Rampage (1987/1992) 4K UHD Movie Review: Two Cuts, One Conscience

The late William Friedkin rarely made anything average. The Oscar-winning director of The French Connection and The Exorcist used genre frameworks to investigate human nature’s capacity for cruelty. Rampage is no exception. Loosely inspired by Richard Chase, the blood-drinking Sacramento serial killer known as “The Vampire,” the film follows a string of brutal murders that force a principled district attorney to confront his own beliefs about capital punishment.

Charles Reece (Alex McArthur, Kiss the Girls) looks every bit the golden boy—polished, generous, devoted to his mother. But on Christmas Day, that image fractures. A gun purchase sets him on a path of cold-blooded violence, one of the era’s most unnerving killing sprees. District Attorney Anthony Fraser (Michael Biehn, The Abyss) a man of faith and principle that is staunchly opposed to the death penalty, is assigned to his case. As the trial unfolds, Fraser’s moral compass begins to wobble under the weight of Reece’s brutality. Part psychological thriller, part courtroom drama, the film lingers in uneasy territory, asking questions that refuse tidy answers.

Friedkin’s documentary-style approach gives Rampage an unsettling authenticity. The opening attack and many others unfold in broad daylight with minimal music from Ennio Morricone—often the only things we hear is the familiar buzz of life happening around us unspoiled. McArthur delivers a fascinating performance, making Reece strangely personable when he’s not hunting victims. One scene finds him joking with prison guards moments before a vicious escape attempt. That duality is the film’s secret weapon. Meanwhile, Biehn anchors the moral conflict with conviction. Grace Zabriskie (Child’s Play 2) appears as Reece’s, adding another layer of psychological unease and giving the viewer a tip to where her son may have picked up his strange ways.

The film’s troubled history makes this physical release essential for cinephiles. Shot in 1987, Rampage was shelved for five years when the De Laurentiis Entertainment Group went bankrupt. Miramax eventually acquired it, and Friedkin re-edited the film with a significantly different ending for its 1992 release. Both versions are included here, offering a valuable case study in how studio interference can reshape a film’s meaning and moral perspective. The original cut is superior, but comparing the two illuminates Friedkin’s evolving stance on capital punishment without either version spelling out what audiences should conclude. However, the film was marketed so poorly that critics and audiences felt deceived when they bought a ticket for a Friedkin thriller and got something more complex.

Kino Lorber’s 4K presentation is exemplary. The HDR/Dolby Vision master, sourced from a 4K scan of the original camera negative for the 1987 cut, is flawless. Robert Yeoman‘s 35mm photography has never looked better. The theatrical version, scanned from an interpositive, shows minor wear but remains impressive. Audio commentaries by Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson cover both cuts with fascinating detail about their differences. New interviews with McArthur and true crime writer Harold Schechter round out a comprehensive package.

Rampage predates the serial killer boom of the 1990s by years. It’s a film that disturbs without exploitation, questions without preaching. For those who think they’ve seen everything Friedkin had to offer, this restoration proves otherwise.