Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 27, 2026

Wake in Fright is one of those cult films whose history from genesis to shooting to theatrical exhibition to home video release has been a veritable whirlwind of controversy. I joked in a recent review that Chambers of Commerce in places like, say, Shetland, might not be overly thrilled to have their burgs represented as veritable horror stories of constant murder (as in the linked to title) or other shenanigans. In that regard, Australia's vast Outback may not in fact even have a Chamber of Commerce, but certainly any Down Under civic promotion group probably won't be recommending Wake in Fright any time soon. One way or the other, there's some interesting reading in store here at the site in terms of the previous 1080 and 4K releases Wake in Fright has had, and my advice for those interested in this release is to at least peruse the links I provide after the first screenshot.

As mentioned above, Wake in Fright has had prior 1080 and 4K releases. It was released in 1080 by Image Entertainment in 2013, and Michael Reuben's Wake in Fright Blu-ray review provides a lot of useful information aside and apart from a plot summary. This is a rare review here where the reviewer went back to add an update in response to reader reactions, and per the additional information offered in that update, Michael's interview with director Ted Kotcheff is also very interesting. In addition, Svet Atanasov contributed a Wake in Fright Blu-ray review of the Region B 1080 release put out in 2014 by Eureka Entertainment, and then more recently a Wake in Fright 4K Blu-ray review of Umbrella Entertainment's own 4K / 1080 combo pack released in 2025. My admitted tree hugging / PETA sensibility means I may have reacted considerably more negatively toward the actual horrific footage of a kangaroo hunt included in the story, which I frankly found unnecessarily graphic and stomach churning and ultimately not really as meaningful as some of the other madness John Grant encounters, and my overall score for the film is therefore a tick lower than in the previous reviews.

Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Arrow sent a check disc for purposes of this 1080 review, but a full retail final set for purposes of the Wake in Fright 4K Blu-ray review. I'm assuming that per Arrow's standard operating procedure, the packaging, including the insert booklet, is the same for both resolutions.

Wake in Fright is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Arrow Video with an HEVC / H.265 encoded 2160p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information about the presentation:

Wake in Fright is presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 with its original monoaural soundtrack. The film was restored and made available by Umbrella Entertainment in conjunction with the Wake in Fright Trust. The original camera negative was scanned in 4K by the National Film and Sound Archive and graded and restored by ROAR Digital in Melbourne, Australia.

Unsurprisingly given the above verbiage, this has the same excellent qualities that Svet discussed in his review of the 4K / 1080 combo edition from Umbrella Entertainment. Simply comparing the screenshots here with the two earlier 1080 releases from Image Entertainment and Eureka Entertainment pretty easily shows not just the improvement in an organic looking grain field, but I'd argue even more so with regard to a finally decent looking palette, without the kind of sickly green-yellow cast that seems to afflict both of those earlier 1080 releases. Doing those same comparisons with the more recent Umbrella Entertainment release will also clearly show definite similarities. There are some obvious fluctuations in grain structure and clarity, some understandably related to the more documentarian kangaroo hunt material, but also due to the almost overpowering differences in light values as the camera pans around the barren but sun drenched environments of so much of the outdoor material. A number of "artier" shots can feature pretty dramatic lens flare and some fairly skewed perspectives, but fine detail remains remarkably intact throughout. The palette is quite nicely suffused throughout, and if the 4K edition's HDR / Dolby Vision grades admittedly add some noticeable luster in yellows in particular, what's on tap in SDR here is often quite striking. Shadow detail is surprisingly fulsome, though (perhaps thankfully) not so much in the aforementioned kangaroo sequence. There is some very minor age related wear and tear that has made it through the restoration gauntlet.

Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Wake in Fright features a really evocative DTS-HD Master Audio Mono track that faithfully reproduces some interesting ethnic instruments and ambient sounds along the way. John Scott's score is really captivating, and as strange as it may sound (no pun intended), some of the more reflective guitar based material (as in the snippet that plays under the main menu the disc boots to) kind of reminded me of the great Breton musician Alan Stivell (which is definitely a good thing). There are definitely more hallucinatory moments in the sound design where odd intrusions help to aurally document the travails of John Grant. Some slight fluctuations in the mix are noticeable, but on the whole dialogue is rendered cleanly (if with some very heavy accents at times). Optional English subtitles are available.

Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Note: Many of these supplements have been released previously (some more than once), and more information on them can be found in the above linked reviews.

• Commentary by Ted Kotcheff & Antony Buckley (2008)


• Commentary by Peter Galvin (2025)


• Return to the 'Yabba (HD; 49:46) is a really interesting 2024 visit to the film's locations guided by Andrew Mercado.


• A Take in Fright (HD; 20:42) is a 2025 interview with Director of Photography Brian West.


• Sounds of the Outback (HD; 14:52) is a 2026 interview with sound editior Keith Palmer and assistant sound editor Eddy Joseph.


• The Cinema's Great Squeaky Bald Git (HD; 14:51) is a 2024 profile of Donald Pleasance featuring the typically ebullient Kim Newman.


• The Filmmaker and the Film Buff (HD; 20:07) is a 2023 discussion between Philippe Mora and Paul Harris.


• Archive Interviews

Yer Mad, Ya Bastard! (HD; 12:57) is from 2008 and features Ted Kotcheff.




Interview with Jack Thompson (HD; 6:50) is from 2008.




Toronto International Film Festival Q & A (HD; 45:51) is from 2009 and features Ted Kotcheff.




Audio Interview with Ted Kotcheff (HD; 2:10:27) is from 2009 and is moderated by Paul Harris. This plays to a still.




Audio Interview with John Scott (HD; 15:30) features the composer being interviewed by Daniel Schweiger in 2025. This plays to a still.

• Trailer Gallery

US Theatrical Trailer (HD; 2:31)




US TV Spot (HD; 00:31)




Restoration Trailer (HD; 1:26)




Foreign Visions of Local Stories (HD; 38:13) is a reel of Australian films helmed by overseas filmmakers and has some fascinating archival material in it.

• Image Gallery (HD; 5:00) plays to some of the haunting score.

Arrow's insert booklet offers a number of interesting essays, including Ted Kotcheff own 2012 apologia for including the gruesome kangaroo hunt footage. The keepcase sleeve is reversible and packaging also features a slipcover.

Wake in Fright Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Wake in Fright is an arresting, surreal fever dream that is not an "easy" watch at times, but which has an unsettlingly visceral power that almost feels like the cinematic equivalent of a erupting Australian sun causing something akin to heat stroke in the viewer. Those intrigued by this release should take a look at Umbrella's own outing from last year to see if any of the supplements on that set appeal. Otherwise, though, this sports solid technical merits and outstanding supplements. Highly recommended.