I Hate My Body Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

I Hate My Body Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 15, 2026

León Klimovsky's "I Hate My Body" (1974) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro. The supplemental features on the release include recent program with actor Manuel de Blas; recent program with critic Angel Sala; new audio commentary by podcasters Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn; and more. In English or Spanish, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Discussing Spanish genre films without mentioning Leon Klimovsky is like commenting on Italian genre films without acknowledging the existence of Sergio Sollima. Klimovsky, like Sollima, experimented with a wide range of different material, and several of his films are legitimate cult gems. Unfortunately, even during the DVD era, Klimovsky’s films, most of which are small Spanish productions, were extremely difficult to track down and see.

I Hate My Body is one of the most interesting films in Klimovsky’s body of work. It was completed in 1974, just before General Franco’s death, which was a time when Spanish censors were still actively controlling the country’s cinematic output. It is shot as a thriller, but like many genre films from the period, it is a classic chameleon. However, because it mixes transgressive material with politics, it does not produce the same cheap thrills that many of Jess Franco and Paul Naschy’s films do, which is why it remains in a category of its own.

At the end of a wild night in the city, a prominent engineer heads home with his mistress and crashes his car, causing a massive explosion. Shortly after, two badly burned bodies are recovered and promptly transported to a local hospital, where a veteran surgeon carefully examines them. During a very risky procedure, the surgeon removes the engineer’s brain, the only part of his body that has survived the accident, and transfers it to the body of Leda Schmidt (Alexandra Bastedo), an unresponsive patient who has suffered a brain stem death.

After the risky procedure, Schmidt’s body successfully reboots, and in the days ahead, much to the surgeon’s delight, she regains consciousness. However, because the surgeon has acted without the hospital’s approval, Schmidt is hidden in a room with barred windows and denied access to the outside world. To regain her freedom, Schmidt then causes a fire that kills the surgeon and allows her to escape from the hospital.

The rest of I Hate My Body is divided into two uneven sections, where the transgressive material and politics constantly overlap.

Schmidt’s body becomes a female container for the engineer’s male psyche, and various situations reveal how supposedly unjust the male-dominated Spanish society is. While Schmidt seeks employment, several of the engineer’s closest friends are also exposed as sexual abusers and hypocrites. However, Schmidt then reconnects with the engineer’s wife, who is also exposed as a cheater and hypocrite, and eventually forces her to split a massive, previously concealed, life insurance worth a small fortune. After the life insurance money is successfully transferred to Schmidt, her perfect plan to start a new life falls apart.

Most of the transgressive material is effective and should have been dramatically expanded to become the main attraction. However, such a development, and especially if the transgressive material also featured more explicit visuals, almost certainly would have transformed I Hate My Body into a big target for the Spanish censors. (Had this more transgressive film materialized, it would have been impossible not to credit it as the blueprint for Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In). Unfortunately, the political material is extremely underwhelming. It transforms just about every male character into a caricature and forces Schmidt into several situations that could be appropriate only for a parody.

I Hate My Body 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, I Hate My Body arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Mondo Macabro.

The release is sourced from a recent 4K master, struck from the original camera negative. The overall quality of the visuals that this master produces ranges from good to very good. In some areas, small density fluctuations are pretty easy to spot, and in other areas, there are smaller traces of fading, but all visuals have good organic qualities. While color reproduction and balance are not ideal either, both are still very good, ensuring the entire film has a proper period appearance. I did not encounter any traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. I noticed a few small blemishes, but there are no distracting large cuts, marks, debris, warped or torn frames to report. (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).

I Hate My Body Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Spanish DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the former.

In the audio section, the Spanish track is placed above the English track, creating the impression that it is the one the film should be seen with. However, it is pretty easy to tell that many actors utter their lines in English. It is why I chose to view the entire film with the English track. All exchanges were easy to follow. However, there are several sections of the film where light background hiss becomes noticeable, while thinning is practically everywhere. Additional restoration work could have been done to ensure that the English track is healthier. On the other hand, it is obvious that there are many inherited limitations, and virtually all would have been retained.

I tested the Spanish track. It is of very similar quality. Unfortunately, the optional English subtitles are very small.

I Hate My Body Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Manuel de Blas - in this recent program, actor Manuel de Blas discusses his background and recalls his involvement with I Hate My Body. De Blas also comments on the state of the Spanish film industry and the genre films it produced during the 1970s. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (42 min).

• Angel Sala on I Hat My Body - in this recent program, critic Angel Sala discusses I Hate My Body and its genre identity and themes. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (21 min).

• Victor Matellano on Narciso Ibanez Menta - in this recent program, critic Victor Matellano discusses actor Narciso Ibáñez Menta and his contribution to I Hate My Body. In Spanish, with English subtitles. (26 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by the two gentlemen running The Naschycast, Rod Barnett and Troy Guinn.

I Hate My Body Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

León Klimovsky never aspired to be taken seriously as a satirical provocateur, which is arguably the biggest piece of evidence that I Hate My Body was not the original blueprint for Pedro Almodovar's The Skin I Live In. On the other hand, I Hate My Body is a unique Spanish genre film, and it would be pretty naive to assume that Almodovar is completely unaware of its existence. I had seen this film before, but never as good as it does on this recent Blu-ray release from Mondo Macabro, which I am happy to have in my library. RECOMMENDED.