What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – June 30, 2026 – They Will Kill You, Crime 101, Mortal Kombat, Primal, The Mastermind and more

They Will Kill You

If this week had a theme, it would be: dark. For some reason, almost all of this week’s major releases have a dark, intense, or scary tone to them. There are one or two exceptions of course, but this feels more like a slate you’d see in October’s spooky season, not the beginning of summer. Read on to see what I mean!

In This Week’s Column:

• They Will Kill You (4K Ultra HD + Digital)
• Crime 101 (4K Ultra HD)
• Mortal Kombat Kollection (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
• Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Season 3 (Blu-ray)
• Sangster Directs Hammer (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)
• The Mastermind (Blu-ray)
• Maurice (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

They Will Kill You (4K Ultra HD + Digital)

Official Synopsis:

With They Will Kill You, New Line Cinema and Nocturna present a bloody, adrenaline-fueled horror action comedy. At the center of the film is a young woman who must survive one night in “Virgil” — the mysterious hideout of a demonic cult, where deadly dangers lurk at every turn. To avoid becoming the next victim, the protagonist must fight her way through an uncompromising and visually stunning battle full of spectacular kills and pitch-black humor.

The Movie: 

Zazie Beetz stars in this interesting new thriller that borrows heavily from a few other films, isn’t entirely effective, and yet somehow I liked anyway. Beetz plays Asia, a young woman who comes to work as a maid at The Virgil, a posh and exclusive residential in New York City that is home to some deadly secrets. It’s not long before Asia realizes she will have to fight her way out of a building filled with Satanic worshippers in order to survive the night.

Effectively, you can describe the movie as Ready or Not meets The Raid, and honestly that would about sum it up. At least, for the most part. Luckily, the movie has a few twists and turns that the the trailer didn’t reveal — and I won’t spoil them here — but that help keep the film feeling fresh even if it is a little derivative. Now, it has its flaws, too; at times, the movie feels like it’s trying so hard to be stylish and over-the-top that it loses any sense of spontaneity. Every shot in the film feels very calculated, even while it’s trying to come across as if its spontaneous, and it makes the film’s style less organic.

That said, I liked the movie’s third act a lot, and there are some great supporting actors in it such as Heather Graham, Patricia Arquette, and Tom Felton that make the whole thing a little more fun. They Will Kill You wasn’t a slam dunk for me, but it won me over enough by the end that I can say it’s worth watching if you’re in the mood for an exploitation/action film with a sense of humor.

The 4K Video/Audio:

They Will Kill You on 4K Ultra HD looks a lot like the movie was probably meant to look. It’s a very visually distinct movie, so it’s hard to compare it to what it “should” look like. There are a lot of darker scenes drenched in red filters, and nothing looks like what you’d expect a regular movie scene to look like. There are a lot of places where the strong shadow delineation has to work overtime, but nothing on screen is ever obscured from vision, so that’s good. Ultimately, I like the look of the film a lot and I think the 4K captures that look perfectly. The surround soundtrack is also an impressive affair. There are some nice directional effects, while the low end bass channel feels like it’s pounding its way through you at times. Color me impressed.

The Bonus Features: 

• Director’s Log: The Making of They Will Kill You documentary
• Developing the Virgil featurette
• Asia Reaves’ Attacks featurette
• Crafting Carnage featurette

Digital Copy Included: Yes

Crime 101 (4K Ultra HD)

Official Synopsis:

When an elusive jewel thief (Chris Hemsworth) eyes the score of a lifetime, his path crosses that of a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) who is facing her own crossroads. Convinced he has found a pattern, a relentless detective (Mark Ruffalo) is closing in, raising the stakes even higher. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-defining choices—and the realization that there can be no turning back.

The Movie: 

Hey, do you want a perfectly serviceable-bordering-on-good action thriller? Well, than I have good news for you: Crime 101 is here. Chris Hemsworth, Halle Berry, and Mark Ruffalo star in this solid crime story which sees Hemsworth playing a criminal savant with a moral code, Halle Berry as a fed-up insurance agent who gets in over her head, and Mark Ruffalo as a detective who thinks he’s got a case figured out that no one believes in.

Director Bart Layton has made a couple of previous films in this genre; one a documentary (The Impostor) which is pretty good, and one a based-on-a-true-story crime movie (American Animals), which was okay. Crime 101 is probably the film of his I’ve liked the most, but it never elevates above its paint-by-numbers approach. I would have liked more background on Chris Hemsworth’s character, I would have liked more connection between the characters, and I would have liked a little more humor. It feels an awful lot like Layton is trying to make a Ridley Scott movie — or at least a Tony Scott movie — but he’s got a ways to go before he reaches either off those pinnacles.

