AmnesiA, directed by Martin Koolhoven (Winter in Wartime, Brimstone), is a psychological mystery thriller in which a photographer (Fedja van Huêt) returns home to find his family’s dark secrets uncovered. Winner of the Golden Calf Award for Best Actor for dual role by Fedja van Huêt (Character, Speak No Evil). Debut feature film of Carice van Houten (Black Book, Game of Thrones). Cult Epics presents AmnesiA in a 2-disc Blu-ray limited edition set which includes a bonus disc with Martin Koolhoven’s debut TV movies: the award-winning Suzy Q (1999), featuring the first TV movie appearances by Carice van Houten and Michiel Huisman (Game of Thrones, The Age of Adaline), and Dark Light (1997) with Viviane de Muynck and Marc van Uchelen (The Assault).

For thoughts on AmnesiA, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/m6NCy0AZtOQ?t=1732]

Video Quality

AmnesiA makes its Blu-Ray debut in the U.S. with a very pleasing 1080p video presentation derived from a 4K restoration of the Original Camera Negative. The resulting image showcases natural, bold colors that contrast well with the occasionally dingy nature of the environments. There are some lighting choices that stand out in conference with the narrative drive of the film. The foliage of nature is saturated well along with some hues from articles of clothing. The flesh tones are natural with a magnificent amount of detail present in close-ups, especially.

The presentation shows off a notable amount of depth within the confined space of the house, as well as the expanses of nature which hold their own secrets. There are several different types of environments that this transfer handles well. The production design, fabrics of clothing and occasional makeup effects provide crystal clear textural details. Black levels occasionally waiver ever so slightly with depth and show minute signs of crush and banding in certain shots. Compression artifacts are rarely an issue with the image remaining very clean in spite of the gritty, low budget origins. This Blu-Ray gives a rich second to life to a forgotten bit of genre fare.

Audio Quality

Cult Epics delivers a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and LPCM 2.0 track in the original Dutch with optional English subtitles which does a great job of bringing this mysterious tale to life. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being overshadowed by any competing elements. Hard-hitting moments are not a large part of this film’s vocabulary, as it often favors more low-key, slow- burn thrills. Despite this, any active moments are supported well in the low end. The intriguing music in the film is well-balanced and thematically appropriate while maintaining its fidelity. Every element of the soundscape seems properly situated and presented in the mix. Environmental sounds such as crackling fire are represented well in the mix. There are many ambient details that make the setting feel fully three dimensional. Cult Epics has done a really excellent job here.

Special Features

Disc One

Introduction: A minute-long optional introduction is provided here in which director Martin Koolhoven gives some context to the film, discusses the initial reception and more.

Audio Commentary: Martin Koolhoven and Fedja van Huet provide an informative commentary track moderated by Peter Verstraten in which they reflect on the production of the film, stylistic choices that runs through their work, the complexity of the dual performance, how the main character became a twin, the dark comedy in the film, the shooting locations for this production and much more that is very illuminating.

A Conversation with Martin Koolhoven & Carice van Houten: A terrific new 46-minute conversation with the director and star in which they discuss the origins of the project, memories from the production, the atmosphere on set, the challenges with understanding the character motivations, their collaborative process, not staying within normal genre conventions and more. What makes this conversation so great is that these two feel like they are rediscovering the movie with each other throughout the conversation, and Game of Thrones fans will be pleased to know van Houten is not shy about referencing her time on that show.

The Making Of AmnesiA: A 38-minute archival piece in which you get some insights into the film from the time in which it was made, the production process, the character work, the stylistic flourishes and more.

Behind-The-Scenes with Carice van Houten: A minute-long fly-on-the-wall piece with the actress who speaks about working with the director.

Trailers: The nearly two-minute trailer for AmnesiA is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Death Laid An Egg, Naked Over The Fence, Pastorale 1943, The Debut, Frank & Eva and Blue Movie.

Disc Two (Limited Edition Exclusive)

Suzy Q (1999): The 85-minute television movie starring Carice van Houten in her debut role is provided here. The film is presented in HD and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio in the original Dutch with optional English subtitles.

Duister Licht (Dark Light) (1997): The 55-minute television movie starring Marc van Uchelen and Viviane de Muynck is provided here. The film is presented in HD and Dolby Digital 2.0 audio in the original Dutch with optional English subtitles.

Trailers: This disc provides the trailers for Suzy Q (1:05) and Dark Light (0:57).

Final Thoughts

AmnesiA leads with an air of mystery that evolves and blooms quite deftly throughout this well-crafted narrative. The content is often bizarre or even downright disturbing, but the darkly comedic tone keeps things entertaining enough to stick around and appreciate both the journey and the destination. The dual performance from Fedja van Huêt is extremely impressive, and he is supported without fail by a talented ensemble led by the captivating Carice van Houten. Cult Epics has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. If you appreciate darkly comedic, mysterious genre tales, be sure to add this to your list. Recommended

AmnesiA is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Cult Epics and MVD Entertainment have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.