Overview: The tenth film co-directed by Johnnie To (Running Out of Time) and Wai Ka-fai (Peace Hotel) following a string of collaborations that included comedies, romances, action films and historical epics, Running on Karma is a crime thriller with a distinctly Buddhist flare starring a titan of Hong Kong cinema in Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs).

Big (Lau) was once a devoutly religious man, but turned away from his vocation as a Buddhist monk when he could no longer bear the weight of his unusual gift: the ability to see people’s past lives and predict the impact of karma upon their present and future.

Having found a new life as a bodybuilder, he is drawn to use his sixth sense for good after meeting Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung, The Legend of Zu), a cop investigating a homicide. But as the two grow closer and work together to catch a murderer, their relationship is complicated by the fact that Big can see Lee’s past lives, too.

A film that balances genre thrills with deep philosophical questions on the nature of spirituality and faith, Running on Karma stands with Mad Detective as one of the most interesting and unique collaborations between Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time outside of Asia.

Blu-ray Verdict: I think this film can easily be summed up as: Deeply spiritual, hauntingly mysterious work, rushed, severely disjointed, all over the place, corny, non-sensical, irregular, gratuitous and a full-blown masterpiece!

Lau as an ex-monk who becomes a bodybuilder after killing a sparrow and a karma-hunted Cheung who was a Japanese soldier in her previous life meet in a neon lit city of lonely people and fall in love. A man unable to free his spirit from the material world and a woman who tries to do what’s right even if she knows she is already doomed. The entire film flows like a weird dream, hazy and full of mysterious ellipses and a bizarre tone, angry and resentful, ambiguous and stoic, tortured and funny.

Special Features:
1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray
Original Cantonese stereo audio
Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
New audio commentary by East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto
Reap the Whirlwind – new interview with Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
Archival “making of…” featurette
Theatrical trailer
PLUS: A collector’s booklet featuring a new essay by David West of NEO magazine
Limited edition of 2000 copies
Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow

Official Purchase Link