Best 4K and Blu-ray horror movies: ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street,’ ‘Altered States,’ ‘Weapons’ and more

Mad Count Zad returns for his annual picks of 4K and Blu-ray home theater movies now available and perfect for the Halloween season.

A Nightmare on Elm Street Collection (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 649 minutes, $104.98) — Perhaps the creepiest and most popular of the slashing serial killers from the 1980s gets celebrated in an almost complete run of his antics, all in the ultra-high definition format.

As creator Wes Craven’s story goes, Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), the serial child killer of Springwood, Ohio, was burned alive by vigilante parents and then resurrected in a most grotesque form to kill their offspring and descendants through horrific dreams.

His signature macabre sense of humor and sinister appearance — with tattered, striped, red-and-green sweater, a singed fedora, burnt skin and one gloved hand with self-made metal talons — turned him into a pop culture phenom for horror fans of all ages.

Viewers get seven films — “A Nightmare on Elm Street” (1984), “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge” (1985), “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” (1987), “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master” (1988), “A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child” (1989), “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare” (1991) and  “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” (1994).

Only missing is Mr. Englund’s final portrayal of the mass murderer in “Jason vs. Freddy,” but the set does include uncut versions of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and “The Dream Child” as well as an alternate ending of “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare.”

That ending is quite the blast-from-the-past treat as delivered in its original theatrical version with anaglyph 3D glasses. Two pairs of the 3D cardboard glasses are in the package to appreciate the visual spectacle that technically holds together, thanks to the 4K upgrade.

Additional highlights include not only the original film but the bookend of “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” that busts through the fourth wall and delivers a clever twist on the series.

Craven returns to orchestrate a clever plot about real actor Heather Langencamp (Nancy in the first and second film) living in Hollywood and battling Freddy to save her child while thrust into the deadly dreamscape.

And, across the board, all of the remastered movies take on a new level of visual horror, thanks to the rich color palettes. Equally sinister as well as cartoonish, Freddy’s grotesque variety and bloody levels of killing and atmospheric worlds shine in the upgraded levels of clarity.

Frightful extras: Viewers get a mash-up of digital goodies that go as far back as the 2000 DVD movie collection release, and some are even new for this set.

Pop in the “Wes Craven’s New Nightmare” disc for two new featurettes (roughly 15 minutes total) that have franchise stalwarts such as director Chuck Russell (Part 3), Jack Sholder (Part 2), cinematographer Mark Irwin (“New Nightmare”), and the venerable Mr. Englund comment on legacy, challenges and favorite kills

An older, multipart interview with the soft-spoken Craven has him discuss career, motivations, making sequels and the legacy of the Nightmare franchise (18 minutes).

Next, vintage commentary tracks include Craven with Ms. Langenkamp, actor John Saxon (who portrayed Nancy’s dad) and cinematographer Jacques Haitkin on the first movie and Craven’s solo effort on his “New Nightmare.”

Other highlights include a documentary on making the first film (50 minutes); a behind-the-scenes look at “Dream Warriors” (27 minutes); a retrospective on the first film as explored with key cast and crew (50 minutes); a more intellectual look at the franchise with help from University of Virginia professor Mark Edmundson; and horror author Clive Barker and (18 minutes); and more than a dozen shorter featurettes spread across the discs.

Jason X: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 92 minutes, $28.99) — The head-shaking 10^th film devoted to Crystal Lake’s favorite serial slasher finally shines in the 4K format in a release also packed with goodies for the Jason Voorhees fan.

Obviously out of ideas back in 2001, creators and director James Isaac offered a wild and somewhat amusing futuristic adventure that finds our killing machine cryogenically frozen for 400 years and thawed out on a research spaceship with a whole new set of victims unable to escape his wrath.

Feeling plucked from the “Alien” franchise — complete with an android, a greedy boss wanting to study Jason and soldiers hunting the unstoppable killing machine — the story also stars females in loosely fitting tops and kills such as an impaling on a large drill bit, a head frozen and shattered, and a human body cut in half.

The 24-year-old movie was restored using the original 35mm camera negative scanned in 4K (16 bit) resolution and even most of the budget-challenged special effects look pretty good, including the new and improved cyborg Jason revisiting Camp Crystal Lake in a holodeck and reentering earth’s atmosphere.

Frightful extras: As always expected from Arrow Video’s limited edition releases, viewers get a bountiful supply of digital goodies mainly culled from Shout Factory’s 2020 Blu-ray release, starting with three optional commentaries.

A pair of vintage tracks feature Mr. Isaac, screenwriter Todd Farmer and producer Noel Cunningham from 2002; and the other with Mr. Farmer and Friday the 13th film franchise historian Peter Bracke recorded in 2020.

New to this release and the best of the bunch is a track with producer and historian Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton and horror documentary producer Michael Felsher.

Next, viewers get a 30-minute compact and illuminating look at the “Friday the 13^th” film franchise, as focused on the slasher genre and the evolution of the Jason Voorhees mythology with an over-250 body count as analyzed by filmmakers and critics, and even Jason actor Kane Hodder piping in.

Four meaty solo interviews follow (roughly an hour in total) with Mr. Farmer, director of the original “Friday the 13^th” Sean S. Cunningham, “Jason X” actress Kristi Angus (Adrienne Thomas) and composer Harry Manfredini.

Clean out the cupboard extras follow and include 50 minutes of vintage cast and crew interviews, 57 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage, a 25-minute press kit with more sound bites and set footage, and a stills gallery with almost 300 photos.

The package includes a double-sided, foldout mini-poster (13.5 inches by 17 inches) with newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin, and a 40-page, full-color illustrated booklet packed with photos and featuring a pair of essays on the movie from critic Matt Donato and slasher movie historian J.A. Kerswell.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 98 minutes, $49.95) — One of the most unnecessary, though wildly successful, remakes in the history of horror cinema debuts in UHD in an extras-filled package to highlight the grotesque work of an infamous, chainsaw-wielding serial killer.

Yes, even the original mastermind of the groundbreaking 1974 film Tobe Hooper was on board back in 2003 as producer Michael Bay and director Marcus Nispel brought to the screen a woeful tale of five young adults (including Jessica Biel in a starring role) potentially becoming sadistic fodder for Leatherface and his violent family.

Definitely not as disgustingly raw as the original, the movie does increase the extreme gore and generates scares by presenting the absolute worst of humanity.

With an unwelcomed clarity, thanks to a restoration using the original 35mm camera negative (and Daniel Pearl returning as cinematographer), the film’s muted color palette that’s almost sepia tone and high contrast shadowy action all shine and do not detract from revealing details of the macabre proceedings.

For those looking to be shocked and sickened by the murder of innocents, they will not be disappointed, and fans of the genre will find the visual upgrades a perfect Halloween treat.

Frightful extras: Everything from the 2009 Blu-ray release, plus new goodies, awaits fans to learn about the making of the film.

Highlights include three optional commentary tracks: two vintage with a cavalcade of cast and crew assembled from various recordings including Mr. Nispel, Mr. Bay, Mr. Pearl, production designer Greg Blair, art director Scott Gallager and New Line Cinema founder Robert Shaye; and a new track with horror historian Steve “Uncle Creepy” Barton and co-host of “The Spooky Picture Show” podcast Chris MacGibbon.

Fans also get new and plenty informative interviews with Mr. Nispel (16 minutes), Mr. Pearl (17 minutes), Leatherface actor Brett Wagner (15 minutes), makeup effects artist Scott Stoddard (18 minutes) and composer Steve Jablonsky (19 minutes).

A pair of previously released segments — the 75-minute production documentary “Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre” and a 24-minute overview of serial killer Ed Gein (the real-life person Leatherface was loosely based on) — round out an excellent selection of extras.

