A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman February 6, 2025

A Certain Killer and A Killer's Key are kind of an interesting example of what might be called a "one two punch" or at least a "one punch that led to a two punch and then no further punches" in the annals of ostensible "franchises" in cinema history. That is at least somewhat like Our Man Flint and In Like Flint on this side of the pond, in that an initial huge hit quickly led to a follow up sequel, with the nascent series then never really being heard from again. In an admittedly irrelevant if still kind of fun trivia data point, In Like Flint arrived at theaters in 1967, which is when both A Certain Killer and its almost insanely quickly produced sequel A Killer's Key were exhibited in Japan. It may also be at least contextually relevant to note that 1967 was the year James Bond "visited" Japan in You Only Live Twice, a film which arrived globally right smack in between the release of the first and second / last films in the supposed "series" currently under discussion. All of the above may admittedly be a bit more tangential than Seijun Suzuki's Branded to Kill, which insert booklet essayist Jasper Sharp mentions as having "emerged from the void fully formed", helping to create a visceral subgenre featuring what Sharp calls a glut of 1967 films "focused on enigmatic contract killers". It may be salient to point out, though, that according to online databases A Certain Killer was released in Japan on April 29, 1967, while Branded to Kill came out on June 15, 1967, just a few days after You Only Live Twice premiered in fact. (A Killer's Key, while as alluded to above, made very quickly after A Certain Killer, didn't arrive in theaters until December 2, 1967.)

For reviews of the two films on this disc, please click on the following links:

A Certain Killer Blu-ray review

A Killer's Key Blu-ray review

A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality is assessed in the above linked reviews.

A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Arrow has packaged both of the films together on one BD-50. A Choose Film option is available from the Main Menu, and then the following Special Features (some shared) are available under each individual film's submenu.

A Certain Killer

• Audio Commentary with Tony Rayns


• The Definite Murderer (HD; 32:41) is available under both films' submenus and features a broad ranging discussion about both films by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:16)


• Image Gallery (HD)

A Killer's Key

• Audio Commentary with Tony Rayns


• The Definite Murderer (HD; 32:41) is available under both films' submenus and features a broad ranging discussion about both films by Japanese film scholar Mark Roberts.


• Original Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:06)


• Image Gallery (HD)

Additionally, Arrow offers an reversible insert sleeve with each film on one side. The insert booklet contains a great essay by Jasper Sharp. Packaging features a slipcover.

A Certain Killer / A Killer's Key Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This double feature should certainly help to bring these films to a wider audience, and as usual Arrow has aggregated some really appealing supplements to augment generally solid technical presentations. Recommended.