Crime Scenes, Carnage, and a Very Curious Cleaner

Read Time:6 Minute, 58 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Curdled (4KUHD)
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Genre: Crime, Horror, Thriller, Black Comedy
Year Released: 1996, Kino Lorber 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 28m
Director(s): Reb Braddock
Writer(s): Reb Braddock, John Maass
Cast: Angela Jones, William Baldwin, Bruce Ramsay, Lois Chiles, Barry Corbin, Kelly Preston, Mel Gorham, Daisy Fuentes
Where to Watch: available July 29, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.kinolorber.com or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: There’s an eccentric charm to a movie that knows exactly what it is—bizarre, small-scale, and just the right amount of unhinged. CURDLED, the feature-length expansion of Reb Braddock’s 1991 short film, is one of those rare projects that doesn’t flinch in its identity as a gleefully macabre black comedy. With its 2025 4K re-release from Kino Lorber, a new opportunity arises to revisit this curious slice of ‘90s weirdness—now cleaned up, even if the story itself remains coated in grime and gore.

Angela Jones stars as Gabriela, a soft-spoken Colombian immigrant whose fascination with violent crime has followed her since childhood. She’s not intrigued in the way most true crime junkies are. No, Gabriela has taken her obsession to scrapbook levels, cataloging newspaper clippings and facts with a methodical eye. When she lands a job with a Miami crime scene cleanup crew, it’s less about employment and more about access. She’s not afraid of blood. She’s practically worshipful toward it.

This premise alone would be enough to build a dark comedy around, but Braddock and co-writer John Maass go one step further. Enter William Baldwin as the “Blue Blood Killer,” a smooth-talking, upper-class murderer whose latest victim just so happens to become Gabriela’s next assignment. That chance encounter sets off a chain of events that’s less about chasing suspense and more about mining tension from personality collisions. When the two finally cross paths, it’s not the typical stalker-vs-victim dynamic—there’s something much stranger and more unsettling at play.

Jones is the film’s secret weapon. Known to most audiences for her brief but memorable turn as the cab driver in PULP FICTION, she takes center stage here with a performance that’s both deadpan and layered. Gabriela doesn’t say much, but her silences speak volumes. There’s an eerie calmness to her presence, the kind that makes you unsure whether she’s scared, excited, or something else entirely. Her scenes are punctuated with offbeat behaviors—such as chewing gum too hard and moving with near-meditative slowness—and they leave a lasting impression.

Baldwin, for his part, leans into the menace of his role without turning it into caricature. He’s effective in a way that doesn’t overshadow Jones, allowing their eventual interaction to unfold like a twisted tango rather than a typical predator/prey scenario. It’s to Braddock’s credit that he avoids turning this story into a cat-and-mouse thriller. Instead, CURDLED plays with the notion that two people can share the same morbid interest—but one channels it through violence, and the other through fascination.

That said, the film isn’t without its struggles. Stretched from a short, it sometimes shows its seams. The middle act bogs down, especially when attention shifts from Gabriela to side characters who are never as compelling. There’s also a tightrope walk that doesn’t always land. Some moments lean too far into the absurd and pull away from the suspense, while others seem to strive for meaning but fall short of it. However, when the film does click, it’s with a wicked grin and a splash of arterial red.

Kino Lorber’s 4K restoration brings a surprising amount of style back into focus. Shot on 35mm, the original film benefits greatly from the new HDR/Dolby Vision master, revealing all the gaudy, blood-slicked charm of its ‘90s indie roots. The color palette—faded pastels, neon grime, and the stark contrast of bleach-white walls and bright red splatter—now has the clarity and texture to enhance the film’s surreal, off-kilter mood.

The physical media release also comes loaded with extras. Two new audio commentaries (one with Jones, Braddock, and Maass, and another with film historian Dwayne Epstein), a 2004 archival commentary, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes, rehearsal clips, and even both versions of the original short film make this a package for fans who’ve followed the movie’s cult status over the decades. Quentin Tarantino—who helped champion the film as an executive producer—appears in archival segments to provide context for its journey and how Jones came to his attention during the PULP FICTION casting process.

For those discovering CURDLED for the first time, its place within the 1990s indie film boom is easy to place. It's got that post-Tarantino swagger: talky, stylish, violent, and unconcerned with moral clarity. But where some knockoffs from the era tried too hard to replicate the cool factor, this one thrives by being weirder, quieter, and less interested in heroes or redemption.

Does it always work? Not quite. The pacing struggles at times, and some performances feel flat. But even its missteps feel like part of its charm. It’s the kind of film where a woman asking whether severed heads can still speak feels not just logical but weirdly poetic. Gabriela isn’t just obsessed with murder—she wants to understand it. And maybe, in her way, she wants to be seen by it too. CURDLED is messy, offbeat, and singular. It’s the cinematic equivalent of lingering too long at a crime scene because you can’t quite look away. And even if it doesn’t clean up every narrative splatter, it’s worth the visit—especially with this beautifully preserved reissue.

Product Extras:
DISC 1 (4KUHD):
Brand New HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary by Actress Angela Jones, Co-Writer/Director Reb Braddock, and Co-Writer John Maass
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author Dwayne Epstein
2004 Audio Commentary by Reb Braddock and Co-Writer John Maass
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Triple-Layered UHD100 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY):
Brand New HD Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative
NEW Audio Commentary by Actress Angela Jones, Co-Writer/Director Reb Braddock, and Co-Writer John Maass
NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian and Author Dwayne Epstein
2004 Audio Commentary by Reb Braddock and Co-Writer John Maass
NEW Interview with Actress Angela Jones
Intro and Outro by Executive Producer Quentin Tarantino
Behind-the-Scenes Special: Featurette
Curdled: Original Short
Curdled: Short (Second Version)
Television Playback Pieces
Deleted Scenes
Danza Macabra Rehearsals
Theatrical Trailer
5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio
Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
Optional English Subtitles

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[photo courtesy of KINO LORBER]

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