The package includes a double-sided, foldout mini-poster (13.5 inches by 17 inches) with newly commissioned artwork by Aaron Lea; and a 24-page full-color illustrated booklet featuring an essay from screenwriter, author and horror enthusiast Michael Gingold on the creation and legacy of the movie.

Also available from Arrow Video is the 4K debut of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning ($49.95) that offers a bloody, disgusting origin story to Leatherface and the Hewitt family in both a theatrical and uncut version.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: 50^th Anniversary SteelBook Edition (Walt Disney Home Entertainment, rated R, 1.66:1 aspect ratio, 100 minutes, $39.99) — Once again, celestial travelers Riff Raff (Richard O’Brien), Magenta (Patricia Quinn) and Columbia (Nell Campbell) call upon the world to do “The Time Warp” in the debut of the best interactive movie on the planet now in the 4K disc format and celebrating a half century of existence.

Arriving just in time for any ribald Halloween party, revelers can immerse themselves in the legendary 1975 sci-fi horror musical that became a midnight-showing cult classic, thanks to a hardcore following of fans who showed up to theaters, mimicking the action in front of screens, talking to the movie and even throwing stuff.

The ridiculous B-movie plot found a crazed transvestite scientist, Dr. Frank N. Furter (the iconic role for Tim Curry), building the man of his dreams named Rocky (Peter Hinwood) but witnessing his happiness shattered by some cruel citizens from the planet Transsexual.

In between his downfall, he entertains naïve newlyweds Brad (Barry Bostwick) and Janet (Susan Sarandon) as well as handles the unruly mistake named Eddie (Meat Loaf), much to the delight of any pop culture fan.

The 4K restoration shows some signs of aging, but the color is much more vivid than in previous releases, and the Dolby Atmos soundtrack makes singing along to such songs as “Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul,” “Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch-a, Touch Me” and, of course, “The Time Warp” an even more immersive experience.

Frightful extras: Not quite the definitive release for hardcore fans, but this anniversary edition does offer plenty of the previously released digital goodies, mostly tied to the 35th-anniversary Blu-ray edition from 2010.

First, an optional commentary track with a jovial Mr. O’Brien and Ms. Quinn is obviously required listening as well as watching the 36-minute vintage retrospective documentary “Rocky Horror Double Feature Video Show.”

Next, viewers can see a trivia track popping up at the bottom of the screen, especially made for the 50^th anniversary, as well as the “Vintage Callback” track that tells viewers what to scream at their television as the movie plays (just like being in a theater).

As important, for lovers of the songs, is the “Rocky-Oke! Sing It!” that provides the lyrics to the tunes for everyone to sing along to while the movie plays.

Unfortunately, missing is the shadowcast performance extra to watch selected fans re-create the movie in the corner of the screen and the Prop Box interactive to use the remote to virtually throw items at the screen when prompted.

The metal case should quickly become a collectible with a front cover displaying a full-color, side-torso shot of Furter, showing his makeup white face and red lips pursed while flexing a bicep with the Rocky Horror 50^th anniversary logo (Columbia’s top hat and a pair of red lips) on it with a shower of golden sparkles falling behind him.

The full-color back cover has a golden-bordered lightning bolt across it with various characters grouped together, such as Brad and Janet in their underwear and Furter admiring Rocky.

The golden-bolt theme continues on the inside spread, with the left side displaying Furter’s face looking menacingly forward and the right side devoid of any art.

Altered States (Criterion, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 103 minutes, $49.95) — With a screenplay from the distinguished and forever irritable Academy Award winner Paddy Chayefsky, director Ken Russell’s 1980 trippy sci-fi horror film tackles the dangers of digging too deeply into the depths of man’s evolution.

William Hurt, in his first major screen role, stars as the complex persona of psychopathologist Edward Jessup, a guy in love with sensory deprivation tanks. He’s trying to find his original self and prove that other states of consciousness can be fully realized and externalized outside the mind.

