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Long before Keanu Reeves became synonymous withJohn Wick, and right after his legendary outing as Neo inThe Matrix, he starred in an ambitious animatedsci-fiproject. Despite winning over critics and featuring an ensemble cast led by a visionary auteur, the film failed to break even at the box office.
Someone like Richard Linklater adapting a Philip K. Dick sci-fi novel seems like a combination too unlikely to exist. But the director, best known for films likeDazed and Confusedand theBefore Sunrisetrilogy, surprised audiences in 2006 withA Scanner Darkly.Streaming on Prime Videofrom December 1, this underrated masterpiece deserves a second chance and promises a psychedelic sci-fi experience like no other.
What Is A Scanner Darkly About?
Plot Details & Themes
A Scanner Darklyrevolves around Keanu Reeves' character, Robert Arctor, a narcotics cop in Orange County, California. At the time of its release, the film was set in a near future that almost felt like the mid-2010s. In this alternate reality, America has lost the war on drugs. The powerful Substance D, which causes bizarre hallucinations, has taken over the minds of the public. Arctor sets out on a mission to lure Donna and buys Substance D, hoping to get introduced to her supplier.
In a turn of events, the undercover officer ends up getting addicted to D, which seriously damages his brain. The rest of the film’s events are adrug-addled nightmareexperienced through the mind of Reeves' Arctor.A Scanner Darklyworks as an effective cautionary tale by playing into the reality of America’s drug culture in the 70s and 80s. It portrays raw, harsh scenarios in the everyday lives of drug addicts, where people have to deal with overdoses, but with a tinge of dry, dark humor.
A Scanner Darkly’s Unique Animation Style
Why The Film Feels So Different
A Scanner Darklyis an absolute visual trip, and that’s entirely thanks to the use ofthe rotoscope animation technique. It’s essentially a mix of both live-action and animation.A Scanner Darklywas first shot digitally, and then animators worked on each frame, tracing over it. This wasn’t the first time Linklater had used this animation style to tell a story. He previously did it in his 2001 filmWaking Life.
The style loosely resembles Marvel’sWhat-Ifcell animation style today, but each frame feels more like the loading screens ofGTA. While animation for adults has practically become mainstream in the years that followed, Linklater explained his choice to take this route ina 2006 interview withWiredmagazine:
There is kind of an animation ghetto that exists in the industry. From the beginning, we lived with the Hollywood truism that adults don’t see animated movies. But I have always had the response that, yeah, adults don’t go see animated movies until they do! All it takes is one movie.
The result is a visually hypnotic experience that best reflects the neurotic and politically unstable world that Philip K. Dick created in his original novel. The style may not be for everyone, but it’s still a great point of reference for future creators trying to make an impact with animation in sci-fi horror. For a long time,A Scanner Darklywas consideredunfilmable, much like theDunenovels, though not as popular. But Linklater doesn’t just mirror the tone; he also stays faithful to the source material.
Why Philip K. Dick’s Novel Is Still Relevant
Parallels To Today’s Reality
While most dystopian works in the sci-fi genre often feel like they are set in a time that feels a little too unrealistic,A Scanner Darkly, being set in the 2010s, feels more relevant than ever. Themes like addiction, paranoia, and political instability have practically made this dystopia a reality today, andPhilip K. Dick’s storyhas come full circle. In fact, audiences are in for a surprise today, as controversial conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has a cameo in the film, playing himself. It’s almost a little too close to home.
A Scanner Darkly’s Failure, Explained
Flop Despite Low Budget & All-Star Cast
But sadly, just like many films that were ahead of their time,A Scanner Darklyfailed to make an impact at the box office. Despite being made on a relatively meager $8.7 million budget, the film still fell short of earning a million dollars in profit. This comes as a shock, especially considering the involvement of Hollywood A-listers like Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, and Winona Ryder, all of whom are practically icons today.
But it’s understandable whyA Scanner Darklymay not have worked at the time. Themarket for adult sci-fi animationwasn’t as prominent as it is today. While the rotoscope style was groundbreaking, it still felt like a creepy pop-art version of regular animation or live-action. Moreover, it could have been hard to find common ground between being an adaptation of a classic sci-fi novel written by theBlade Runnerauthor, while also serving as a typical stoner watch.
Re-Release, Sequel Potential & More
Regardless, the film deserves a second chance, and a re-release wouldn’t be much of a stretch. It would work wonders for the film, minting some more money that it absolutely deserves. Given thatA Scanner Darklycame out before RDJ’s renaissance asTony Stark inIron Man, a potential sequel today with both Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey Jr. involved would break both the internet and the box office.
