Following on from Hammer Films’ terrific 4K collector’s edition release of The Quatermass Xperiment, the house of horror have also released its sequel, Quatermass 2, newly restored in ultra-high definition with a wide array of special features. Released in 1957, Quatermass 2 adapted the second BBC TV serial by Nigel Kneale, bringing the further adventures of Bernard Quatermass to life with a bigger budget and a more spectacular finale.

When a series of meteorite showers fall near a top-secret government facility, Professor Bernard Quatermass is drawn into a mystery with terrifying implications. What begins as a scientific inquiry soon reveals a covert alien infiltration, spreading silently beneath the surface of official research. As the conspiracy unravels, Quatermass races against time to expose the truth—before an otherworldly force changes humanity forever.

Quatermass creator Nigel Kneale was barely involved with the first Hammer film, but for the second feature secured a better contract to adapt his six-part TV serial himself, becoming more hands-on with this feature adaptation. Brian Donlevy returns as Professor Bernard Quatermass, struggling to launch his new rocket after the events of the last film. The character has softened between films, no doubt due to Kneale’s greater influence, although he also feels like a more active character in the narrative, driving the plot forwards. While The Quatermass Xperiment emphasised its ensemble cast, Quatermass 2 lets the eponymous Professor take centre-stage in what becomes a paranoid thriller. Val Guest returns to the director’s chair as well, although Jack Warner, who delivered a great supporting role as Inspector Lomax in Xperiment is replaced by John Longden and Maurice Kaufmann is swapped for Bryan Forbes as Quatermass’ colleague, Marsh.

There is less obvious horror in Quatermass 2, oftentimes leaning into Kneale’s philosophy that “it [is] very easy to suggest the worst”, with the threat of alien invasion cloaked in the shadiness of bureaucracy. Perhaps the most ‘Hammer horror’ moment is when Quatermass’ ally Broadhead steps out covered in the corrosive synthetic ‘food’. His staggering gait and cries of pain, combined with his almost charred appearance (especially in monochrome) makes for a truly chilling scene. The aliens themselves are left ambiguous, creatures of cosmic horror beyond humanity’s understanding, marking their zombified human drones with burns like the devil’s mark. Just who is under the influence of the aliens adds to the paranoia, developing a conspiracy that gets so large and so ambiguous that the resolution ends up feeling a bit inconclusive. The true effects of the infection (or possession?) are never delved into, while the eerie village Quatermass finds himself in (complete with signs stating ‘secrets mean sealed lips’) is a thread that doesn’t really go anywhere. Doctor Who fans will recognise some story beats that were later stolen (ahem, referenced) in the Jon Pertwee adventures Spearhead from Space and Inferno.

Quatermass 2 may be a bigger sequel in terms of scope — boasting some great location filming and cinematic matte paintings — but it is also a lesser sequel. The pacing is a bit off, lacking the ticking clock of the first film’s body horror / possession storyline, while the narrative is a collection of great ideas that never quite coalesce into something entirely satisfying. The prologue sets up some nice atmosphere (even if Quatermass’ desire for a moon colony feels distinctly retro and charming in 2025), before deliving into Kneale’s distrust of authority, punctuated by a particularly dark moment in which a comical main character is violently gunned down. There’s a paranoid air about the film, bolstered by James Bernard‘s terrific score, although there’s still some pulpy sci-fi fun to be had. “How final can it be?” wonders Quatermass, and while it took a few years, his adventures did continue with Quatermass and the Pit — this time in colour!

---

Presentation

For this release, Hammer Films have undertaken a brand-new 4K restoration of an original fine-grain 35mm print, providing fans with a full 2160p presentation complete with a new Dolby Vision HDR colour grade. Three versions of Quatermass 2 are included: the widescreen 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version, the fullscreen 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version and the widescreen 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version, re-titled Enemy from Space — all derived from this new 4K master. Picture quality varies a little throughout: some shots look as sharp as one would expect, while others (particularly shots that appear to be stock footage) appear noticeably softer. Very faint signs of print damage can be seen (although these aren’t obvious), while there is a nice layer of grain present throughout. The choice to capture several scenes as day-for-night can look a little lacklustre, although as this was done photochemically at the time, this isn’t an issue with the remaster itself. The HDR grade is strong, although watching in Dolby Vision adds a touch more nuance to the greyscale in the picture. All in all, this is a great restoration; Quatermass 2 has never been seen in better quality. Two sound mixes are included: the original mono track, which is punchy and nicely remastered, alongside a 5.1 surround sound mix. There are some nice surround effects with the 5.1 mix that opens up the soundtrack nicely, although I imagine most fans will opt for the mono track.

---

Special Features

This five-disc collector’s set includes two UHD discs and two Blu-ray discs with all three versions of the film and special features duplicated across both formats, alongside a bonus Blu-ray disc.