The horror plays out as Jessup, with additional help from a powerful hallucinogenic drug, gets further lost in his experiments, consumed as a Dr. Jekyll by his tenacity and all resulting in his descent into a primordial Mr. Hyde genetic nightmare.

Hurt’s frantic performance was complemented by Blair Brown and his brilliant wife, Emily, and Bob Balaban and Charles Haid as friends and like-minded researchers Arthur Rosenberg and Mason Parrish.

The impeccable 4K restoration in its screen-filling presentation shows off cinematographer Jordan Cronenweth and effects director Bran Ferren’s visual prowess when watching Jessup’s transformative episodes.

Specifically, sequences are presented with rapidly cut shots, vivid orangish colors, sparkly neon tracers, humans made of sand dissolving under winds, Faustian religious symbolism, extreme body deformities, a psychedelic cellular whirlpool, and all backed by a frantic and jarring musical score.

Frightful extras: Considering as part of the Criterion Collection, viewers only get an uncharacteristic smattering of digital goodies tied to the film, led by a new commentary track from film historian Samm Deighan. Although she sounds like she is reading from a textbook, her words are packed with information.

Next, owners get a generous and candid 26 minutes with Mr. Ferren, a distinguished visionary in using special visual effects, who explains some of his magic, but this fascinating renaissance man is worth an extended documentary on his own.

A pair of vintage interviews follows, one with Russell from 1980 as part of “The Paul Ryan Show” that covers his childhood and career (26 minutes); and one with Hurt from 2009 with film historian Annette Insdorf focused on the actor’s appreciation of Paddy Chayefsky (only six minutes).

The package contains a five-page foldout with a full-color image of a demon on one side and a critical essay by film critic Jessica Kiang on the other.

Dan Curtis’ Classic Monsters (Kino Lorber, not rated, 1.85:1 and 1.33:1 aspect ratio, 338 minutes, $39.95) — The man who brought the soap opera, horror television series “Dark Shadows” to life on the ABC network back in the 1960s also delivered a trio of made-for-TV movies featuring three legendary creatures from classic literature.

Viewers can now watch in the high definition disc format, the 1968 version of “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” starring Jack Palance; the 1974 version of “Bram Stoker’s Dracula,” starring Palance; and the 1973, two-part version of “Frankenstein” from ABC’s “World of Mystery,” starring Bo Svenson as the monster.

The mixed quality restoration (pops and scratches still exist) of these classics might slightly disappoint but still highlight the atmospheric production values that one might find in a Hammer horror film. 

Surprisingly, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Frankenstein” were both shot on video and are now just passable in the high definition format with pockets of unexpected clarity, though amateur television historians will appreciate the visual retro appeal.

Despite the overall quality, Palance devours the roles of Jekyll and the iconic vampire and delivers two of the best performances of his long and successful career.

Frightful extras: In this two-disc Blu-ray set, Kino Lorber truly celebrates the release of these underrated movies that were reverential to the books through a welcome collection of new and legacy digital treats.

First offering immediate enlightenment is Jeff Thompson  (author of “The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis”) introducing each film (averaging five minutes). The introductions are packed with facts, such as there was a three-hour version of “Dracula” that CBS had Curtis cut down.

Each film also gets an optional commentary track.

For “Frankenstein,” viewers get a track by Hofstra University film scholar Rodney F. Hill and a second legacy track featuring actors Robert Foxworth (Victor Frankenstein) and John Karlen (Otto Roget), the latter worthy for its primary resources but not as interesting as Mr. Hill’s information-loaded talk.

For “Dracula,” author and vampire in media historian Mark Dawidziak offers a joyous track, and “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” gets a track with distinguished horror comic book artist and film historian Steve Bissette.

