Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 28, 2026

John Krish's "Unearthly Stranger" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include new audio commentary by critic Gary Gerani; new audio commentary by Bryan Reesman and Max Evry; and vintage trailer. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The hunted

The film begins with what seems like the end. Dr. Mark Davidson (John Neville, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen) is seen running through the dark and empty streets of an unknown city. Eventually, he reaches his apartment, turns on a tape recorder, and leaves a short but chilling message for his friend and colleague, Prof. John Lancaster (Philip Stone, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom): “In a little while, I expect to die... to be killed... by something… you and I know is here.”

Now, the film goes back in time, where Davidson and Lancaster are seen working together on an important project. Davidson is convinced that they are on the verge of a phenomenal discovery that will allow people to travel to other worlds with the power of thought. But Lancaster is skeptical. There are bits of Davidson’s theory that make sense to him, but he thinks that the rest is utterly ridiculous.

High-ranking government official Maj. Clarke (Patrick Newell, TV's Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson) enters the story and begins asking questions because he is trying to figure out how another researcher, Geoffrey D. Munro (Warren Mitchell), has died. Then he suddenly shows a lot of interest in Davidson’s new Swiss wife, Julie (Gabriella Licudi, Herostratus).

A few days later, Davidson invites Lancaster to meet Julie. His initial impression is that his friend could not have chosen a better woman to marry. But then, while getting ready for dinner, Lancaster notices something that deeply disturbs him.

Unearthly Stranger very much reminds of the various Quatermass films that emerged during the late ‘50s and early ‘60s (see Val Guest’s The Quatermass Xperiment and Roy Ward Baker's Quatermass and the Pit). It blends a good dose of noirish atmosphere and some, at the very least, curious ideas about time travel and the possibility of intelligent life on other planets.

What possibly moves Unearthly Stranger in a slightly different category than the one where the Quatermass films are grouped is the lack of kitschy sci-fi/horror set designs and wonky-looking aliens. The eerie atmosphere is created primarily with some wonderful sound effects and precise camera work. In other words, while the sci-fi elements are crucial for the story, this is a film that remains firmly grounded in reality.

The finale is somewhat predictable, but it is obvious that the goal of the film was never to surprise with an original twist. Rather, it was to offer some food for thought that would force even the skeptics to consider a few curious what-if scenarios.

The cast is very good. Neville completely transforms entire sequences simply by looking at the camera in some very specific ways. Stone is convincing as the rational colleague who has to see in order to believe. Newell is slightly annoying at times, but his nosy character is expected to be difficult to tolerate. Licudi has the right mysterious look.

Unearthly Stranger is directed by John Krish, who would eventually go on to work on The Saint and The Avengers. It is lensed by cinematographer Reginald Wyer (Island of Terror).

Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.67:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Unearthly Stranger arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

More than a decade ago, in the United Kingdom, Network Releasing produced this Region-B Blu-ray release of Unearthly Stranger. It was sourced from a master prepared on behalf of StudioCanal. It is the only other Blu-ray release of Unearthly Stranger that I have in my library.

Kino Lorber's upcoming Blu-ray release is sourced from the same master. However, last night, while revisiting Unearthly Stranger, I thought that in several areas the visuals looked rather unusually good, not as I remembered, so I performed various comparisons. I can confirm now that it is not just my newer system producing better visuals. Kino Lorber's presentation is, in fact, superior, producing better detailed and slightly more attractive visuals. I believe that the positive difference is a byproduct of two adjustments. First, the new presentation is optimized better because it is placed on a dual-layer disc. (The Region-B release I have uses a single-layer disc). In close-ups, which is where I first began noticing the positive difference, the improvements are most obvious. Second, there are small but meaningful adjustments in the gamma levels. Because much of the footage is darker, emphasizing subtle nuances and shadows, the positive difference is again easy to appreciate in many areas. Both of these improvements also help grain exposure appear more even and convincing. The rest is the same. The new presentation retains the various small nicks and blemishes from the previous presentation. Also, I noticed the same light halo-like effects popping up in the same areas. All in all, while there is room for some cosmetic improvements, I think that this upcoming Blu-ray release offers a more attractive organic presentation of Unearthly Stranger. (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).

Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

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

All meaningful dynamic contrasts are created by Edward Williams' dramatic score, which sounds quite wonderful. However, these are small dynamic contrasts, even by 1960s standards. The dialogue is clear and easy to follow. However, it can also become a bit thin at times. I suspect that small enhancements could be introduced to make it sound fuller and better-rounded, but at the same time, they will not make a meaningful enough difference.

Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary One - in this new audio commentary, critic Gary Gerani correctly highlights some of the obvious production limitations of Unearthly Stranger and provides an in-depth deconstruction of its narrative, style, and genre identity. Gerani also shares interesting information about director John Krish and star John Neville.

• Commentary Two - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry. Some of the more interesting information shared here is about the period environment in which Unearthly Stranger was conceived and produced, its flexible stylistic identity (blending elements of horror and film noir), and the careers of various people who worked on the film.

• Trailer - original theatrical trailer for Unearthly Stranger. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Unearthly Stranger Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In Unearthly Stranger, less is definitely more, and perhaps the main reason most of the horror it produces is thought-provoking. Despite unmissable production limitations, the horror is wrapped up in that very attractive atmosphere that many older British genre films are famous for, too. Needless to say, it is great that Kino Lorber chose to bring Unearthly Stranger to America, as there are plenty of younger collectors here who will enjoy it tremendously. I think this upcoming Blu-ray release offers a better presentation of the film than its older British counterpart does. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.