That said, it’s an easy watch and it’s somewhat stylish and there are a few tense sequences, plus great supporting turns from Monica Babaro and Barry Keoghan. It’s definitely worth a watch on a Friday night, it just has no staying power at all, sadly.

The 4K Video/Audio:

At first glance, the fact that Crime 101 isn’t as vibrantly colorful as you might have come to expect from a 4K release might be slightly disappointing. However, I think this new 4K master sees the film look exactly the way Bart Layton want it to look. It’s meant to evoke a slick Ridley Scott/Michael Mann feel, and it succeeds in that respect. Again, though, I think that’s exactly what the director wanted, not a fault with the transfer. The imagery is crisp and clean and if there was a word I would use to describe the intentional color saturation, it would be: cool. The surround soundtrack is a strong effort; this movie will make you feel like you’re in the big city, and the sounds of the action scenes will come at you from all directions. This is an effective A/V presentation that really represents the director’s vision.

The Bonus Features: 

There are no bonus features and no digital copy. This is what happens when streaming services like Amazon put their movies out on disc. Disappointing.

Digital Copy Included: No

Mortal Kombat Kollection (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

A high-impact fusion of martial arts mayhem, fantasy spectacle and video game mythology, the Mortal Kombat films brought arcade combat to the big screen with bone-crunching action, iconic characters and pure 90s attitude, helping turn a controversial fighting game into a global pop culture phenomenon.

Kicking off in 1995, Mortal Kombat, directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, delivers a fast-paced, crowd-pleasing adaptation that pits Earth’s greatest fighters against the forces of Outworld in a no-holds-barred tournament for the fate of humanity. Featuring unforgettable characters like Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Johnny Cage and the thunderous Raiden, the film blends martial arts choreography, fantasy world-building and a now legendary electronic soundtrack to create one of the most influential video game movies of its era.

The saga continues with 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, expanding the scale and mythology as the battle spills beyond the tournament into an all-out war between realms. With higher stakes, new fighters, monstrous adversaries and epic confrontations, the sequel embraces the franchise’s operatic excess and supernatural chaos, pushing the Mortal Kombat universe into full fantasy spectacle.

Restored and packed with extras, this two-film collection celebrates the brutal fun, stylized combat and mythic world of Mortal Kombat, a landmark franchise whose unparalleled high-octane action embodies the adrenaline-fueled spirit of the 90s in all its spectacular glory!

The Movie: 

MORTAL KOMBAAAAAAT! Duhn-duhn-duhn-DUHN-duhn, duhn-duhn-duhn-DUHN-duhn!

If that didn’t instantly put an audio cue into your head, then you’re probably either not a video gamer or not of the Mortal Kombat generation. Hell, even if you’ve never touched a video game console in your life, that Mortal Kombat theme song was so ubiquitous in the 1990s you couldn’t escape it.

Of course, the game is still very popular today, with a new movie franchise over the past couple of years. But this week, Arrow Video takes us back to the mid-90s with the Mortal Kombat Kollection, a two-disc set that includes both 1995’s Mortal Kombat and 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation on 4K Ultra HD in a limited edition box set that is loaded with awesome extra features!

Now, I wasn’t fully obsessed with Mortal Kombat back in the day, but I was a pretty big fan. And I remember going to see the movies when they came out and thinking they were, you know, pretty okay. And honestly, I don’t think I’d ever seen them more than that one time each. Going back and revisiting the films now, I can tell you that they are the most gloriously ‘90s action films ever, and I mean that in the best possible way. As someone who considers ‘90s action movies their favorite genre, I was having so much fun watching all of these iconic characters come to life. And with cast members that include Christopher Lambert, Bridget Wilson, Talisa Soto, Robin Shou, Brian Thompson, and James Remar, you get both familiar faces and a strong dose of nostalgia.

Wrapped up in one of Arrow Video’s box-set style packages and coming with both physical goodies and video extras, I couldn’t be more excited about this top-notch home video release. Track down the Mortal Kombat Kollection today for a dose of action and fun!

