premise is simple: the protagonist stalks and kills those who drove her husband to kill himself. After a brief setup, the story progresses swiftly until the conclusion. Another strength of She Killed in Ecstasy is that all of the main players and their motivations are well defined.

In other areas of She Killed in Ecstasy, there is a satisfying mix of carnage and eroticism. The scenes that shine the most in this regard are the well-executed death scenes, most notably the one where Howard Vernon’s character gets stabbed over a dozen times in the genitals.

From a performance standpoint, the focus once again centers on Soledad Miranda. Her captivating portrayal strikes an impeccable balance between an alluring seductress and an angel of death, exacting vengeance on those who have wronged her. The scene in which her character reflects on her actions while half-naked on the couch stands out as one of Jess Franco's most visually striking moments.

Several cast members from Vampyros Lesbos return for She Killed in Ecstasy, albeit in different roles. However, aside from Soledad Miranda's performance, the rest of the cast functions primarily as props, which Jess Franco utilizes at strategic moments. Unfortunately, Fred Williams's performance as Soledad Miranda’s husband, who has taken his life after his life's work was rejected by colleagues, is the one that is most lacking. His emotionless performance makes it difficult for us to care about his plight.

On the other hand, the other three main performances are excellent in their respective roles, as they just sit back and let Soledad Miranda’s character savagely inflict pain on them. Also, there is a scene that is oddly reminiscent of a moment in Vampyros Lesbos's film. And in this scene, Jess Franco’s character becomes the victim as Soledad Miranda’s character slowly tortures him while he sits in a chair.

Manfred Hübler and Sigi Schwab composed another wonderful asset that this film has—its jazz-infused score. The albums Psychedelic Dance Party and Sexadelic would serve as the soundtrack for these three Franco films: She Killed in Ecstasy, The Devil Came from Akasava, and Vampyros Lesbos.

Shooting back-to-back with Vampyros Lesbos, there is an immediacy to the events that unfold in She Killed in Ecstasy. Unfortunately, Jess Franco and Soledad Miranda would only go on to make one more film together, The Devil Came from Akasava. She would die tragically in a car crash shortly thereafter. Ultimately, She Killed in Ecstasy is an extraordinary film that makes a perfect companion piece to Vampyros Lesbos.

10 years after their Blu-ray release, Severin Films gives She Killed in Ecstasy an exceptional 4K UHD upgrade that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras; highly recommended.

                                                   Blu-ray screenshots.

Written by Michael Den Boer