Review of A Scanner Darkly (2006) by Dennis F — 20 Nov 2013

Two years ago I read the novel on which this movie is based - I remember not being sure whether I liked it or not. This movie version has kind of the same vibe for me, although I think I do like it more than the novel - the characters, fully fleshed out on film by excellent actors, each of whom seems typecast to the kind of character they play well, are even more fun here than in the novel. Some things that seemed hazy to me in novel form seem a bit clearer in this format - it's been a while, so it's possible the movie spells out a few things, particularly nearing the end, that the book left a little more ambiguous. I personally liked the pulsating rotoscoped pseudo-animation effect - I thought I would find it distracting, but it suits the material.

Ironically, to me the movie has more of the feel of a sci-fi thriller than the book, which is clearly about the dangers of drug addiction. For that reason, I think it's a bit more accessible than the book to those of us who have not lived in that culture. It's not a movie I would recommend to just anyone, but for people who are interested in a very different kind of crime thriller, it's a choice to consider.