The 4K Video/Audio:

The 4K Ultra HD presentation of both films offers up a nice audiovisual upgrade over any previous version. These are movies that have been around for a few decades now, but they look and sound really good. Image clarity is clean and crisp, and the prints are largely free of any blemishes or dirt, and that’s what you would hope for in a catalog title. Colors really pop, giving the movies a nice video game vibe. The surround soundtracks isn’t the most nuanced ever, but they kicks into high gear during the action scenes and will have you ducking for cover when Scorpion throws his barbed chain at you. The bass channel also gives everything an explosive feel, which fits the film nicely. Overall, this is another very strong effort from Arrow Video.

The Bonus Features: 

In the Box – 

• Collectors’ perfect-bound booklet featuring new writing on the films by Simon Ward and John Torrani
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
• Two double-sided foldout posters featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin

Mortal Kombat –

• Brand new audio commentary with director Paul W.S. Anderson
• Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
• Cage Match, a newly filmed interview with with actor Linden Ashby
• Leveling Up, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer John R. Leonetti
• Quarters to Millions, a newly filmed interview with producer Lawrence Kasanoff
• The Heavyweight, a newly filmed interview with designer and suit performer Tom Woodruff
• Mortal Kombat: A Journey Behind the Scenes featurette
• On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
• Theatrical trailers
• Image gallery

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation –

• Brand new audio commentary with director John R. Leonetti moderated by filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat
• Brand new audio commentary with comic book expert and podcast host Dave Baxter
• The Queen of the Night, a newly filmed interview with actor Musetta Vander
• Techno, Taiko, Orcho, a newly filmed interview with composer George S. Clinton
• The Man of a Thousand Deaths, a newly filmed interview with stunt performer J.J. Perry, who played Cyrax, Scorpion and Noob Saibot
• On-set interview bites with the cast and director and B-roll footage
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

Digital Copy Included: No

Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal: Season 3 (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

The third season of “Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal” opens with a shocking twist that resurrects Spear in a new form—stripped of memory and humanity—and forces him to roam a brutal, untamed world as a shadow of his former self. As Spear battles savage landscapes and deadly foes, faint echoes of his past begin to stir, leading him toward an emotional and explosive reunion that will test the limits of survival.

The Show: 

Genndy Tartakovsky, creator of Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, and Star Wars: Clone Wars, returns with the third season of his latest animated epic: Primal, which comes to Blu-ray and DVD with a two-current set that includes all ten episodes from Season Three.

The show sounds pretty simple on the surface: a caveman (“Spear”) and a Dinosaur (“Fang”) pair up after the loss of their respective families and try to survive in a slightly mythical prehistoric world. This third season completely upends things, as Spear has been transformed into something both more than and less than human, which solidly changes the mythology of the show. I found myself getting more and more sucked in with each passing episode, more than I think I have with the first two seasons.

As always, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. There’s not a second of this show that doesn’t look dynamic and vibrant and tactile, and I’m constantly amazed by just how great it looks. The action is visceral, and the characters manage to become engaging despite not a single line of dialogue between them. There’s a decent length of time between seasons so I had kind of forgotten Primal was out there until the review copy crossed my desk, but Primal: Season Three got me right back into it and now I’m jonesing for more. It might be time for a rewatch of the first two seasons to hold me over until Season Four gets here!

The Bonus Features: 

• Genndy Storyboard Walkthrough
• Spear and the Cricket Explained

Digital Copy Included: No

Sangster Directs Hammer (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

With screenplays for such ‘50s/’60s Hammer Films classics as The Curse of Frankenstein, Horror of Dracula, The Mummy and more, he became one of the very best writers in the genre. But when Jimmy Sangster returned to Hammer in the ‘70s to direct the only feature films of his career, he delivered three of the most unique shockers in the studio’s history: In The Horror of Frankenstein starring Ralph Bates as the sociopathic monster maker, Sangster brings both black humor and deep red dismemberments to Mary Shelley’s iconic tale. Sangster takes fanged lesbian desires to seductive new levels with Lust for a Vampire, featuring Yutte Stensgaard as the titular bloodsucker. Judy Geeson, Ralph Bates, Joan Collins and the legendary Peter Cushing star in Sangster’s acclaimed Fear in the Night, a taut psycho-thriller with a dark giallo edge. Each film is presented in UHD for the first time ever in North America, now scanned in 4K from their original camera negatives by StudioCanal. This collection also includes the 312-page Horror! Lust! Fear! Sangster featuring essays, interviews, comic adaptations and more, plus over 18 combined hours of comprehensive new & archival Special Features produced and curated by Severin Films.

