Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.0

Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Justin Dekker July 30, 2025

Making its way up from the vaults, Terence Fisher's 'Four Sided Triangle' arrives on 4K UHD and Blu-ray disc courtesy of this Limited Collector's Edition from Hammer Films. Starring Barbara Payton ('Trapped'), Stephen Murray ('A Tale of Two Cities'), John Van Eyssen ('Horror of Dracula') and James Hayter ('The Pickwick Papers'), the film is adapted from the novel of the same name written by William F. Temple. With themes and high production values that would carry forward into other more well-known Hammer films such as 'Frankenstein Created Woman', this film of scientific experimentation run amok is ripe for rediscovery. The Limited Collector's Edition features an impressive amount of on-disc supplemental material including multiple commentary tracks and a segment on star Barbara Payton, to name but a few. The printed material including reproduced pressbooks, a poster and a 116-page perfect-bound book are all housed in a sturdy slipcase featuring new artwork on the front, and a vintage poster on the back.

In an extensive opening narration, Dr. Harvey (James Hayter) introduces the viewer to an idyllic, quintessential, sleepy little British village where not much of anything every happens and the whole town turns out for cricket games and to have dinner at the pub. It's here that Robin, Bill, and Lena first meet as children at about the age of 10 and become an inseparable trio. Even at this young age, Lena seems to have her eye on Robin as both the adolescent boys have their eye on her. Soon, though, Lena would return with her mother to America and the boys would head to college. After graduating, they become reacquainted when Lena returns and joins the young men in perfecting a device they're building called "The Reproducer". Capable of replicating inanimate objects, Bill seeks to modify and use it for other purposes after Lena falls in love with Robin and the couple wed. Can a love triangle survive having a forth side?

When Shakespeare wrote, "The course of true love never did run smooth smooth, I doubt there was any possibility that even one with an imagination such as his could have possibly predicted a love triangle such as the one that exits between the film's Lena, Robin, Bill, and Helen (the name Bill gives to his copy of Lena). Though the bard was fond of love potions and mistaken identities, risky, slightly slapdash scientific experiments to produce an exact copy of the object of one's affection were well outside the realm of his possibilities. And if the results of the Bill's work in Four Sided Triangle carry any resonance, its that this sort of scientific duplication should perhaps stay outside of our potential possibilities as well. Indeed, this once far-fetched idea of creating a replica of a living being seemed fit only for fiction. But, thanks to advances in cloning and AI, one has to wonder how long it will be before a mix of the the two technologies could be utilized to accomplish precisely what Bill does with his eclectic amalgamation of equipment.

The notion of producing (or reproducing) the perfect woman has bubbled up in cinema from it's earliest days in classic films like Metropolis and Bride of Frankenstein, again in Hammer's 1970s heyday in Frankenstein Created Woman, and again in the 1980s sex comedy Weird Science where two nerds use dodgy computer equipment to essentially bring a centerfold to life in the person of Kelly LeBrock's Lisa. While thematically the other films may envision the creation of a more fully-realized and complex being, Four Sided Triangle and, more overtly John Hughes' Weird Science sees the experimenters more focused on one simple issue: their own sexual fulfillment. While Weird Science largely played the process of creation and its aftermath off for laughs, what makes Four Sided Triangle such a creepy and dark viewing experience is that it doesn't. It's relentlessly serious. And that's part of what makes it so rewarding, thought-provoking, and memorable. Bill is oblivious to the morality (or lack thereof) of his actions and has no concern for the outcome or its consequences beyond his own gratification; beyond his own ability to have a copy of Lena (which he calls "Helen"), for his own use. But what of this new being? Her wishes, wants, hopes and desires? Her identity?

It's in this space that Four Sided Triangle dabbles to interesting effect, though due to its brisk runtime it can't spend overlong delving into such moral and ethical quandaries. The film resolves such questions as to the duplicate Lena's affections in a startlingly blunt fashion. Likewise, Payton provides a very human face to both of the the women in her dual role. Lena seems vivacious and full of life. She's giving, enthusiastic, helpful and magnetic. Helen, the duplicate, on the other hand, is much more the empty vessel. She possesses none of the original's vitality or energy. Her performance underscores Lena's generosity and willing to give of herself, while also garnering a significant amount of sympathy for her doppelganger. But, strangely, all of this sits well with Bill. As ever, he's been in love with the idea of Lena; with Lena the object. But Bill fails to grasp that person is much more than that.

Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

According the notes on the restoration found in the included book, the original 35mm negative from BFI was scanned at 4K on an ARRI scanner. Extensive restoration was done to remove dirt and damage, and to resolve stability and density issues. Issues related to drops in quality pertaining to how the transitions were handled are inherent in the source material and as the original material related to these effects were destroyed, nothing can be done to improve upon what we see here. On the whole, the results here are impressive. Fine grain is present and resolves naturally, with clumping and noise never becoming an issue. Fine detail is typically impressive affording the viewer an opportunity to perceive fabric textures, fine lines and flyaway hairs on actors, and various environmental details. The most impressive and entertaining moments where the image can be appreciated are the scenes spent in the lab were dials, tubing, wiring and other pseudo-scientific-looking gizmos and elements reveal excellent levels of detail, age, and wear. The dinner party at around the 33-minute mark also affords the opportunity to explore the elaborate table dressing and room decor. Blacks are beautifully deep and inky, adding atmosphere and depth to every scene. Some few instances of dirt and debris remain, but overall it's a delightfully clean transfer.

All screenshots are sourced from the included 1080p disc which is playable in region A.

Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Hammer provides two audio options for Four Sided Triangle - a 2.0 mono track and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track. According to the included restoration notes:

No separate (discreet) audio exists for the film but there was a separate mono music and effects track. By using AI to strip out the dialogue from the final mono mixed soundtrack, and then using the music and effects for the surrounds, a new 5.1 sound mix was created. The original mono mix is also available for those that wish to replicate the original theatrical experience.

The new 5.1 mix performs admirably, adding directionality and dimension into the audio presentation that simply can't exist in 2.0 track. The viewer is wonderfully placed in the midst of the noisy laboratory during the busiest moments, and at other times surrounds are used for supporting or managing interstitial or atmospheric music during quieter moments. Dialogue here is consistently front and center-focused and easy to understand, neatly sitting on top of the occasional mayhem. Objects and sounds move fluidly through the sound stage. It's a very well-done track that I enjoyed quite a bit, even if it did at times feel a bit incongruous with the film I was viewing. Most, I'm sure, will gravitate to the fine 2.0 mono track. Any sort of nuance and texture found in the 5.1 mix is understandably absent here, but it sounds terrific and is an appropriate companion for a film from 1953. Dialogue is clean, and music is well-balanced. The mundane sound effects of closing doors and sparking equipment are reproduced in a manner consistent with a film of this vintage, and when coupled with the restored visual presentation, the 2.0 track works to generate a wonderful viewing experience. It's the track I'll be choosing more often than not when I revisit the film.

Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Hammer's release of Four Sided Triangle is outfitted with a wealth of on-disc and printed supplemental material. The on-disc material is as below:

• Commentary by Professor Melanie Williams and Dr. Thirza Wakefield - After beginning with a quick recounting of marketing taglines, including one that leverages star Barbara Payton's penchant for seizing tabloid headlines for her colorful behavior, the pair cover shooting locations, the well-known actor who serves as the film's narrator, and the foreshadowing of the playfight in the barn. They return to the quotes that bookend the film on occasion, cover the the strategy behind casting Payton, and discuss the narrator's view on what the ideal woman of the era should be based on Lena's actions when she returns from America. A fair amount of time is devoted to the careers of the three leads, as well as a discussion of the film's grappling with the notion of scientific ethics. They also revel in the various scientific apparatus on display in the laboratory. The pair have an entertaining back-and-forth as they discuss various topics throughout the runtime making for a very engaging track.

