Next of Kin – Severin Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Australia/New Zealand, 1982
Director: Tony Williams
Writers: Michael Heath, Tony Williams
Cast: Jacki Kerin, John Jarratt, Alex Scott, Gerda Nicolson, Tommy Dysart, Debra Lawrance

Release Date: February 26th, 2019
Approximate Running Time: 89 Minutes 25 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English, DTS-HD 5.1 English
Subtitles: English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.98

"When a young woman inherits a creaky retirement home, she’ll find herself in a waking nightmare of murder, madness, and a legacy of evil that may be inescapable." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "transferred from original Australian vault elements."

Next of Kin comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 41.5 GB

Feature: 26.1 GB

Sourced from the same 4k master that Umbrella Entertainment used for their release, this transfer is in excellent shape. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity is strong, and there are no issues with compression or digital noise reduction. That said, there is some black crush most noticeable in darker moments. 

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in English and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in English. Both tracks deliver excellent sound quality, with clear dialogue, balanced audio, well-represented ambient sounds, and a robust score. That said, the 5.1 does a superb job opening up the original mono source. Included are removable English SDH.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, an image gallery (85 images—posters/home video art/stills/Polaroids/storyboards/location sheets/press clippings), a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 55 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in English, no subtitles), a UK VHS trailer (2 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with text in English, no subtitles), a German theatrical trailer (3 minutes 15 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), alternate German opening (1 minute 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono), ballroom footage shot by Tony Williams in 1979 titled Before the Night is Out (2 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with music from the film playing in the background), deleted scenes that were discarded and no longer exist are presented via a collection of stills and text that provide information about them; a Now and Then locations featurette titled Return to Montclare: Location Revisit (10 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with music from the film playing in the background), extended interviews with director Tony Williams and actor John Jarratt from Not Quite Hollywood (25 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), House of Psychotic Women introduction by Kier-La Janisse for Morbido TV (5 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Tony Williams and producer Tim White, an audio commentary with the cast, Jackie Kerin, John Jarrett and Robert Ratti and moderated by filmmaker Mark Hartley, and two episodes from the Survey TV series directed by Tony Williams: The Day We Landed on The Most Perfect Planet in the Universe (31 minutes 7 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles) and Getting Together (30 minutes 5 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

A woman inherits an elderly home owned by her mother. Shortly after her arrival, a series of strange events have her questioning her sanity. Are these eerie occurrences figments of her imagination or is something trying to push her over the edge?

Next of Kin was made during Australia's peak period for genre cinema, the late 1970s and early 1980s. While the film has many elements that are undeniably Australian, notably the cast’s accents, the result is a film that was clearly influenced by 1970s European horror cinema. Another clear influence over Next of Kin is gothic horror, and nothing makes this connection more evident than when it comes to its visuals.

Although the narrative takes time before it settles in, once things get going, it moves quickly from one revelation to the next as it builds to an explosive finale. The narrative effectively fleshes out backstory via a diary written by the protagonist's mother, which she reads throughout. A central element of the narrative is that no one believes the protagonist when she suspects something sinister is happening, which drives her state of mind to the brink.

While the visuals are going to get a lot of the recognition, one must not undervalue the performances, especially Jacki Kerin in the role of Linda. She does a phenomenal job conveying emotions, making her characters' mental decline all the more convincing. Notable cast members include Alex Scott (Twins of Evil) in the role of Dr. Barton, a doctor who takes care of the elderly staying at Monteclare and John Jarratt (Dark Age) in the role of Barney, Linda’s love interest.

The visuals are overflowing with atmosphere; every composition has been meticulously designed for the greatest effect. Colors and symbolic imagery also play a large role in the story at hand. Standout moments visually include the pre-credits opening sequence that foreshadows what is about to happen to the protagonist, a scene in the woods where the protagonist mistakes her boyfriend for the killer who’s stalking and a finale that provides an extremely satisfying climax. Another area where Next of Kin excels is its sound design, which forms a perfect fusion with the visuals.

There is no area where Next of Kin does not excel. The premise is flawlessly executed, and the narrative does an exemplary job building momentum by giving key moments an ample amount of time to resonate. The unsung hero of Next of Kin is Klaus Schulze’s (Angst) phenomenal mood-enhancing score, notably the main theme that immediately sets the tone during the opening credits. Ultimately, Next of Kin is an exemplary psychological horror film that stands out as one of Australia's best genre films.

Next of Kin gets a solid release from Severin Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and informative extras. Recommended.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer