Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 23, 2026

Franco Prosperi's "Wild Beasts" (1984) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Franco Prosperi; archival program with star Tony Di Leo; archival program with editor/mondo filmmaker Mario Morra; archival program with animal wrangler Roberto Tiberti's son, Carlo Tiberti; restored international trailer for the film; and more. In English or Italian, with optional English SDH and English subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

City hunting

Even among the notorious genre films Italian directors shot during the 1970s and 1980s, many of which remain the most extreme ever made, Francesco Prosperi’s Wild Beasts is in a category of its own. This film is a true relic of its era and can never be replicated. Some of the visuals it produces, which do not use any special effects whatsoever, are simply breathtaking.

The plot is just a silly wrapper for one giant piece of cinematic madness. In an unidentified Northern European city whose once beautiful streets have been overwhelmed by toxic trash, PCP contaminates the water supply. Soon after, thousands of unhinged rats emerge from the canals, while the various exotic animals at the local zoo break free and go on a killing spree. As panic spreads across the city, zoologist Rupert Berner (Antonio Di Leo) and his sexy assistant Laura Shwarz (Lorraine De Selle), joined by the local authorities, begin improvising to stop the mayhem.

Wild Beasts juggles two identities. A decent portion of it works with material that a conventional low-budget Italian horror thriller would have used. Some of this material could have appeared in a low-budget Italian slasher as well. The remaining material is the main reason to see Wild Beasts. This material uses footage shot at various places, such as Frankfurt, Johannesburg, and Rome. In it, the zoologists and random strangers come into contact with the wild animals from the zoo, now roaming the city, and either dodge them or die. These are real animals -- a giant white polar bear, a cheetah, several elephants, etc. -- and they are moving in random directions, completely unopposed.

The most extraordinary thing about the mayhem is that it is captured extremely well by Prosperi’s camera. Also, much of the footage is incredibly dangerous. For example, in a short scene, Di Leo approaches the polar bear and barely avoids death when the beast swings one of its giant paws and miraculously misses his head. Elsewhere, the cheetah is out on the streets, spots a female next to her car, and begins tracking her down. The cheetah is focused on its target, and Prosperi’s camera follows the entire chase. The footage is incredible. At the local airport, several massive elephants appear and cause a deadly plane crash as well.

So, what is the point of shooting a genre film that is so mad and so incredibly real?

A good, logical answer to this most obvious question is impossible to provide. However, it is also impossible to deny that Wild Beasts is a legitimate jaw-dropper and the rush from viewing its mayhem is one of a kind. Indeed, anyone who has ever been close to a caged animal like the ones that break free and go on a killing spree can instantly tell that a lot could go terribly wrong in just a few seconds, and the tension is chillingly real. Many films seek to recreate this tension as best as possible while utilizing a lot of cutting-edge digital trickery, and in Wild Beats all of it is presented in its most organic variation possible. There is an audience that appreciates it, and this is probably the most logical excuse for the existence of a genre film like Wild Beasts.

*Severin Films’ combo pack presents an exclusive new 4K restoration, sourced from the original camera negative, which can be viewed with original English and Italian audio tracks.

Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Severin Films' release of Wild Beasts is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray and the Blu-ray are both Region-Free.

Please note that some of the screencaptures included with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc.

Screencaptures #1-25 are taken from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #29-33 are taken from the 4K Blu-ray.

The release presents an exclusive new 4K restoration of Wild Beasts, sourced from the original camera negative, on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with HDR, but not Dolby Vision. I viewed it in its entirety on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray.

I have two releases of Wild Beasts in my library. The first is this R2 DVD release, produced by German label Camera Obscura. The second is this more recent Blu-ray release, produced by Severin Films. I only used the latter for several quick comparisons.