Disc 1 (UHD) contains the widescreen 1.66:1 UK Theatrical Version of Quatermass 2 (with a 2024 commentary featuring actor and comedian Toby Hadoke, Nigel Kneale’s biographer Andy Murray and Stephen R. Bissett, artist and film historian, alongside a 2025 commentary featuring writer/academic Brontë Schiltz and author/producer Jon Dear). The fullscreen 1.37:1 As-Filmed Version is also included and features three commentaries (a 1998 Laserdisc commentary featuring director Val Guest, another 1998 Laserdisc commentary with writer Nigel Kneale and Hammer expert Marcus Hearn, and a 2003 DVD commentary featuring Guest, Kneale and Hearn). Quatermass and the Hammer Experience features a 21-minute interview with director Val Guest, while another interview from 2003 is also included. There are textless main and end titles, Spanish main and end titles, a Super 8 cut-down version of the film and the UK censor card.

Moreover, Disc 1 contains The Legend of Nigel Kneale: Part Two (HD), a continuation of the documentary about the famous screenwriter from The Quatermass Xperiment‘s 4K release. This 43-minute feature is presented by Toby Hadoke and touches on other Kneale classics such as The Stone Tape and the 1979 Quatermass TV serial. The audio interview snippets with Kneale provide a great insight into the writer, although the sound mixing for this documentary as a whole is a bit too inconsistent (I must confess that I had to keep adjusting the volume to hear what was being said). While Part One ended with the tease of what the younger generation would make of Quatermass and Kneale’s work, Part Two disappointingly doesn’t follow up on this angle. Nevertheless, it is a great overview of the writer’s fascinating career.

Disc 2 (UHD) contains the widescreen 1.85:1 US Theatrical Version re-titled Enemy from Space (with two archive commentary tracks featuring documentarian and Hammer expert Ted Newsom; and Hammer expert Constantine Nasr alongside writer/producer Dr Steve Haberman, both recorded in 2019). Also present on Disc 2 is Doubling Down: Uncovering Quatermass 2 (HD), a 39-minute retrospective making-of documentary featuring contributions from Jon Dear, Stephen Gallagher, Toby Hadoke, Wayne Kinsey, Andy Murray and Stephen Volk. It’s an informed and well-researched feature, despite not featuring those involved with the original production, and is a nice sequel to Xperiment‘s making-of. Reviving Quatermass 2 (HD) is a 4-minute featurette detailing the restoration process with Silver Salt Restoration, providing a welcome overview of the challenges involved with producing this 4K remaster of the film. Quatermass Crew (HD) is a new 7-minute pair of interviews with 3rd assistant director Hugh Harlow and special effects assistant Brian Johnson, while Man of Action (HD, 15 minutes) sees author and Hammer expert Stephen Laws and author/biographer Derek Sculthorpe examine the life and career of actor Brian Donlevy. Donlevy’s divisive portrayal of Quatermass forms the basis of A Question of Character (HD, 12 minutes), in which Quatermass fans featured in other extras talk about the performance and characterisation. US, Italian, Spanish and Brazilian trailers are also included on this disc, alongside an image gallery.

While Discs 3 and 4 are effectively Blu-ray duplicates of the first two UHD discs, Disc 5 is centred around the Quatermass II TV serial, with all six original episodes included in standard definition. Running at around 3 hours in total, this serialised version of the story is inevitably slower-paced, but a fascinating insight into an earlier era of television. The use of location footage makes it feel like a big step-up from the two surviving instalments of The Quatermass Experiment, and it’s fantastic to have all six episodes included here alongside the film iteration.

---

Packaging

The 4K restoration of Quatermass 2 is packaged in a high-end, leather-feel slipcase with debossed red and silver titling and a rigid inner box featuring new artwork by cult favourite artist Graham Humphreys. Included in the set are a double-sided poster of original one-sheets; 8 art cards featuring facsimiles of the original US cinema lobby cards; a 176-page booklet featuring new and reprint articles and reproductions of original publicity; and a 60-page comic featuring a reprint of the comic strip from legendary 1970s magazine The House of Hammer.

---

Conclusion

Hammer Films’ new 4K restoration of Quatermass 2 is as impressive as their release for The Quatermass Xperiment and Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter earlier this year. The film may not pack the same punch it did 70 years ago (however, I’m sure fans will disagree), but the 4K restoration is very impressive and allows fans to experience this pulp sci-fi classic in the best possible quality. The selection of special features are generally consistent with the first film’s UHD release, offering up a great insight into the production even with limited contributors. This limited collector’s edition is easily the definitive release for Quatermass 2, and it’s difficult not to hope that Quatermass and the Pit won’t be too far behind.

Quatermass 2 is available to order now: Head over to Hammer Films