Additional extras include a pair of vintage interviews with Palance (four minutes) and Curtis (four minutes), both discussing “Dracula” and makeup effects artist Dick Smith (five minutes) on his work on Palance for “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Corpse Bride: 20^th Anniversary Edition (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated PG, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 77 minutes, $29.98) — Directors Mike Johnson and Tim Burton’s Gothic fantasy musical deservedly arrives in the UHD format to appreciate the meticulous artistry of its use of stop-motion animation.

The macabre magic takes place in a 19th-century European village and follows Victor Van Dort (voiced by Johnny Depp) as he prepares to marry his arranged bride, Victoria Everglot (Emily Watson).

Nerves get the best of Victor during a rehearsal, and he flees to the forest where, while practicing placing the wedding ring on a tree root, the appendage turns into the corpse of Emily (Helena Bonham Carter).

She now believes to be the bride of Victor and takes him to the Land of the Dead for an idyllic life.

However, Victor is conflicted. He truly loves Victoria and has certainly grown to equally love Emily. His choices may require his own death or doing whatever it takes to return to the Land of the Living and regain his sweetheart who was forced to marry another.

“Corpse Bride” comes to life through an upscaled 2K visual presentation that dazzles, thanks in part to its updated stop-motion technique that for the first time used facial mechanics and consumer digital cameras to capture high resolution frames as the artists incrementally moved the models to simulate motion.

Be it the nearly sepia-toned Land of the Living and its shadowy locales or the brilliantly neon-colored Land of the Dead, both benefit from enhanced color dynamics and crystal clarity.

To truly embrace this welcomed Halloween treat, just take the time to examine the complexity of Emily with her skeletal leg and arm; flowing and tattered translucent veil; and shades of blue assigned to her eyelids, skin and textured yarn-like hair; or appreciate a bunch of skeletons bathed in green and purple singing “Remains of the Day.”

Frightful extras: To celebrate the anniversary, Warner Bros. includes a pair of new featurettes (15 minutes) that together act as a retrospective of the classic.

Specifically, producer Allison Abbate, screenwriter John August, and Mr. Johnson sit down together and separately to fondly remember the challenging but rewarding production, supplemented by vintage footage of the animation process.

Also on the 4K disc are seven, previously released featurettes (roughly 40 minutes in total) from the 2006 Blu-ray edition covering everything from building the puppets to Danny Elfman’s musical score, the design of the lands and the voice actors’ recording process.

Night of the Living Dead: 35^th Anniversary SteelBook Edition (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, not rated, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 88 minutes, $49.95) — The original zombie movie was reinvented by its creator back in 1990 and is now celebrated in time for Halloween through the UHD release encased in illustrated metal and loaded with brand new extras.

Specifically, apocalyptic architect George Romero reunited with producer John A. Russo and tasked special effects maestro Tom Savini to direct and deliver a refreshed story.

It nearly mimics the 1968 classic but now in ghoulish color and featuring a tad more gore, more realistic undead and a few socio-cultural observations, making it, some may argue, the best version of Romero’s vision.

The story, for those unfamiliar, finds seven humans, including the Coopers and their infected daughter and fearless Barbara (Patricia Tallman), holed up in a farmhouse while the world falls apart around them as the dead begin to reanimate and feed on the living.

Viewers get two versions of the film, the theatrical cut and an uncensored cut that only adds 12 seconds but were welcomed by Mr. Savini who had felt slighted by the original presentation of the film.

The 4K transfer delivers all the creep one would expect from cinematographer Frank Prinzi’s stark and too-detailed work. And even better, Mr. Savini’s uncensored version offers roughly the first four minutes of the film in black and white as a tribute to the original until the first zombie attack that shifts the horror to color.

Frightful extras: Sony goes all out for this release, even though the movie was not originally well received by critics or audiences, and definitely worth owning now thanks to a large supply of digital goodies.

First, viewers will love a new optional commentary track on the uncensored cut of the film with filmmaker Michael Felsher slightly prodding Mr. Savini to talk about his first full feature directing job with a renewed enthusiasm.

