Director Richard Linklater adapted ‘A Scanner Darkly’ from the classic novel by Phillip K. Dick. This is a science-fiction/fantasy animated drama with loads of crime and thrills. The story is about an undercover narcotics agent whose mission is to track down people who are responsible for making and distributing a very dangerous illegal drug. To accomplish his mission, he must enter the world of those who are involved in it. However, that is not as easy as he thinks.
Set in a not-so-distant future in a totalitarian society of Orange County, California, agent Bob Arctor (portrayed by Keanu Reeves) has a mission to trace the source of a new hallucinogen drug known as ‘Substance D’. Using his codename Fred, he works with a group of small-time drug users composed of Luckman (Woody Harrelson), Freck (Rory Cochraine), and Donna (Winona Ryder). They are attempting to reach the big distributors of the drugs. Meanwhile, Fred uses Substance D but he starts to lose himself, his true identity, and his family. He has to monitor himself and his movements since his colleague James Barris (Robert Downey Jr.) reports his drug dealings to the authorities. Hank, Fred’s superior, knows him personally and is also one of the people monitoring him. But, Hank and his subordinates are ready to sacrifice everything, even Arctor, just to know the source of the drugs.
The fantastic filming technique of the movie is first seen in Linklater’s earlier work ‘Waking Life.’ The special effects are applied brilliantly to this film. You might like this strange film although it might leave you puzzled.
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