Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov July 22, 2026

Wes Craven's "Deadly Blessing" arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani; archival program with actor Michael Berryman; archival program with actress Susan Buckner; archival program with writers Glenn M. Benest and Matthew Barr; vintage promotional materials; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

If snakes scare you, avoid Deadly Blessing like the plague. This film has a very famous sequence, apparently sourced from a nightmare Wes Craven endured some years ago, featuring a massive deadly snake that is genuinely spooky. While I dislike snakes, I am not scared of them, and this sequence spooked me. I could easily tell that in its final moments the snake was not even real.

Deadly Blessing visits an area just outside the fictional town of Oak Creek, somewhere in rural Pennsylvania. Here, the members of a deeply religious, traditional Hittite sect spend all of their time virtually working on a massive farm called Our Blessing. The land gives them everything they need, so their interactions with the modern world and those who reside there are minimal. When they occur, the Hittite sect’s patriarch, Isaiah Schmidt (Ernest Borgnine), makes sure that no one breaks its strict rules.

But Schmidt’s oldest son, Jim (Douglas Barr), has permanently exited the sect and started a family with Martha (Maren Jensen), who is preparing to become a mother. Jim has also purchased a large tractor and other mechanical equipment to work on the family’s farm, which is right next to the Hittite sect’s farm. For daring to claim his freedom, Jim has been publicly banished from the Hittite sect by his bitter father.

Just days after Jim is mysteriously murdered in their barn, Martha is visited by two old friends from Los Angeles, Lana (Sharon Stone) and Vicky (Susan Buckner), who do their best to help her recover. When the killer strikes again, the three women begin panicking, while the Hittites proclaim that the infamous Incubus has arrived to corrupt their way of life.

Deadly Blessing is a conventional whodunit disguised as a horror film whose bag of tricks is not deep. However, it does not need to be because it spends virtually all of its time in the present, not in that fluid fantastical place that Craven’s most famous horror films visit. Unfortunately, as a whodunit, Deadly Blessing is not particularly effective, either. Its narrative is structured around a couple of misdirection plays preparing for a surprising reset before the killer is revealed, and they are all very easy to see through. While the reset is prepared, the only genuine surprises emerge from a few sequences that do not directly affect it, like the one with the massive deadly snake.

Jensen, Borgnine, Stone, and Buckner all do well in individual sequences. Jeff East, Michael Berryman, and Lois Nettleton also do not disappoint. However, these sequences do not produce an impressive genre film. For example, the supernatural, identified as the Incubus, is supposed to be a major character, but Craven clearly struggles to establish it as such. As a result, plenty of the paranoia and friction between the different characters begin looking awkward. There is a similar negative effect on the integrity of the main characters as well.

Ultimately, Deadly Blessing should be recommended only to folks who need a fresh reload of jump scares. Deadly Blessing has several good ones. The rest is fluff that is not going to impress anyone expecting to match the quality of Craven’s best work.

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Deadly Blessing arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Deadly Blessing, sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release.

I think that the 4K restoration is very well done. It produces visuals that look sharp (not sharpened), lush, and very healthy. I spent time with the native 4K and 1080p presentations of the 4K restoration. On my system, both looked equally convincing, and I slightly prefer how darker areas of the film look in 1080p. Color reproduction and balance are excellent. All primaries and supporting nuances are properly set. Unsurprisingly, the entire film has a very convincing period appearance. There are no traces of any problematic digital corrections. Grain exposure is good and stable. I thought that the density levels of the visuals remained equally impressive in native 4K and 1080p, so on a large screen, there is a lot to see and like. Image stability is outstanding. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio track on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature. I spent time with the 4K restoration of Deadly Blessing on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. The comments below are from our review of the combo pack release.

I viewed the entire film with the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. The soundtrack does very particular things to produce excitement, and during the jump scares, I think the 5.1 track performs very well. It is mixed to impress, and it certainly does. The dialogue is very clear and sharp. However, I would say that in a few places, small, likely inherited unevenness remains.

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - this archival audio commentary was recorded by Wes Craven and Sean Clark, host of Horror's Hallowed Grounds. Craven discusses in great detail how Deadly Blessing came to exist, his interactions with various cast members, the locations seen in the film (which were in the Dallas area, not anywhere in Pennsylvania), and even the use of music. There is a section of the commentary with very interesting information about Ernest Borgnine, and the specific misdirection plays Craven wanted in the film.

• Commentary Two - this new audio commentary was recorded by critics Troy Howarth and Eugenio Ercolani. The more interesting observations in this commentary address the film's undeniable flaws, less-than-impressive reception, and what it did for the careers for its stars, as well as some trends in genre cinema during the 1980s and 1990s.

• Say Your Prayers - in this archival program, actor Michael Berryman reveals how he became involved with Deadly Blessing and discusses the character he played. Berryman states that he made his character simple, honest, and spiritually relevant. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Secrets Revealed - in this archival program, actress Susan Buckner explains how she entered the film industry and discusses the character she played in Deadly Blessing. Buckner also comments on what it was like to be in the company of Maren Jensen and Sharon Stone. In English, not subtitled. (14 min).

• Rise of the Incubus - in this archival program, designer John Naulin reveals that Deadly Blessing the creature design he worked on for Deadly Blessing. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• So It Was Written - in this archival program, writers Glenn M. Benest and Matthew Barr discuss the overlapping of different ideas in the screenplay they penned for Deadly Blessing, as well as some of the unique qualities of its stars. Benest and Barr also comment on their interactions with Wes Craven. In English, not subtitled. (21 min).

• Promotional Materials -
  
  1. Original theatrical trailer
  2. TV Spots
  3. Radio Spots

Deadly Blessing Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It is impossible to place Deadly Blessing among Wes Craven's best films. It tells an interesting story, but the sum of its parts does not produce a memorable genre film. However, Deadly Blessing produces several good jump scares, and this is probably enough to recommend it to folks who need a fresh reload of them at the end of a long day. Kino Lorber's Blu-ray release brings an impressive new 4K restoration, sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray in this combo pack release. RECOMMENDED to Craven completists.