Why So Blu?

Relentless (Blu-ray Review)

Forget the Breakfast Club—John Bender just snapped. If you’re looking to add to your physical media collection a gritty, late-80s serial killer flick that somehow slipped under the radar, it’s time to fire up Relentless. Popping this 1989 William Lustig thriller into the Blu-ray player feels like unearthing a perfectly preserved time capsule of Los Angeles sleaze and police procedural grit. It’s the kind of nasty, mid-budget genre picture they simply don’t make anymore, and viewing it in crisp 1080p only highlights the sweaty, neon-lit grime of a city on edge.

Film ★★★☆☆

The Setup: Dial M for Murder

The plot kicks off with a delightfully twisted premise. Arthur “Buck” Taylor is a deeply unhinged young man with major daddy issues who has just been rejected from the Los Angeles Police Academy. To prove his father (a former cop) and the LAPD wrong, Buck decides to use all his tactical police training to become the “Sunset Killer.” His method of picking victims? Just randomly scrolling through the Los Angeles telephone book. Hot on his trail is Sam Dietz, a rookie LAPD detective who recently transferred from New York, and his reluctant partner, the crusty veteran Bill Malloy.

From the Brat Pack to a Bloodbath

Judd Nelson trades his teenage detention hall for a serial killer’s toolkit to play Buck Taylor, putting his petulant, bad-boy energy to incredibly sinister use. It’s fascinating to watch him try to shed his Brat Pack image, and while he might not have the hulking menace of a traditional slasher, his cold, calculating arrogance works perfectly here.

On the right side of the law, Leo Rossi is fantastic as the grounded, everyday family-man cop, Sam Dietz. Rossi brings a fantastic blue-collar energy to the role, balanced by the always-welcome Meg Foster playing his wife, Carol. But the absolute scene-stealer is legendary character actor Robert Loggia as Malloy. In his gravel-gargling prime, Loggia careens through this movie like a wrecking ball, bringing a combative charisma that elevates every scene he’s in.

Behind the Camera: Fun Facts and Franchise Lore

If the movie feels like it has a surprising amount of cinematic pedigree beneath its B-movie surface, there’s a good reason. Director William Lustig is a legend of gritty exploitation cinema (best known for Maniac and the Maniac Copseries), so he knows exactly how to shoot a menacing, atmospheric thriller.

But the wildest piece of trivia is the screenplay. It was penned by Phil Alden Robinson, who, amazingly enough, wrote and directed the Kevin Costner baseball classic Field of Dreams the exact same year! Furthermore, this little thriller actually spawned its own mini-franchise. Leo Rossi loved playing Sam Dietz so much that he returned for three direct-to-video sequels (Relentless II: Dead On, Relentless 3, and Relentless IV: Ashes to Ashes) throughout the early 90s, making Dietz the unlikely hero of his own ongoing saga.

Video ★★★★☆

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

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1

Region: A

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-25

Clarity and Detail: The HD transfer is a marked improvement on previous home video versions like those ancient, muddy DVDs. It faithfully retains that inherent late-80s softness, so it’s not razor-sharp or completely pristine, but it looks exactly like a gritty mid-budget thriller of its vintage should. It respects the original cinematography rather than trying to artificially modernize it.

Depth: Because of the natural softness of the film, you aren’t going to get a massive, pop-off-the-screen 3D effect. Still, the grimy urban Los Angeles locations, police precincts, and cramped apartments maintain a solid sense of space and environmental layering.

Black Levels: Shadows hold up nicely, leaning into that neo-noir aesthetic. Nighttime LA streets and dimly lit rooms look appropriately moody with deep blacks, even if the darkest corners occasionally swallow up a tiny bit of background detail.

Color: The overall color scheme is completely authentic to a gritty mid-budget film of this era, but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s washed out. There is plenty of pop for reds, blues, and greens—especially when police sirens are flashing or neon signs are buzzing in the background.

Flesh Tones: Complexions look healthy and natural. The transfer perfectly captures the sweaty, stressed-out faces of the cast without anyone looking overly pink, orange, or sickly.

Noise and Artifacts: Purists can breathe a sigh of relief. The natural film grain is beautifully resolved and hasn’t been toyed with or scrubbed away by heavy-handed digital noise reduction (DNR). While the source material isn’t absolutely pristine—you might catch a few minor specks or minor print wear here and there—it’s an incredibly pleasing, filmic presentation.

Audio ★★★☆☆

Audio Format(s): English DTS-HD MA 2.0 Stereo

Subtitles: English SDH

Dynamics: The lossless stereo track is perfectly serviceable without being terrible. While it’s certainly nothing you’ll go wild for or use to show off your home theater setup, it’s a solid, authentic presentation that is great for the film’s Blu-ray debut. The stereo panning sounds full and complete, giving the busy Los Angeles streets and tense musical cues a nice, wide sense of space across the front soundstage.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: Don’t expect your subwoofer to get much of a workout on this disc. There is very little bass response to speak of, so gunshots and heavier action beats lack a modern, room-shaking punch, staying true to the era’s standard audio mixes.

Surround Sound Presentation: N/A

Dialogue: The dialogue sounds exactly as it should. Even within the 2.0 stereo mix, conversations are cleanly prioritized and well-anchored right where a center channel would be. You won’t have to strain to hear the actors, ensuring you don’t miss a single gritty line delivery from Robert Loggia.

Extras ☆☆☆☆☆

Relentless joins Mill Creek/Alliance Entertainment’s newest Retro VHS Slipcover lineup of releases.  The slipcover is technically the only bonus of the release.

Summary ★★★☆☆

Watching Relentless at home on a modern Blu-ray setup is an absolute treat for fans of the genre. The high-definition transfer breathes new life into James Lemmo’s moody cinematography without scrubbing away the natural film grain that gives an 80s thriller its character. The uncompressed audio mix gives Jay Chattaway’s tense score plenty of room to breathe, and hearing Robert Loggia bark dialogue through a home theater sound system is worth the price of admission alone. It’s an underrated, tight little thriller that perfectly hits the spot for a late-night weekend double feature.

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