Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer Returns in 4K for Its 40th Anniversary

Forty years later, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer still does not need cheap jump scares to make people uncomfortable, and Dark Sky Films is treating the anniversary like the film deserves more than a lazy repackaging.

The company is celebrating the landmark film’s 40th anniversary with a restored 4K presentation, a Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelcase, a one-night theatrical return at Regal Cinemas and a special collaboration with cult apparel brand Rucking Fotten. Directed by John McNaughton and starring Michael Rooker in his feature-film debut alongside Tom Towles and Tracy Arnold, the movie is getting a serious collector-focused treatment.

The restoration was created from the original 16mm camera negative and arrives in 2160p Dolby Vision HDR while preserving the original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Audio options include English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo, giving fans the choice between a fuller modern mix and something closer to the film’s stripped-down original presentation.

Before the disc lands, the movie is going back where it first earned its reputation: a dark theater. On October 14, 2026, Regal Cinemas will screen the restored 4K DCP nationwide for one night as part of the chain’s 31 Screams on Screen series, giving longtime fans and curious newcomers a chance to experience the movie in a setting that makes its cold, detached violence hit even harder.

Then on October 27, Dark Sky Selects will release the 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelcase. Collectors are also getting some extra temptation through limited Rucking Fotten bundles available for pre-order from October 1 through October 9, including one package with the Steelcase and exclusive T-shirt and another that adds a VHS edition for people who apparently looked at their shelves and decided they still had room.

The film itself remains one of the nastiest outliers of American independent cinema. Loosely inspired by real events, Henry avoided the theatrical slasher formula of the era and instead presented violence in a cold, observational way that made audiences and censors deeply uncomfortable. Completed in 1986 and first shown at the Chicago International Film Festival, the movie did not receive a U.S. theatrical release until 1990 after years of controversy surrounding its content.

Rooker’s Henry is a psychopathic drifter who settles into the rundown Chicago apartment of former prison mate Otis. When Otis’ sister Becky arrives looking for somewhere to stay, she finds herself drawn toward Henry without understanding the full horror sitting right in front of her. That stripped-down ugliness, combined with Rooker’s almost casual performance, is a big reason the film still feels nasty in a way more polished horror movies often do not.

Dark Sky is not skimping on the extras either. The anniversary release includes Twisting The Lens: The Diegetic Camera and Voyeurism in Henry, In Defense of Henry: An Appreciation, Henry vs MPAA: A Visual History, Henry at the BBFC, In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton, Portrait: The Making of Henry, deleted scenes, outtakes, interviews, two audio commentaries, a still gallery and storyboards.

The Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Steelcase arrives October 27, with the one-night Regal event happening October 14. Horror collectors already know what this is, and everybody else should understand they are not getting some glossy nostalgia release. They are getting one of American independent horror’s ugliest landmarks cleaned up just enough to make it uncomfortable all over again.