In near-future Phnom Penh, a teenage boy teams up with a street-smart girl from his neighborhood to untangle the mystery of his past-life dreams. What begins as a hunt for a Buddhist treasure soon leads to greater discoveries that will either end in digital enlightenment or a total loss of identity.

For in-depth thoughts on Karmalink, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

[youtube https://youtu.be/K3T1XmtSqXo?t=2872]

Video Quality

Karmalink comes to Blu-Ray in a 1080p presentation that is quite fetching. This is a visually rich film with beautiful shots of a natural world and the city throughout where you can see an incredible amount of detail. The skin tones look very detailed and natural all around with subtle facets easily distinguishable. The film is not bursting with vivid colors in every frame, but there are various moments and elements of the production design that really pop, especially in some of the lighting choices. The interiors are typically a more dark environment that the presentation represents perfectly with a pleasing richness. The white levels are handled accurately along with the deep blacks that do not appear to suffer from any compression artifacts. This presentation handles this movie with care.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 and 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Khmer that conjures a very particular mood that transports you to this locale. The film uses music in really intriguing ways that fill the room, especially when things get a bit trippy and digital. Dialogue comes through clear without ever being overpowered by the sound effects or the score. The sound design is just as precisely thought-out as the on screen visuals with all of the sounds positioned just perfectly in the mix. The environmental effects create a really immersive soundscape which you want given the turns of the narrative. Thrills come in fits and spurts, but activity in the low end radiates through you when things do kick into gear. The audio matches the success of the video side of things. There are English and English SDH subtitles provided.

Special Features

Trailers: The minute-and-a-half trailer for Karmalink is provided here. There are also trailers provided for Alaskan Nets, Bleeding Audio, Charlotte and Moon Manor.

Final Thoughts

Karmalink is a fascinating blend of science fiction with spiritual beliefs that never makes either facet lose potency. The densely packed screenplay maintains a nominal reverence for Buddhism while expanding beyond the basic tenets in exciting ways. The way in which this is all realized on screen is a testament to the inventiveness of independent filmmaking. The young stars at the core of this story put forth really great youth performances, the likes of which can be a bit rare. There are so few films that feel fresh these days, but this is one that makes you excited about cinema again. Good Deed Entertainment and Kino Lorber have provided a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and pretty much nothing in the way of special features. This journey is worth taking if the film sounds even remotely interesting to you. Recommended

Karmalink is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital.

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

Disclaimer: Good Deed Entertainment and Kino Lorber 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.