A mysterious woman on the run, and the resourceful fixer assigned to bring her in. Their two unique stories inextricably link, as the stakes of the pursuit rise to apocalyptic proportions.

For in-depth thoughts on New Life, please see my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its original theatrical release here.

Video Quality

New Life makes its Blu-Ray debut with a satisfying 1080p video presentation that showcases the beautiful cinematography well. The presentation displays a fetching amount of depth while traversing the land. The natural environments provide clear and impactful textural details. The image has a somewhat bleak quality about it with a cooler color palette saturating the screen. The film employs some complex colors in the expanses of nature which delivers an unforgettable image. Black levels exhibit the subtlest signs of banding in some of the shadowy moments, but primarily they maintain their depth. The flesh tones are natural with a horrific amount of detail present in close-ups, especially in the makeup. This Blu-Ray does everything that is asked of it with the utmost care.

Audio Quality

Brainstorm Media gives this Blu-Ray a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that deftly executes all of the sonic details. Environmental sounds of nature engage the surround speakers in a very effective manner. When the characters are moving through the world, some distinct ambient details flesh out the setting. Dialogue always emerges clearly without being overshadowed by any competing sounds. The effective score is favorably balanced while maintaining its fidelity. Kinetic moments are not a prominent part of this track, but certain developments deliver some nice texture to the proceedings. The nimble and effective sound design deploys with careful finessing of the surround speakers. The audio track provides a first-rate experience full of peculiarities that bring this narrative to life exactly as intended. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided.

Special Features

Audio Commentaries: There are two commentary tracks in which the talent discusses the movie and production in depth including the collaborative nature of the set, the camera movements, the shooting locations, and more.

- Audio Commentary #1: Director John Rosman and actresses Hayley Erin and Sonya Walger

- Audio Commentary #2: Director John Rosman and Director of Photography Mark Evans

Behind The Scenes Featurette: A great 25-minute piece in which the cast and creative team discuss the process of bringing the movie to life, the underlying themes, the direction of John Rosman, and more

Interviews: There are lengthy interviews provided in which the subjects discuss their involvement in the movie, memorable moments during the production, challenges faced along the way, and more. There are moments from these included in the previous featurette.

- Writer/Director John Rosman (47:58)

- Actress Hayley Erin (33:46)

- Actress Sonya Walger (33:59)

Text Interview with D.P. Mark Evans: A five-page interview with the cinematographer is provided to toggle through.

Storyboard Comparison: A gallery that shows how initial storyboards compare to the finale version we see in the film.

Original Trailer (2:13)

Final Thoughts

New Life is an engaging twist on the virus subgenre that puts two captivating women at the forefront with fleshed-out intentions on both sides of the pursuit. The fallout from these events is relatively small scale, but the intimacy ratchets up the emotional impact of each development. The performances are very strong across the board, and the pacing keeps you glued to the screen. Brainstorm Media has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and an impressive assortment of special features. Recommended

New Life is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome.

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

Disclaimer: Brainstorm Media and OCN Distribution 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.