Overview: Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue in Mute Witness, an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller in which the only witness to a brutal crime can neither speak nor cry out in terror.

Billy Hughes (Marina Zudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film.

Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper.”

Blu-ray Verdict: Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema.

The appealing Russian actress Marina Zudina plays Billy Hughes, an American makeup effects artist working on a slasher film being shot in Moscow. Also on the crew are her sister Karen (Fay Ripley) and Karen’s boyfriend Andy (Evan Richards in Society), the director of this little epic. Admittedly, writer / director Anthony Wallers’ movie is at its most absorbing in the early going. It begins on a hilarious note, with a hammy actress overdoing a death scene to the point of absurdity. And Waller doesn’t take too long to plunge his leading lady into danger!

Some of his action and suspense scenes are very riveting, and you’re on the edge of your seat (to use an over-used phrase) rooting for Billy to escape the villains. Fortunately, Billy is a resourceful character. One of the nicest touches happens when Waller uses special effects trickery to make a hallway seem to stretch out endlessly, as Billy is on the run.

But Waller lessens the effectiveness of Mute Witness by having the plot get less interesting as it goes along. When a cop character named Larsen (Oleg Yankovskiy) is introduced, it’s just not the same when our heroine is given some sort of assistance. Waller does manage to make Larsen continuously ambiguous, as you keep wondering what side he’s on.

And Waller turns Karen and Andy into goofy comic relief characters; Karen, at least, is proactive and fairly resourceful herself, but Andy is such an incompetent idiot that you keep hoping that the bad guys will kill him off!

The pacing is effective for a while, and the filmmaking pretty slick. Zudina is wonderful in the lead, and receives strong support from Ripley and Yankovskiy. Richards is okay, but again, his character is annoying. Igor Volkov and Sergei Karlenkov are spooky as the bad guys. Oh, and there’s a real joy in seeing the special guest star who pops up in two scenes as criminal mastermind The Reaper!

In conclusion, and even with its flaws, Mute Witness is so damn good during its better portions that it still comes highly recommended. [H.S.]

Limited Edition Special Features:
4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
Restored original lossless stereo soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new audio commentary by writer/director Anthony Waller
Brand new audio commentary with production designer Matthias Kammermeier and composer Wilbert Hirsch, moderated by critic Lee Gambin
The Silent Death, brand new visual essay by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, examining Mute Witness and its relationship with snuff films
The Wizard Behind the Curtain, brand new visual essay by author and critic Chris Alexander, exploring the phenomenon of the film-within-a-film
Original “Snuff Movie” presentation, produced to generate interest from investors and distributors, featuring interviews with Anthony Waller and members of the creative team
Original location scouting footage
Original footage with Alec Guinness, filmed a decade prior to the rest of Mute Witness
Teaser trailer
Trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michelle Kisner

www.arrowfilms.com