Why So Blu?

The Outcasts (Blu-ray Review)

In this The Outcasts Blu-ray review, we look at Robert Wynne-Simmons’ long-lost 1982 folk horror gem about suspicion, magic, and madness in rural Ireland. Recently restored by the Irish Film Institute and brought to the U.S. for the first time by Deaf Crocodile, the film captures the essence of folk storytelling with an eerie poetic spirit. This release sheds new light on a forgotten chapter of Irish cinema and features a trove of extras that highlight Wynne-Simmons’ roots in atmospheric storytelling. With its first official U.S. release, The Outcasts Blu-ray finally brings this haunting Irish folk tale to a wider audience.

Film

Going into The Outcasts, I had no idea what to expect. The cover suggests vintage folk horror, but the experience is more like wandering into an old storybook, only to realize it’s full of ghosts, pagans, and lyrical dread. Mary Ryan plays Maura, a misunderstood young woman in 1800s Ireland accused of consorting with dark forces. Her piercing stare and raven-like beauty are matched by Mick Lally’s mystical presence as Scarf Michael, a fiddle player and conjurer who may be more than he seems.

The film plays like an ancient Irish ballad made flesh. Pagan ceremonies, surreal visions, and musical sequences unfold without much hand-holding, and that’s exactly what makes it feel otherworldly. It’s quiet, cold, and strange — in the best ways. You can almost feel the peat, smell the damp forest, and sense the tension rolling off the hills. It’s a story of myth versus fear, of the sacred turned profane by ignorance and isolation.

The dialogue is poetic, bordering on the theatrical, which fits the tone perfectly. The line ‘There’s a queer sweetness in the air. It’s an unnatural state of affairs’ could’ve come from a Shakespearean fever dream. Wynne-Simmons’ background as the writer of Blood on Satan’s Claw is definitely felt here, but The Outcasts is more intimate — less about terror and more about sorrow.

Watching it for the first time on Blu-ray felt like discovering a forgotten relic. This isn’t your typical horror flick — it’s folklore pressed onto film, surreal and sorrowful. What makes The Outcasts Blu-ray so special is how it captures the dreamlike, almost mythic tone of early 1980s folk horror. If you’re into folk horror, fantasy, or pagan aesthetics, this disc deserves a spot on your shelf.

 

Video

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the Blu-ray

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1

Region: A

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity and Detail: The image maintains a natural, filmic texture. Close-ups reveal period detail in costuming and rural interiors, while misty forest scenes remain moody and atmospheric. Deaf Crocodile’s work on The Outcasts Blu-ray gives the film a new level of clarity, offering fans both a visual and historical restoration.

Depth: There’s a sense of depth in the open landscapes and candlelit rooms. The image has good spatial separation for a film of this age and tone.

Black Levels: Stable and natural. Night scenes retain shadow detail without crushing, maintaining a consistent tone throughout.

Color: Earthy and subdued. The palette suits the mood—lots of browns, greys, and muted greens that enhance the film’s damp, rural authenticity.

Flesh Tones: Realistic and period-appropriate. Complexions are rendered faithfully under natural light.

Noise and Artifacts: No major noise or artifacting. Grain is consistent and clean, staying true to the original photography.

 

Audio

Audio Format(s): English LPCM 1.0

Subtitles: English SDH

Dynamics: The mono track is simple but clear, preserving the natural ambiance and score without distortion.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: N/A

Surround Sound: N/A

Dialogue: Dialogue is well-prioritized and easy to follow, even during quiet moments. The poetic delivery and lyrical tone come through clearly.

 

Extras

The Outcasts Blu-ray is stacked with fascinating bonus content that deepens its folkloric roots. There’s a new interview with director Robert Wynne-Simmons and a separate chat with composer Steve Cooney, both shedding light on the creative process behind the film’s atmosphere. A visual essay by Rod Stoneman adds historical and cultural context, while a treasure trove of ultra-rare 8mm shorts—some featuring the likes of Charlton Heston, Peter O’Toole, and Sammy Davis Jr. — reveal Wynne-Simmons’ early surreal sensibilities. The disc also includes The Judgement of Albion, a haunting 1968 tribute to William Blake. These extras feel like bonus chapters to the strange, poetic universe that The Outcasts inhabits — the wealth of extras included on The Outcasts Blu-ray offers vital historical and artistic context.

 

Special Features:

• New video interview with director/writer Robert Wynne-Simmons.
• New video interview with composer Steve Cooney.
• New visual essay by producer and professor Rod Stoneman, former head of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board.
• Ultra-rare early 8mm short films by Robert Wynne-Simmons:
  • “L’Eredita di Diavolo” (1962, 15 min.) – eerie ghost story shot in a derelict mansion once owned by Percy and Mary Shelley (Frankenstein).
  • “The Greatest All-Star Advertial Of All Time” (1963, 2 min.) – this madcap comic short features (incredibly) Charlton Heston, Michael Redgrave and a young Peter O’Toole!
  • “Bomb Disposal” (1963, 5 min.) featuring a cameo by Sammy Davis Jr.
  • “The Scrolls” (1964, 25 min.) – Wynne-Simmons’ most ambitious early film has surreal overtones of 1960s series such as “The Prisoner” and “The Avengers”.
• Plus: “The Judgement Of Albion – Prophecies of William Blake” (1968, 26 min.) Wynne-Simmons’ tribute to the visionary poet and artist William Blake. (Courtesy of Robert Wynne-Simmons and the British Film Institute.)

 

Summary 

The Outcasts is a beautifully strange film — part ghost story, part folk ballad. It won’t be for everyone, but for fans of folk horror, mystical allegory, and forgotten cinema, this release is a gift. The transfer preserves the film’s ethereal texture, and the special features dig deep into Wynne-Simmons’ unique vision. The Outcasts Blu-ray is a long-overdue resurrection of a forgotten gem in Irish folk horror and is recommended for fans of atmospheric, poetic storytelling.

 

The Outcasts is available on Blu-ray from Deaf Crocodile!

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