Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 12, 2025

Giuliano Montaldo's "Closed Circuit" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with Giuliano Montaldo; new audio commentary by critics Nathaniel Thompson and Howard Berger; new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger; re-release trailer; and more. In Italian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The sharpshooter

Giallo fans will not be surprised by the twist at the end of Giuliano Montaldo’s thriller Closed Circuit. Most of them will likely see it coming long before the second target is shot dead. Nevertheless, it will be almost exclusively giallo fans who appreciate everything Closed Circuit, which is not a conventional giallo, does differently to impress. Why? Because giallo fans know when a good genre film does many things right to create a great atmosphere and force the mind to temporarily consider scenarios that, without it, would appear utterly ridiculous.

The designated playground for all the drama and mind manipulating is an ordinary movie theater in an unknown Italian city that regularly brings the latest spaghetti westerns. It is Monday, and the movie theater will have its first screening of Giulio Petroni’s hit A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof with Giuliano Gemma. The doors open, the most impatient film lovers rush in, and the theater goes dark. Shortly after the opening credits disappear from the big screen, the last customer, a man in his sixties, arrives and picks up a comfortable seat. Sometime after that, during an intense duel between Gemma and another gunslinger, someone kills the last customer with a single gunshot.

In the ensuing chaos, the lights are turned on and the movie theater’s doors are locked. A police inspector (Brizio Montinaro) enters the playground, correctly concluding that the killer could not have snuck out, and begins looking for clues that would reveal the killer’s identity. However, despite uncovering that many of the people inside the theater are not film lovers -- there are cheaters, male prostitutes, criminals, etc. -- the police inspector fails to connect the victim to any of them. Not even in a remotely meaningful way.

It is why the police inspector chooses to do the only thing that a rational person in his shoes would. He recreates the murder of the last customer, only this time with an employee of the movie theater occupying his seat. The lights are promptly turned off and, after everyone is warned to keep quiet, A Sky Full of Stars for a Roof begins playing again. During the intense duel where Gemma faces the other gunslinger, while the police inspector and his men carefully monitor everyone, someone again fires off a single shot that kills the employee pretending to be the first victim.

Revealing what happens after the second victim is closely examined and where Closed Circuit goes from there is not going to spoil the finale. Regardless, the safest option is to avoid discussing the police inspector’s next moves. (There are several). However, here are two good clues about the new direction Closed Circuit will choose. After news breaks that a motley crew of filmgoers is locked in the movie theater with an elusive killer, relatives of the detained and the media flood the area demanding answers, and the angry police commissioner (the great Ettore Manni) appears determined to personally solve the mystery. However, he also dies in the same seat where the first and second victims are shot. Around the same time, one of the detained, a quiet sociologist wearing big, thick glasses (Flavio Bucci), approaches the utterly perplexed police inspector with a theory. At the center of the theory is a crucial yet obvious detail – the police inspector is not looking at the crime scene from the proper angle.

Closed Circuit is effective in almost the exact same way Ferat Vampire is. The latter is simply a more diverse, wittier mind-bender that does a great deal of satirizing. Also, Ferat Vampire has an astonishingly effective soundtrack that elevates the spooky in it to an entirely different level.

Montaldo shot Closed Circuit for Italian TV. Severin Films' Blu-ray release introduces a recent 2K restoration of it, sourced from original materials supplied by RAI Italia.

Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Closed Circuit arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

Closed Circuit was produced by RAI Italia and first shown on Italian TV. However, it is very easy to tell that 1.33:1 is not its original aspect ratio. It is obvious that it was shot in a wider ratio and then modified.

This release introduces a recent 2K restoration of Closed Circuit that is a bit of a mixed bag. While it produces healthy, often quite attractive visuals, it gives the entire film a rather unconvincing period appearance. As you can see from the screencaptures included with this article, most primaries and supporting nuances are pretty dull and anemic, occasionally struggling to overcome light tealing as well. (For example, the RAI Italia credits are clearly off). Some of the more nuanced, darker footage from the movie theater produces visuals with unconvincing dynamic range, too. The good news is that the cooler appearance of all visuals is not overwhelming, or at least not to the point that it makes the entire film look oddly artificial, like a recent streaming production. Delineation, clarity, and depth also remain pleasing. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. However, there are numerous small and bigger fluctuations, all introduced by lensing choices, that affect grain exposure. Image stability is very good. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is very healthy. However, even though Closed Circuit has decent music that helps certain areas of it, dynamic intensity is underwhelming. (This is one of the biggest discrepancies between Closed Circuit and Ferat Vampire. The latter has an astonishing soundtrack that also sounds incredible on Blu-ray). The dialogue is always clear, stable, and easy to follow. The English translation is excellent.

Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Murder at the Matinee - in this recent program, director/screenwriter Giuliano Montaldo explains when and how a short story by Ray Bradbury became the inspiration for Closed Circuit and discusses his work on the film after it was greenlighted by RAI Italia. (Apparently, several actors joined the project for free because they were enormously impressed by it). Montaldo also comments on some of the key themes in the film. In Italian, with English subtitles. (22 min).

• Introduction - a filmed introduction by crituc Kier-La Janisse. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Commentary - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Nathaniel Thompson and Howard Berger.

• Il Sociologo - presented here is a new video essay by critic Kat Ellinger on actor Flavio Bucci. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Rel-Release Trailer - a re-release trailer for Closed Circuit cut by Jake West. In Italian, with English text. (2 min).

Closed Circuit Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

RAI Italia's vaults are a treasure trove, so film collectors should be ecstatic that, a while ago, Severin Films began exploring what is in them. Giuliano Montaldo's thriller Closed Circuit, a RAI Italia production, is a gem that probably should be considered a cult film. I think that it can make a terrific double bill with Ferat Vampire, which, perhaps not coincidentally, will be made available in America by Severin Films. (You can see a listing of this upcoming Blu-ray release here). The recent 2K restoration of Closed Circuit is not perfect, but it will be the only one for the film. If you do not reside in America and wish to grab a copy of Closed Circuit for your collection, you will be pleased to know that the Blu-ray release we have reviewed is Region-Free. RECOMMENDED.