Also, a second optional commentary track offers a solo Mr. Savini on the theatrical cut of the film but a bit more subdued.

An avalanche of new interviews feature most of the main cast such as Bill Moseley aka Johnny Todd (12 minutes); William Butler aka Tom Bitner (16 minutes); McKee Anderson aka Helen Cooper with Heather Mazur aka Sarah Cooper (24 minutes); zombie Greg Funk with co-zombie Dyrk Ashton (17 minutes); as well as words from producers John Russo and Russell Streiner (18 minutes) and editor Tom Dubensky (20 minutes)

A trio of legacy interviews equally mandatory offers Mr. Savini (a generous 28 minutes), actress Patricia Tallman aka Barbara Todd (16 minutes) and special makeup effects supervisors John Vulich and Everett Burrell Featurette (21 minutes)

Equally important, the metal package will make zombie lovers proud with no less than eight of the creatures in grotesque color spread out and propagating the back cover and innards of the case — all participants decaying and some bloodied with mouths mostly open.

Highlights also include the front cover that reproduces in full color the 1990 vintage poster art, and the inside spread offers the words in blood red “there is a fate worse than death.”

In the Mouth of Madness: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R, 2.39:1 aspect ratio, 95 minutes, $59.99) — The filmmaker who brought serial killer Michael Myers to life on “Halloween” offered a tribute to Lovecraftian horror back in 1995 in a supernatural thriller about one man’s descent into madness.

The movie, now available in the 4K format, follows insurance investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) investigating the disappearance of celebrated horror author Sutter Cane (Jürgen Prochnow).

Cane’s publisher Jackson Harglow (Moses himself, Charlton Heston) assigns him to work with editor, Linda Styles (Julie Carmen). The pair manages to end up in the writer’s fictional town of Hobb’s End, New Hampshire, where unspeakable evil and monstrous happenings unfold.

Arrow restores the apocalyptic creature feature using the original 35mm camera negative, and viewers get a very clean and vivid presentation, especially when focused outdoors and even on dark roads.

They will most focus on the grotesque details of the transforming townsfolk and the salivating beasts (reference Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos universe), courtesy of the dynamos Industrial Light & Magic and KNB EFX Group that may lead to a few gasps and certainly a handful of jump scares.

Frightful extras: Arrow has put together an eye-watering amount of physical and digital goodies packaged as the perfect gift for the hardcore Carpenter fan.

As preferred, start with a trio of optional commentaries; two vintage with first Carpenter and his wife, producer Sandy King Carpenter and the other, a more mechanics heavy deep dive, with Carpenter and cinematographer Gary B. Kibbe.

The third is new, with horror genre experts Rebekah McKendry and Elric Kane (co-hosts of Colors of the Dark podcast) offering an enthusiastic endorsement of the film as they work through all facets of the production, its genre and Lovecraftian influence.

Next, a collection of interview segments features new with Ms. King Carpenter (22 minutes) and Mr. Prochnow (seven minutes) and legacy with Ms. Carmen (10 minutes) and special visuals and makeup effects maestro Greg Nicotero (17 minutes).

Also, viewers get a three-chapter, 33-minute appreciation of Carpenter’s filmmaking style and themes as explored in “In the Mouth of Madness” and his other works through the perspectives of film historian Camille Zaurin, filmmaker Tom Rutter and author George Lea

Rounding out the extras are horror and exploitation film genre historian Alexandra Heller-Nicholas’ new appreciation of the movie through a visual essay (11 minutes) and a look at the locations of the film through an episode of the web series Horror’s Hallowed Grounds (11 minutes).

The sleeved, carboard slipcase packaging includes a larger than normal, double-sided, foldout mini-poster (16 inches by 20 inches) with newly commissioned artwork by Francesco Francavilla (with a style comparable to Hellboy’s Mike Mignnola).