The new 4K restoration is outstanding. In fact, I would argue that it is one of the top three in Severin Films' entire catalog in terms of accuracy and just overall strength. It produces incredibly healthy, gorgeous visuals with some of the strongest and most consistent qualities that I have seen on a 4K makeover of an Italian genre film. Delineation, clarity, and depth range from very good to outstanding, and the density levels of all visuals are, in my opinion, as good as they can be. Color reproduction and balance are fantastic. All primaries and supporting nuances are very healthy, stable, and, most importantly, expertly set. I do not know where the 4K restoration was graded, but the work done on it is one of the best I have seen. Needless to say, the entire film has a gorgeous, enormously attractive period appearance. The difference between the old and new presentations of the film is unmissable. Now, all visuals have lusher colors and superior dynamic range, and in many areas, there is simply more to see. I noticed a few white specks, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, stains, marks, warped or torn frames to report. My score is 4.75/5.00.

Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH (for the former) and English (for the latter) subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I prefer the English track because many actors deliver their lines in English. However, the English and Italian tracks utilize overdubbing. I think that on the English track, the overdubbing is one of the very best done on such tracks, but my very first viewing of the film, many years ago, occurred with the Italian tracks. You can experiment with both tracks, but for me, the English track is the standard track to see the film with.

All dialogue is clear and very easy to follow. Given the nature of the footage from the mayhem, dynamic intensity is excellent. The animal sounds and noises are particularly great. While viewing the film, I did not encounter any distortions, pops, audio dropouts, hiss, etc.

Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Trailer - presented here is a fully restored original international trailer for Wild Beasts. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

BLU-RAY DISC

• Altered Beasts - in this archival program, director Franco Prosperi reveals that Wild Beasts was supposed to be shot in Rhodesia, with help from local producers, but terrorists attacked the film crew and the entire project was moved to South Africa. However, Prosperi and his team were again forced out of the country and returned to Italy, where Wild Beasts was completed. Prosperi also comments on the film's riskiest footage and message. In Italian, with English subtitles. (16 min).

• Wild Tony - in this archival program, star Tony Di Leo reveals how he entered the film business and discusses his involvement with Wild Beasts. Apparently, Di Leo landed his part while in Los Angeles, where he made the right impression on a well-known Italian producer, who recommended him to Franco Prosperi. Di Leo discusses his extremely dangerous work with the animals in Wild Beasts. In Italian, with English subtitles. (13 min).

• Cut After Cut - in this archival program, editor/mondo filmmaker Mario Morra discusses his background and early days in the Italian film industry, as well as his favorite editing techniques. Morra also explains how he was introduced to Franco Prosperi and comments on the work they did to create the current version of Wild Beasts. The program also features terrific bits about several other notorious Italian genre films. In Italian, with English subtitles. (35 min).

• The Circus is in Town - in this archival program, animal wrangler Roberto Tiberti's son, Carlo Tiberti, discusses the creation of the Tiberti Circus, and his father's contribution to Wild Beasts. There are some particularly interesting comments about the big tiger that escaped during the shooting of Wild Beasts and the urgent efforts to recapture it. In Italian, with English subtitles. (11 min).

• House of Wild Beasts - around 2007, Severin Films returned to Italy to shoot a follow-up to the documentary The Godfathers of Mondo. The idea was to reunite co-directors Gualtiero Jacopetti and Franco Prosperi after many years of estrangement. The shoot began at Prosperi's house on a nature reserve just outside of Naples. Unfortunately, the reunion and planned featurette were aborted due to Jacopetti's health. Presented here is footage from that visit to Prosperi's home. In Italian and English, with English subtitles. (13 min).

• Trailer - presented here is a fully restored original international trailer for Wild Beasts. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

Wild Beasts 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Many of the genre films that Italian directors shot during the 1970s and 1980s remain unmatched, and folks who appreciate great cult cinema will always enthusiastically praise them. Of course, not all of them are great films, but many are different in a special way. Among these films is Franco Prosperi's Wild Beasts, which remains in a category of its own. This film features visuals that have to be seen to be believed, since there are no special effects in them, just genuinely mad acting done in the presence of Death. Severin Films' combo pack presents a superb exclusive new 4K restoration on 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray, together with a fine selection of archival bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.