The Movies: 

I’ve never been the biggest fan of the Hammer Horror movies and the movies that were styled after them. I don’t mean that in a way that I dislike them, I just mean they’ve never been a thing I’ve gravitated towards or found myself going ape over. I’ve watched a number of them and generally find them to be solidly okay, but there’s few that I’ve fallen in love with. And I’d be lying if I said that the Sangster Directs Hammer box set had completely changed my mind of that notion. But I’d also be lying if I said this wasn’t one of the most impressive and comprehensive home video box sets I’d ever seen!

Jimmy Sangster wrote dozens of beloved Hammer Horror films in the 1950s and 60s. Then, in the 70s, he tried his hand at directing, and only ever directed three films: The Horror of Frankenstein, Lust for a Vampire, and Fear in the Night. Those three films are included in this box set, each making their 4K Ultra HD debut (along with an accompanying Blu-ray in case you’re not 4K compatible yet), and they are some of the stronger films in the Hammer canon. Lust for a Vampire might not be a masterpiece, but it is sexy and haunting, and I was so transfixed by siren Yutte Stensgaard that I wonder if she wasn’t really a vampire! There are some cheesy moments and some bad wigs in the film, but it’s fun of you just go along for the ride. I’m a huge fan of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, so I’m a sucker for any Frankenstein adaptation, so The Horror of Frankenstein was one I enjoyed. I don’t really love Ralph Bates, who stars in both this film and Lust for a Vampire, but overlooking him, both films are enjoyable. Fear in the Night is probably both the strangest and the most effective movie in the set, a paranoiac thriller starring no less than Joan Collins and Peter Cushing. With no monsters or vampires anywhere in sight, it’s a taut thriller that will keep you engaged until the end.

This box set comes with gorgeous artwork, seven discs, literally 18 hours of bonus features, and a 300+ page book! 300 pages! I’ve seen books in box sets top 100 pages before, but never 300 pages! It even has comic book art reprinted inside! This whole box set is just an absolute masterpiece for collectors and fans.

The 4K Video/Audio:

The three films in this set arrive on 4K Ultra HD and they are very good A/V presentations overall. These are still movies that are over 50 years old, and there’s no hiding that. However, image clarity extremely sharp and the prints have been cleaned up to minimize and any blemishes or artifacts, and that’s what you would hope for. Some specks peek through here and there, but if they didn’t I would have been very surprised. The color saturation is solid, with some moments where real vibrancy shines through. The soundtracks are presented in mono, which is to be expected, but the  music and dialogue both of sound quite good, with no distortion or tinniness. There’s little to complain about for movies that are over 50 years old.

The Bonus Features: 

Here’s the thing: if I list out every single bonus feature included in this set, you’d have to scroll for five minutes to get through them all. Each of the films comes with approximately two hours of bonus features. These include (for each movie) audio commentaries, new interviews, archival interviews, panel discussions, making-of featurettes, audiovisual essays, trailers, and more. Then there’s the seventh bonus disc, which comes with a plethora of new extra features as well, which I’ve broken down for you below:

• Hammer and Beyond: The Jimmy Sangster Legacy – 2026 Documentary By Hammer Historian Marcus Hearn
• The Man From Bristol: Ralph Bates Remembered – Interviews With Actress/Wife Virginia Wetherell And Composer/Son Will Bates, Narrated By Lust for a Vampire Co-Star Judy Matheson
• Joan Collins: Queen Of The Horror Films – Interviews With House Of Psychotic Women Author Kier-La Janisse And Telefilm Historian Amanda Reyes
• Hammer In The U.S.A. – Film Historian C. Courtney Joyner On The Studio’s Stateside Distribution
• Hammer Scribe – Archival Interview With Director Jimmy Sangster
• Sapphic Blood Suckers: A Cinematic History Of The Lesbian Vampire Trope With Annie Rose Malamet, Film Scholar And Host Of Girls, Guts, Giallo
• I Coined “The Karnstein Trilogy” – Interview With David Pirie, Author Of A Heritage Of Horror

Digital Copy Included: No

The Mastermind (Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

Celebrated filmmaker Kelly Reichardt (First Cow, Showing Up) directs an unforgettable Josh O’Connor in The Mastermind, her latest Cannes triumph. In a sedate Massachusetts suburb circa 1970, unemployed family man and amateur art thief J.B Mooney sets out on his first heist. With the museum cased and accomplices recruited, he has an airtight plan. Or so he thinks.

