Blu-Ray Review: The Sender

Whilst we’re still trying to fathom out exactly how a human brain works, there’s no doubt that all manner of terrors can be conjured up by our own subconscious. Nightmares can become instruments of torture designed to stalk us in our sleep. For this reason, psychological thrillers are often the most disturbing and effective horror films. These include The Shining, Psycho, Donnie Darko and The Sixth Sense. Whilst The Sender might not be well known today, it was influential at the beginning of the 1980s.

After an unsuccessful suicide attempt, an unknown man (Željko Ivanek) is admitted to a psychiatric hospital for observation. Known only as ‘John Doe’, the stranger is suffering from amnesia and cannot remember anything about his life. He’s placed under the care of Dr Gail Farmer (Kathryn Harrold). After she tries to establish a connection with him, Gail starts to experience strange and terrifying hallucinations. She soon identifies the cause to be the nameless patient.

The Sender is a strange and intriguing psychological thriller. Filmed in beautiful neon shades, director Roger Christian ensures that the nightmarish horror feels palpably realistic. The concept of being able to ‘send’ your nightmares to others is truly disturbing whilst the pacing is used cleverly to keep you in suspense. The special effects are impressive and it all comes together to make The Sender an entertaining and involving movie.

Extras:

High Definition (1080p) Blu-Ray presentation
Original uncompressed stereo audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Audio commentary by director Roger Christian
Newly-filmed interview with screenwriter Tom Baum
Newly-filmed appreciation by critic Kim Newman
Deleted scenes from the screenplay, including the original ending
Theatrical trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Insect

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Alan Jones and an excerpt from the novelisation by Tom Baum