15 Great Sci-Fi Movies (Nobody Ever Talks About)
6. A Scanner Darkly
Adapted from the psychedelic scribblings of drug
addled sci-fi uber-genius Philip K. Dick, this Richard Linklater effort from
2006 manages the tricky tonal feat of being both a dystopian vision of
government overreach and the paranoia created by constant surveillance and a
moving tribute to the real life friends the source novel’s author lost to addiction.
Offering no easy answers, the film follows a rotoscoped Keanu Reeves whose dumbfounded “Huhs?” are put to perfect use in the role of an undercover agent who grows to care for the addicts he’s intended to be ensnaring, with actor’s all-American innocence melding well with the conflicted rookie’s moral dilemma.
Both an unsparing critique of the criminal justice system and a heartrending depiction of addiction, this flick is essential viewing for fans of the Blade Runner author’s better-known output.