HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER Nabs 4K Revival From Dark Sky Films
Director John McNaughton’s 1986 horror thriller, Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer is getting back in the limelight for October from Dark Sky Films. The label is now heading up a 40th anniversary re-release at Regal Cinemas nationwide on October 14, followed by a Limited Edition 4K re-up in steelbook on October 27.
Michael Rooker stars in the title role, making his debut in the film which drew its loose inspiration from the life and times of real-life killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole. The film reportedly drew enough controversy to garner an X rating, and a load of difficulty in finding a distributor. An unrated version was later released in 1990.
Dark Sky Films is pushing its own share of merchandise to mark the occasion as well, which you can glimpse at in the gallery just beneath the trailer following Thursday’s announcement. Peep it (viewer discretion advised, of course):
CHICAGO (October 1, 2026) – Forty years after it first shocked audiences and forever changed the boundaries of cinematic violence, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER returns in a definitive new 40th anniversary edition from Dark Sky Selects, led by a Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD disc housed in a collectible Steelcase, arriving October 27, 2026.
The landmark film from director John McNaughton, featuring Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy, The Walking Dead) in his unforgettable feature-film debut, has been newly restored in 4K from the original 16mm camera negative, bringing one of the most uncompromising films in American independent cinema to audiences in a stunning new presentation.
The 40th anniversary celebration will also bring HENRY back to the big screen in a restored 4K DCP at Regal theaters nationwide on October 14 as part of their 31 Screams on Screen Series. This exciting one night event will give longtime fans and a new generation of moviegoers the opportunity to experience McNaughton’s chilling film theatrically four decades after its historic 1986 debut.
Dark Sky is also marking the anniversary with an exclusive collaboration with cult apparel brand Rucking Fotten, pairing the Limited Edition 4K UHD disc + Steelcase with a specially designed HENRY T-shirt. Available for pre-order exclusively through Dark Sky Selects from October 1 through October 9, the collaboration will include a Rucking Fotten T-shirt + 4K UHD Steelcase bundle, as well as an additional bundle featuring the Rucking Fotten T-shirt + 4K UHD Steelcase + VHS.
Few films have retained the ability to unsettle audiences quite like HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER. Loosely inspired by a true story, the film rejected the heightened conventions of the slasher movies of its era in favor of something colder, more intimate and frighteningly matter-of-fact. Its detached depiction of violence made the film a lightning rod in debates over cinema and censorship, while its reputation has only grown in the decades since.
Rooker stars as Henry, a psychopathic drifter who has left a trail of bodies in his wake and settles temporarily in the dilapidated Chicago apartment of his former prison mate Otis (Tom Towles). Into their toxic environment comes Otis’ younger sister Becky (Tracy Arnold), who is fleeing an abusive marriage and looking for a place to stay.
As Becky deflects her brother’s advances, she finds herself drawn to Henry, seeing in him both a potential lover and someone she might be able to save. What she doesn’t realize is that Henry and Otis have begun killing together, descending into increasingly terrifying acts of violence. As Becky searches for a way to rebuild her life, she turns toward Henry — raising the chilling question of whether redemption is possible for a man like him.
Completed in 1986, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER made its debut at the Chicago International Film Festival, but its path to American theaters proved nearly as notorious as the film itself. Its unflinching violence and Rooker’s clinical, detached performance created significant controversy, and the film did not receive a U.S. theatrical release until 1990.
The response from critics and audiences was visceral, and HENRY went on to be recognized as one of the most compelling and disturbing American independent films of its era. Daniel M. Kimmel wrote in Variety, “[T]his is a movie that will anger and frighten audiences … Many will also find this one of the most impressive film debuts of the ’80s.”
Four decades later, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER has lost none of its ability to disturb. The new 4K restoration brings the film back to the forefront of American horror while preserving the stark, uncompromising aesthetic that made it so startling upon its debut.
The 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD disc + Steelcase presents the new restoration in 2160p Dolby Vision HDR in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio, with English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo.
The release is packed with special features, including 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, an interview with Nightmare USA author Stephen Thrower; It’s Either You or Them, an interview with artist Joe Coleman; In the Round: A Conversation with John McNaughton; Portrait: The Making of Henry; deleted scenes and outtakes; interviews with McNaughton; two audio commentaries; a still gallery; and storyboards.
Directed by John McNaughton HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER stars Michael Rooker, Tom Towles and Tracy Arnold. The film was produced by John McNaughton, Lisa Dedmond and Steven A. Jones.
The HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER 40th Anniversary Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD Disc + Steelcase will be released October 27, 2026, exclusively through Dark Sky Selects at this link HERE. The limited-edition Rucking Fotten collaboration bundles will be available for pre-order October 1–9, 2026. The film will return to the big screen in a restored 4K DCP at Regal theaters nationwide for one night only on October 14, 2026.
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