BFI Flipside proudly announces release No. 053: NEGATIVES, the provocative 1968 debut feature by director Peter Medak, arriving on BFI Blu-ray on 16 March 2026. This film has been long unavailable in any format in the UK. This dreamlike and acutely cinematic character study now joins the legendary Flipside strand. Flipside is dedicates a reviving overlooked and unfairly forgotten films. An extraordinary cast leads the film. Peter McEnery, Diane Cilento and Glenda Jackson star in it. NEGATIVES explores the complexities of unconventional relationships. This occurs at the height of the free love era.
Medak has an eclectic career that spans over 50 years. It ranges from the British gangster classic The Krays to acclaimed episodes of The Wire and Breaking Bad. He announces himself here with a bold, psychologically rich work. This work pushes the boundaries of what British cinema of the late 1960s could show and say. This new Blu-ray edition, featuring a fresh restoration and extensive bonus content, offers the definitive way to experience the film.
A morbid love triangle of fantasy and obsession
Set above a dusty antiques shop, NEGATIVES traps its characters in a claustrophobic world. They are surrounded by archaic Edwardiana, moth-eaten costumes, and elaborate role-play. As Theo (Peter McEnery, Entertaining Mr Sloane) and Vivien (two-time Oscar winner Glenda Jackson, Women in Love) are passionate lovers, their relationship is embittered as they perform their relationship through increasingly strange sexual fantasies.
Theo assumes the persona of real-life murderer Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. Vivien alternates between playing Crippen’s wife and his lover. This blurs the lines between victim, accomplice, and object of desire. Their precarious emotional balance is disturbed by the arrival of Reingard (Diane Cilento, The Wicker Man). She is an uninhibited German photographer. Her own bizarre fantasies and intrusive gaze intensify the psychological games, in fact, reality and performance slip further out of sync, NEGATIVES explores identity and voyeuris. Moreover, it delves into the dangerous allure of living through invented roles.
Newly remastered edition with rich special features
This Blu-ray edition of NEGATIVES has been newly remastered from the original camera negative. Severin Films presents it in High Definition. This presentation restores the film’s colour palette, texture, and visual detail for contemporary audiences. The release is accompanied by a wealth of special features that illuminate the film’s production, themes and historical context:
- Audio commentary by Tim Lucas – the critic and historian provides an in-depth exploration. He examines each scene of the film’s imagery. He discusses references and the film’s place in late-1960s cinema.
- Audio interviews with Peter Medak (2024, 89 mins) – There are two conversations with the director. The first was conducted by the late author and film historian Lee Gambin. The second conversation was conducted by David Gregory of Severin Films. These were recorded at Medak’s home and they chart his memories of NEGATIVES and his early career.
- False Positive (2025, 11 mins) – a newly recorded interview with actor Peter McEnery. He reflects on his role as Theo and he also revisits the film’s production and reception.
- Editing Negatives (2026, 31 mins) – an interview with award-winning editor Barrie Vince. He discusses shaping NEGATIVES while also talking about his work on Smashing Time and Deep End.
- Positives From Negativeland: Scrapbook From a Grand Debut (2025, 16 mins) – Peter Medak opens his personal production archive. He shares materials from NEGATIVES and A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. He recalls the creative energy of that period.
- The Doctor Will See You Now (2025, 24 mins) – Dr Clare Smith is the historic collection curator at the Metropolitan Police Museum. She explores the real life of Dr Hawley Harvey Crippen. She delves into his crimes. His infamy underpins Theo’s obsession.
- Image gallery – stills, promotional materials and behind-the-scenes images from the film’s original release and restoration journey.
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY – an illustrated booklet featuring new essays by Dr Josephine Botting. It also includes essays by William Fowler, at the same time, the booklet provides detailed notes on the special features, full credits and archival perspectives on the film.
Where to buy
All BFI Blu-ray releases are available from all usual home entertainment retailers. This includes NEGATIVES. You can find them directly at the BFI Shop at BFI Southbank in person, besides, they are also available through the BFI’s online store. This new Flipside release offers cinephiles, collectors, and fans of Glenda Jackson and Peter Medak a rare chance. They can discover or rediscover one of the most distinctive and daring British debuts of the late 1960s.
If you are a filmmaker or just an aspiring one, you can learn filmmaking by purchasing this book. Get it from our shop , Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
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