Richard Linklater’s adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s classic novel is a challenging, mind-bending experience that cautions about the dangers of excessive drug use as well as the government’s capacity to abuse and manipulate power. Using the same interpolated rotoscoping technique that Linklater employed in 2001’s WAKING LIFE, the film is an animated, trippy descent into one man’s unraveling mind. Set in the not-too-distant future where a new drug, substance D, has created an epidemic, A SCANNER DARKLY charts the mental unraveling of Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves). Arctor is an undercover cop who has been assigned to track a group of individuals who include the hyper-intense Luckman (Woody Harrelson), the ultra-paranoid Freck (Rory Cochrane), and the beautiful Donna (Winona Ryder). As the film unfolds and Arctor finds himself abusing substance D in order to maintain his façade, his mind begins to spin out of control, to the point where he doesn’t know what’s real and what isn’t. Eventually, the truth comes out, leaving Arctor even more numbed. Linklater’s surprisingly faithful adaptation of Dick’s novel blends humor, drama, and Bob Sabiston‘s striking animation to deliver a thought-provoking film that will leave viewers as dazed as the film’s protagonist.
(93 votes)
2.
Based on legendary science-fiction author Philip K. Dick’s own experiences, “A Scanner Darkly” tells the darkly comedic, caustic, but deeply tragic tale of drug use in the modern world. The film plays like a graphic novel come to life with live-action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process—a method known as interpolated rotoscoping, first employed in writer/director Richard Linklater’s 2001 film "Waking Life" — to create a haunting version of America, seven years from now.
(91 votes)
3.
"A Scanner Darkly" is set in suburban Orange County, California in a future where America has lost the war on drugs. When one reluctant undercover cop is ordered to start spying on his friends, he is launched on a paranoid journey into the absurd, where identities and loyalties are impossible to decode. It is a cautionary tale of drug use based on the novel by Philip K. Dick and his own experiences.
Like a graphic novel come to life, "A Scanner Darkly" will use live action photography overlaid with an advanced animation process (interpolated rotoscoping) to create a haunting, highly stylized vision of the future. The technology, first employed in Richard Linklater’s 2001 film "Waking Life," has evolved to produce even more emotional impact and detail.
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