She Killed in Ecstasy – Severin Films 4K UHD & Blu-ray Review

There’s something quite satisfying about seeing She Killed in Ecstasy arrive alongside Vampyros Lesbos in matching 4K editions because in many ways, the two feel like companion pieces. Same director, same era, same hypnotic presence of Soledad Miranda… but a very different kind of film once you actually get going.

Where Vampyros Lesbos drifts off into a sun-drenched dream, She Killed in Ecstasy is colder, more direct, a revenge story dressed up in Franco’s unmistakable blend of eroticism and melancholy.

And that shift in tone makes this release feel like more than just a companion piece it’s arguably the more focused film of the two.

At its core, this is a revenge thriller, filtered through Franco’s typically loose, stylised approach.

Soledad Miranda plays a woman avenging the death of her disgraced scientist husband, systematically targeting the doctors responsible. It’s a simple setup, and compared to some of Franco’s more abstract work, this one actually has a clearer narrative holding it together.

That said, this is still very much a Franco film…

Scenes linger. Dialogue often feels secondary to mood. And much of the storytelling happens through glances, music, and atmosphere rather than traditional structure. It won’t work for everyone – if anything, it can feel a little repetitive as the revenge cycle plays out – but there’s a strange hypnotic pull to it all the same.

Miranda, again, is the key.

There’s a stillness to her performance that carries the film through its quieter stretches. It’s not a showy role, but it’s a presence, and much like Vampyros Lesbos, the film would likely fall apart without her at the centre of it.

As part of Severin’s foray into Franco territory, this release gets the same 4K UHD treatment, and it’s another case where the upgrade feels justified.

The film’s palette is a little more subdued than Vampyros Lesbos, leaning into cooler interiors and clinical spaces, but that actually plays nicely with HDR. Whites are cleaner, blacks are deeper, and there’s a noticeable uptick in texture across skin tones, fabrics, and those slightly sterile environments.

It’s not a showy 4K disc and again this isn’t something you’d use to demo your setup (“hey nan, have a watch of this”) but it’s a clean, respectful presentation that avoids over-processing.

Like its companion release, it’s sourced from a new restoration and presented in its original aspect ratio, with that familiar slightly soft, grainy look that comes with early ’70s Euro cinema.

Audio is again fairly straightforward original mono, clean and functional.

There’s not a huge amount going on there but the score does a lot of the heavy lifting, and it comes through clearly enough. As with most Franco releases, you’re here for mood rather than immersion, and the disc handles that just fine.

Extras – While Vampyros Lesbos arguably steals the spotlight with its stacked extras, She Killed in Ecstasy still gets a respectable Severin treatment.

It’s not quite the five-hour deep dive territory of some boutique releases, but there’s enough here to give the film proper context rather than just presenting it in isolation — which is really what you want with Franco.

As with most Severin releases, it feels slightly more academic and curated with fans in mind rather than padded out for the sake of it.

Ecstasy In Rage – 42 minute Interview With Stephen Thrower, Author Of Murderous Passions: The Delirious Cinema Of Jesús Franco similar to the interview on the Vampyros Lesbos disc.
In The Land Of Franco Part 13 – another curious travelogue type video. This ones 21 minutes and I find them oddly endearing.
Jess Killed In Ecstasy – 17 minute interview With Writer/Director Jess Franco. Another interesting chat with Franco.
Sublime Soledad – Interview With Soledad Miranda Historian Amy Brown. This one needs the sound up , and you may have seen it before. Bit of a letdown if you’ve picked up both releases.
Paul Muller On Jess Franco – Quick 6 minute interview With Frequent Franco Star Paul Muller. I wish this was a bit longer as it’s quite a fun breezy chat.
German Trailer – what no camper vans? The film trailer. In German.

She Killed in Ecstasy is probably the more accessible of the two Franco/Soledad Miranda 4K releases, but that’s relative. This is still slow, stylised, and very much operating on its own wavelength.

What it does have, though, is a clearer sense of purpose and that makes it a slightly easier watch if you’re not already fully on board with Franco’s more abstract tendencies.

As a release, Severin have done what you’d hope. A strong, respectful 4K presentation with solid (if inherently limited) audio and a worthwhile set of extras.

And while it may not feel quite as flashy or immediately striking as Vampyros Lesbos, it’s a more grounded but no less hypnotic slice of Jess Franco’s cinema, presented with care and attention.