NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Second Run Blu-ray (March 2023): Second Run have transferred Robert Sigl's Laurin to Blu-ray. It is cited as being "presented complete and uncut from an HD transfer approved by director Robert Sigl." It includes both both English and German language versions. Cinematography was the debut of Nyika Jancsó son of director Miklós Jancsó (The Round-Up, The Red and the White.) The 1080P image is extremely strong - rich contrast and fine grain dominate the appealing visuals. Outdoor sequences are bright and clear - there are no damage marks or even excessive speckles. This looks wonderful on Blu-ray. This is housed on a dual-layered disc with a max'ed out bitrate. There is a German Blu-ray HERE but we don't own it to compare.

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Second Run offer the option of linear PCM mono tracks (16-bit) in both the English language DUB and original German. Laurin has only a very few more aggressive moments that come through with modest depth. There is a score credited to Hans Jansen and Jacques Zwart - both worked together on Witness in the War Zone but have fairly sparse film composure credits. I liked the music support here. It can sounds a but hollow but that suits the film's mood. Second Run offer optional English subtitles on their Region FREE Blu-ray.

The Second Run Blu-ray offers interviews with actors Dóra Szinetár and Barnabás Tóth as well as cinematographer Nyika Jancsó. These run over 40-minutes in total. It was great to hear from them so long after the film's production. We also get an interesting 1/2 hour of Jonathan Rigby discussing Laurin as well as a 10-minute archival documentary on The Making of 'Laurin'. Included are 20-minutes of deleted scenes and a trailer plus Second Run has augmented the package with two of Robert Sigl's award-winning, unnerving short films: The Christmas Tree (Der Weihnachtsbaum, 1983 - 19:23) described as "In an isolated house at the seaside a deranged father/son relationship finally escalates when the father tries to kill his seventeen year old offspring". Coronoia 21 (2021 - 9:51) about an isolated, lonely man's descent into madness during a Covid lock-down. The package has a booklet featuring a new essay by film writer and critic James Oliver.

Robert Sigl's Laurin was awarded the Bavarian Film Award for best direction of a newcomer. At the age of 25, Sigl was the youngest director ever to receive this distinction. Laurin has hints of a folk-horror, but the film's intoxicating image extends it much further. It also has some Euro-horror affectations that many will find extremely appealing. The country atmosphere and ominous castle add further to the film's Gothic expression. With the abundantly appealing character of Laurin approaching the transition to womanhood there is also a sexual specter throughout the film with her suggestive wide-eyed gaze and unusual bond with her twisted teacher; ex. spying on her bathing. It's a remarkable and fascinating film experience - akin to a creepy, mysterious, fairytale. Second Run continue their journey to improved Blu-rays and this is another wonderful, lesser-seen, film with a fabulously complete package including a/v approved by director Robert Sigl and extensive extras. I was blown away. We give it our highest recommendation!

Gary Tooze