Director: Richard Linklater, US, 15, 100min
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson
On general release
The prolific Linklater returns with that rarest of beasts — a genuinely original sci-fi film. An adaptation of one of Philip K. Dick’s most personal works, the film employs the same rotoscoping animation used in Linklater’s talky, rather pretentious Waking Life. The effect is striking — you can imagine virtually every frame, blown up to poster size, adorning the walls of student pads everywhere.
The star cast is instantly recognisable despite the animation. Reeves is Bob Arctor, a reluctant undercover narcotics agent who is ordered to spy on his own group of friends. His stoner pals are Robert Downey Jr, Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder (the fact that all have documented substance abuse issues is no accident). Bob is a soldier in the battle against Substance D, a particularly destructive super-drug. He is also an enthusiastic user of the drug — his undercover status demands it. Hilarious paranoid riffs gradually give way to darker themes as the addiction begins to hold.
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WENDY IDE