Karmalink

Director Jake Wachtel (who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Christopher Seán Larsen) blends science fiction with Buddhist philosophy and a treasure hunt spanning decades, set against the backdrop of a near-future Phom Penh, in Karmalink. It’s an adventure steeped in imagination and ideas that ultimately begins to fall apart under its own ambition when the plot shifts gears in its latter half.

The action revolves around plucky teenager Leng Hang (Leng Hang Prak). He lives with his large family in a crowded and dilapidated community outside the city limits where the residents are in danger of being evicted. However, he’s been having recurring dreams about a golden statue that’s found its way into the possession of people he believes to be him in past lives. Enlisting the help of the streetwise Srey Leak (Srey Leak Chitth), Leng and his friends follow the clues within his dreams to claim the prize they believe to be theirs by destiny.

The opening half of this feature whisks viewers across the densely populated city as the kids start their investigation. This is a world where the rich and poor are separated by a wall, where people use nanobot technology to turn their bodies into smart devices and where tradition holds huge importance. This mix between the future and the past creates a unique space where the filmmaker is able to touch upon ideas that range between technology and class, to reincarnation. However, these rarely extend beyond superficial observations about modern society that have already been done to death within this genre.

For the most part, it’s the time-hopping pursuit of treasure that keeps the action moving at a steady pace. But not exploring Leng’s past lives beyond the initial flashback scenes feels like a massive missed opportunity. It’s when the teenager’s dreams catch up with the present day that things start to fall apart.

At this point, the treasure hunt angle is all but abandoned in favour of shifting the focus towards another character. The director wants to tell a story that digs into huge, existential concepts spanning time and technology. However, he’s not able to convey these ideas in a clear manner that aligns with the initial premise. The result is a confused and mismatched sci-fi odyssey that fails to meet its ambition.

Andrew Murray

Karmalink does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Glasgow Film Festival 2022 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Glasgow Film Festival website here.

Watch the clip from Karmalink here: