The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov September 23, 2025

Buddy Giovinazzo's "The Unscarred" (2000) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by Buddy Giovinazzo, moderated by David Gregory; new program with star James Russo; new program with star Heino Ferch; and trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Pay your debts, or next time, this will be you in there.

James Russo is one of the best character actors of his generation. He is like a smaller version of Abel Ferrara, always very authentic and always an unapologetic straight shooter, but without a camera. He is a New Yorker, too, though he comes from a much safer area. Like Ferrara, in America, he has always been underappreciated.

In a lousy apartment in New Jersey, compulsive gambler Mickey Vernon (Russo) gets a phone call from Berlin. He is invited to reunite with his three best college friends -- Johan (Heino Ferch), Travis (Steven Waddington), and Rafaella (Ornella Mutti) – twenty years after parting ways with them. Initially, Mickey instantly rejects the invitation because he is desperately trying to figure out how to find a large sum of money to repay a major debt to a pissed off loan shark. However, after he is told that his plane ticket has already been purchased, he changes his mind.

At the busy airport in Berlin, Mickey is picked up by Johan and Travis, and just minutes later, they begin refreshing his memory about the good old college days. In an industrial park, Mickey is then welcomed to Johan’s fancy lair – a warehouse, impeccably but illegally remodeled into a glitzy contemporary apartment that easily could have been commissioned by a millionaire living in the heart of Manhattan. After meeting Rafaella, Mickey is told to freshen up and get ready to have a good time in one of Berlin’s most popular nightclubs.

Several hours later, Mickey, Johan, Travis, and a girl from the nightclub, all boozed up, return to the glitzy apartment in the industrial park. Mickey and Johan go to bed, while Travis and the girl begin making love on a fancy couch. Mickey, still jet-legged, instantly falls asleep, but it is not long before a piercing scream awakens him. In the main room, Mickey meets Johan and a terrified Travis, next to the covered in fresh blood body of the girl from the nightclub. Still barely able to control his emotions, Travis then explains that on the way to his bedroom on the second floor, he and the girl leaned on the ramp while making out, and she fell to her death.

Instead of alerting the authorities and explaining what has happened, Mickey and Johan agree that the best thing to do is to get rid of the dead girl, and, before a speechless Travis, begin wrapping her body in a massive plastic bag. An abandoned construction site near a small river, not too far away from the industrial park, is then identified by Johan as the perfect location to hide the dead girl. However, several unexpected developments, one of them a visit from a concerned bartender who makes ends meet in the nightclub, force the three friends to begin improvising. Rafaella also reappears, asking difficult questions no one wishes to answer.

Buddy Giovinazzo’sThe Unscarred fits perfectly between Roger Avary’s Killing Zoe and Skip Woods’ Thursday. It is a twisty thriller whose wit and energy feel enormously refreshing now. It has fine style, too, though Giovinazzo’s camerawork is not quite as effective as Avary and Woods’.

It is easy to tell that Giovanizzo did not have a big budget to work with, but the great cast makes this obvious detail irrelevant. Indeed, the tense drama is very effectively managed, and as the twists begin emerging, the lack of memorable distractions from a fast-changing Berlin, a city with multiple identities, helps The Unscarred evolve into a very lean and surprisingly stylish independent film.

The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Unscarred arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films.

The release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master, which, according to Severin Films, was struck from "pre-print German vault elements." On my system, The Unscarred had a very stable and healthy, gorgeous organic appearance, and I like everything that I saw. In a few areas, I noticed several small density fluctuations, but delineation, clarity, and depth remained excellent. Color reproduction and balance are outstanding as well. All primaries and supporting nuances are set properly, so I did not see any anomalies to report in our review. Also, there are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Great 2K makeover, indeed. (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).

The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray 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 viewed The Unscarred with the 5.1 track. It is a very solid track that helps several sections of the film, all with modest action material, sound pretty great. However, you should not approach The Unscarred expecting it to surprise you with great dynamic variety because it is primarily a dialog-driven feature. All exchanges are clear, sharp, stable, and easy to follow.

The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by director Buddy Giovinazzo and is moderated by David Gregory from Severin Films.

• Once Upon a Time in Berlin - an exclusive new program with James Russo. In English, not subtitled. (11 min).

• Run Johann Run - an exclusive new program with Heino Ferch. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Trailer - presented here is an original trailer for The Unscarred. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

The Unscarred Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

During the 1990s, the best mom-and-pop video stores that struggled to stay alive had a special section reserved for films like Buddy Giovinazzo's The Unscarred. Virtually all of them were independent films and recent imports that had not yet gained fame among cinephiles in America. It is where I discovered Giovinazzo's best film, No Way Home, Amongst Friends, and Where the Day Takes You, as well as all kinds of other gems, some now considered cult films. I do not recall bumping into The Unscarred, so I am thrilled to have it on Blu-ray now. It is exactly the type of film I thought it could be. It fits perfectly between Roger Avary's Killing Zoe and Skip Woods' Thursday, so if you are intrigued, pick it up without watching trailers or reading detailed reviews of it. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.