• Commentary by Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby - The two begin by professing their affection for the film, feeling that it has being unjustly overlooked within the catalog of Hammer's works as it was no doubt overshadowed by the Quatermass, Dracula, and Frankenstein films among others. They discuss Britain's early science fiction films, and Hammer's science fiction output as well. They also trace a throughline from earlier science fiction films that concerned themselves with producing an artificial woman and those that would come after it. The pair cover the cast to a great degree and also point out differences between the original source material and the film, and the book's unlikely history. They also discuss the various themes found in both, before giving time to Payton's unfortunate tale, and repeatedly revisiting the film's growing "creepiness". Never at a loss for words, the pair turn-in a very conversational and informative track.

• Trailer Elements (Mute) (2.05) - As the title describes, this is essentially a silent trailer.

• In the Sticks Sci-Fi! (28.38) - William Fowler and Vic Pratt (Authors, "The Bodies Beneath") discuss the film's place in Hammer's history, and the mix of melodrama and science fiction in Four Sided Triangle, its thematic elements, and the state of British society at the time in which the film was made.

• Things to Come (18.29) - Neil Sinyard (writer and film critic) discusses the history of the film's source material, it's author, and then the film itself. Sinyard connects the film to Lang's Metropolis, The Man in the White Suit, and Hitchcock's Vertigo by virtue of story elements and themes He's quite complimentary of director Terrence Fischer, the film's score, and the film itself.

• I am not Ashamed (28.13) - Lucy Bolton(Professor of Film Studies at Queen Mary University, London) discusses Barbara Payton and her work inFour Sided Triangle. Bolton provides background on Payton, beginning with her birth in Minnesota in 1927 to alcoholic parents. She relates that Payton married young, and soon got modeling jobs in Hollywood, eventually getting cast in films, starring opposite Lloyd Bridges and Jimmy Cagney. She also found herself in middle of various scandals, some of which garnered salacious headlines, though by the end of 1953 her off-screen antics began to take a toll on her career. After making Four Sided Triangle in the UK and returning to a Hollywood that no longer wanted her, Payton's life took a downward turn from which she never emerged.

• Image Gallery (15.36) - A series of posters, lobby cards, publicity materials, and stills advance automatically.

Printed supplemental material includes:

• The Hammer Sci-Files: Four Sided Triangle - This 116-page perfect-bound book contains five substantial articles written by Bruce Hallenbeck, Gavin Collinson, Neil Sinyard, and Denis Meikle. Numerous pages from the Sidaway/Terry script draft and the Wicking rewrite are included as well, as are the film's credits, notes on the restoration, and details on the supplemental materials. The book is also packed with scores of black-and-white and color photographs and reprints of marketing materials and other items.

• Reproduction of the US Press Book

• Reproduction of the UK Press Book

• A double-sided color poster

Four Sided Triangle 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In their commentary track, Kevin Lyons and Jonathan Rigby repeatedly refer to Four Sided Triangle as "creepy", and I couldn't agree more. The atmosphere crafted by the film leaves viewers increasingly certain that things are going to go terribly wrong, it's just a matter of how terribly wrong and when. The meatiest roles are left to Barbara Payton who hoped to leave some of her Hollywood troubles behind her and reinvigorate her career and her co-star Stephen Murray. She excels in her eventual dual role while he grows more single-minded and troubled the further he gets into his experiments. There's not a jump scare or startling musical sting to be found, instead, the film is a slow-burn and lets tension and dread grow gradually and organically. The film has been given and excellent restoration and is packaged with copious supplemental materials in the manner that is quickly becoming Hammer's standard. For fans of the film, the studio, Terence Fisher, and fifties science fiction (with a dash of horror), the Four Sided Triangle 4K Limited Collector's Edition comes highly recommended.