Additionally in the case, a bound, 60-page full-color illustrated booklet compiling six new essays from critics, historians and authors including Guy Adams, Josh Hurtado, Richard Kadrey, George Daniel Lea, Willow Catelyn Maclay, and Alexandra West.

Weapons (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, rated PG, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 77 minutes, $29.98) — Count Zad usually focuses on classic movies to appreciate in the Halloween season, but I also try to offer an example from modern horror cinema destined to be worthy of an annual viewing.

Take the case of director Zach Cregger’s supernatural fairy tale, released in late summer and now available to home theaters in the 4K disc format.

The story focuses on the near-tearing apart of the town of Maybrook, Pennsylvania, when 17 children, all from one third grade class, run away from home one night into the darkness.

The mystery resolves through watching the intersection of the lives of characters around the event such as the children’s school teacher Justine (Julia Garner); one of the missing children’s father Archer (Josh Brolin); police officer and Justine’s ex-boyfriend Paul (Alden Ehrenreich); drug addict James (Austin Abrams); and the only child from the class that did not run away, Alex (Cary Christopher) and his eccentric elderly aunt Gladys (Amy Madigan).

A mix of nail-biting suspense, torment of the well-conceived characters and even a bit of humor relief methodically plays out with some pinches of gore and jump scares in an intelligently crafted film sure to delight masses looking for clever scares.

The clear and crisp digitally shot movie enhances the horror, no matter the lighting conditions, and is well-suited for viewers to appreciate some of the twisted visuals.

Frightful extras: Warner Bros. only offers a trio of short promotional featurettes (averaging seven minutes long) that cover the story origins, script, director’s influences, characters, props, visual effects (tearing a human apart) and all enthusiastically discussed and endorsed by key cast and crew.

An optional commentary track from Mr. Cregger’s or an interview with Ms. Madigan would have been much appreciated to delve deeper into this masterpiece.

Three / Three … Extremes: Limited Edition (Arrow Video, rated R, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, 254 minutes, $39.95) — A pair of anthology films from 2002 and 2004 come together for the first time on two Blu-ray discs to give American audiences an Asian-influenced perspective on psychological horror.

Specifically, viewers get a total of six short stories spread out across the films created by an eclectic group of directors — “Memories” by Kim Jee-woon (South Korea); “The Wheel” by Nonzee Nimibutr (Thailand); “Going Home” by Peter Chan (Hong Kong); “Dumplings” by Fruit Chan (Hong Kong); “Cut” by Park Chan-wook (South Korea); and “Box” by Takashi Miike (Japan).

By far, the best of the collection includes a tale about what one woman would choose to eat to retain her beauty (“Dumplings”); a husband’s obsession with keeping his dead wife alive (“Going Home”); and what happens when a demented film extra terrorizes an affluent director and his pianist wife (“Cut”).

All will not have viewers jumping out of their seats in fear nor sickened by gore but rather subtly appreciating levels of supernatural, emotional distress, the terror of being placed in impossible situations and the redefining of a monster.

Each film was restored in 2K using the original 35mm camera negatives and presented in the original language, so that means following subtitles to clearly focus on the scares.

Frightful extras: Viewers get multiple hours worth of immersion into the minds of the creators, led by an optional commentary track with Mr. Miike for “Box” and a collection of interviews featuring “Memories” cinematographer Hong Kyoung-pyo (six minutes), “Dumplings” director Fruit Chan (15 minutes) and “Dumplings” actress Bai Ling (20 minutes).

Also worth watching is a two-part interview, spread across the discs, with director and producer Peter Ho-Sun Chan (36 minutes) that has the filmmaker take an overall look at the anthologies.

The package includes a double-sided, foldout mini-poster (13.5 inches by 17 inches) with newly commissioned, manga-style artwork by Xinmei Liu; and a 32-page full-color illustrated booklet with critical essays on each anthology by Professor Emeritus of Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois David Desser (“Three … Extremes”) and horror critic Stacie Ponder (“Three”).