Taut as a drum, Vernon Sewell’s thriller Strongroom is a lean, nerve‑shredding British B‑movie that still feels brutally modern. Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Edgar Wright love it. It now arrives newly remastered in High Definition. The film makes its worldwide HD debut on BFI Blu-ray and digital.
The film lands on BFI Blu-ray and digital on 23 February. It will be available on BFI Player on 23 March. This follows a limited UK cinema release from 30 January by BFI Distribution. This new edition is packed with extras. It includes fresh audio commentaries and a second Sewell crime gem, The Man in the Back Seat (1961).
The gang of small-time crooks carefully planned a suburban bank robbery. However, one mistake traps the manager and his secretary inside an airtight vault for the entire weekend. The gang escape with the money, but there’s only around twelve hours of air left in the strongroom. As the clock runs down, they realize the truth: unless they can somehow free their hostages, a simple heist will turn into a murder charge.
Special features
- New 2K remaster, presented in High Definition
- Brand-new audio commentaries by film historians Dr Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt
- The Man in the Back Seat (1961, 57 mins): another taut Vernon Sewell thriller, reuniting much of Strongroom’s cast and crew
- John Trumper BEHP interview (1992, 158 mins, audio): the editor of Strongroom reflects on his career
- Footpads (1896, 1 min): one of the earliest British crime films
- A Test for Love (Vernon Sewell, 1937, 27 mins): a public information film on the dangers of STDs
- The Awakening Hour (Donovan Winter, 1957, 21 mins): a London robbery that spirals out of control at daybreak
- After Dark (Mike Dodds, 1979, 14 mins): a road safety short edited by John Trumper
- First pressing only: an illustrated booklet featuring new essays by James Bell, Barry Forshaw and Tony Dykes, plus notes on the special features and full credits
Where to buy
BFI Blu-ray and DVD releases are available from major home‑entertainment retailers and from the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank.
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