The Movie: 

I’ve seen a lot of critics lauding The Mastermind with rave reviews, and in some ways I get it. It’s the kind of movie that critics tend to like. And it seems as if director Kelly Reinhardt has captured critics’ eyes and is a little bit of the Next Big Thing. I haven’t seen any of the director’s previous films, but The Mastermind is an underwhelming first exposure for me. Not because Reichardt lacks talent, but because she’s clearly making the kind of movie she wants to make, and it’s not the kind of movie I tend to gravitate towards.

The Mastermind sees a nebbishy father in a small town in the 1970s decide to rob a museum of its collection of paintings. As someone who’s not a criminal or a genius, you can imagine how well that goes, and it gets him mixed up with various elements of the law and the mafia. Josh O’Conner, most recently seen in Disclosure Day, plays the lead role and is easily the best part of the movie. He has such a natural charm and an easy way of delivering his lines that it’s hard not to like him. But the film is lackadaisical at best and glacially slow at worst, and when it’s over, you do kind of find yourself wondering a few things. Why did I watch that? What was the point of that movie? Why does it even exist?

People who like movies that are slightly pretentious and “elevated” (quotes on purpose) will probably find a lot to like about The Mastermind. I found a little to like, but I wish there was more, because I feel like there was a good film in there somewhere.

The Bonus Features: 

• The Mastermind: Unwinding the Heist Film – A Video Essay

Digital Copy Included: No

Maurice (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray)

Official Synopsis:

Set against the stifling conformity of pre-World War I English society, E.M. Forster’s Maurice is a story of coming to terms with one’s sexuality and identity in the face of disapproval and misunderstanding. Maurice Hall (James Wilby, Howards End) and Clive Durham (Hugh Grant, Notting Hill) find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. In a time when homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, the two must keep their feelings for one another a complete secret. After a friend is arrested and disgraced for “the unspeakable vice of the Greeks,” Clive abandons his forbidden love and marries a young woman. Maurice, however, struggles with his identity and self-confidence, seeking the help of a hypnotist to rid himself of his undeniable urges. But while staying with Clive and his shallow wife, Anne, Maurice is seduced by the affectionate and yearning servant Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves, Sherlock), an event that brings about profound changes in Maurice’s life and outlook. Cohen Film Collection is proud to present a gorgeous 4K restoration from the original negative, overseen and approved by director James Ivory and cinematographer Pierre Lhomme.

The Movie: 

Generally, when I hear the name Merchant Ivory Productions, I start to yawn reflexively, because period dramas just aren’t my jam. I don’t mean to sound uncultured, and it’s not like there aren’t any period dramas that I like, I just never set out to sit down with a three-hour movie about people in tuxedos and ballgowns not being able to have sex with each other because society forbids it.

Which, it turns out, is exactly what Maurice is about. And which is why I was so surprised at how good it is. Now, when I said that a lot of period dramas are about people not being able to have sex because society forbids it, I was referring to things like a lord and a maid having an affair, or people from two different families of two different social classes falling in love. In this case, it really was forbidden, as Maurice focuses on two men, Maurice and Alex (played by James Wilby and an impossibly young Hugh Grant) who fall in love at Cambridge and must hide their feelings for each other or literally go to prison.

The film isn’t a fast-paced thriller, but neither is it slow and dreary like so many movies in the genre can be. Instead, it’s an impossible love story punctuated by separation, shame, and secrets in which you undeniably understand every character’s desires and motivations, even if they don’t always make the best choices. The performances are fantastic, and I was engaged with the characters all the way through the very last scene. If you are looking for a thoughtful and engaging drama, Maurice will definitely fit the bill.

The 4K Video/Audio:

Maurice comes to home video on 4K Ultra HD, and it is an absolutely impeccable A/V presentation in 4K. The imagery is superb, with deep black levels, vibrantly saturated colors, and razor-sharp picture clarity. At the same time, the film isn’t a bombastic action picture, so the visuals aren’t blown out in an attempt to overdo things, giving the whole picture a nice, natural feel.  The 5.1 surround soundtrack offers up crisp and clear dialogue and some ambient surround effects, creating an atmosphere rather than an immersive soundfield. Honestly, though, it fits the film so I have no complaints.

The Bonus Features: 

• Audio Commentary by Film Critic Wade Major and Joseph Bristow, Distinguished Professor of English, UCLA
• Deleted Scenes and Alternate Takes with Audio Commentary by James Ivory
• James Ivory and Pierre Lhomme on the Making of Maurice
• Q&A with James Ivory and Pierre Lhomme
• Conversation between James Ivory and Director Tom McCarthy
• The Story of Maurice
• Conversation with the Filmmakers
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• 2017 Re-Release Trailer

Digital Copy Included: No