Added to your basket
Arrow Video
SHE WON’T BE SILENCED.
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 Sudina) 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”.
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.
Product Features
- LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-rayTM 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
- 95 mins approx
- Anthony Waller
- 18
- Marina Sudina
- Fay Ripley
- Oleg Yankovsky
- English SDH
- 2.35:1
- 1995
- English
- 1
- B
- Arrow Video
Mute Witness Limited Edition Blu-ray
-
Blu-ray
Earn 150 reward points when purchasing this product*
RRP: £24.99
£15.00
Save: £9.99
In stock
Live Chat
Average connection time 25 secs
Average connection time 25 secs
Arrow Video
SHE WON’T BE SILENCED.
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 Sudina) 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”.
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.
Product Features
- LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- 4K restoration approved by director Anthony Waller
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-rayTM 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
- 95 mins approx
- Anthony Waller
- 18
- Marina Sudina
- Fay Ripley
- Oleg Yankovsky
- English SDH
- 2.35:1
- 1995
- English
- 1
- B
- Arrow Video
Customer Reviews
Top Customer Reviews
Where reviews refer to foods or cosmetic products, results may vary from person to person. Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of The Hut Group.
An Unexpected Rollercoaster of Schlock-Meets-Feminist Drama
Maybe this movie doesn't have a fully fleshed out world, narrative, or cast of characters. And perhaps the final moments leave far too much unresolved to make the ending feel like a justified conclusion. But Mute Witness is a sublimely stylized, at times viscerally shocking film, and even if it pains me to say, I think the craft that went into it truly carries any other weak or unfinished element. I mean, this has some of the greatest camerawork, editing, sound design, and art design I've ever experienced in a horror, thriller, or psychological drama. And I have to admit, I really thought Mute Witness was going to end up or feel like the type of movie the director in the story would make; some kind of schlocky, shock value, blatantly misogynistic work of blood and guts thrills. And it sort of is all that at certain moments, but after the first twenty or thirty minutes, this thing genuinely and effectively morphs into a different kind of film, balancing nail-biting suspense, excruciating action, and thoughtfully provocative observations on women facing and confronting prejudice, ignorance, and angering stupidity (it was so good to see Billy and Karen stick so close together, especially in the world of filmmaking). But yeah, Mute Witness is a bonkers ride of a movie, and I really enjoyed taking in the aggressive technical approach to stylizing what could've been a pretty empty plot unfolding. Again, maybe it's not a perfect work of art from a storytelling standpoint, but I think it's kind of a great example of the artistic capacities of horror as a vehicle for spectacle. And I don't think there's anything wrong with just being that. As for this specific Arrow release: what a great restoration on the disc; it's packed with interesting special features; and I love the artwork all around. Definitely a loving edition of this movie that's worth owning.
Was this helpful?
