A Scanner Darkly (2006)
75%RT Audience Score: 74%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A Scanner Darkly is a film that truly lives up to its title, as it delves into the dark and twisted world of drug addiction and government surveillance. Director Richard Linklater poses thought-provoking questions about the nature of reality and identity, all while utilizing the unique rotoscoping animation technique to create a hauntingly beautiful visual experience. The film’s cast, including Keanu Reeves and Robert Downey Jr., deliver standout performances that perfectly capture the paranoia and desperation of their characters. A Scanner Darkly is a must-see for fans of Philip K. Dick’s work, as well as anyone who appreciates a mind-bending and visually stunning cinematic experience.
A Scanner Darkly is like a trippy acid trip that you don’t want to end. The rotoscoping animation adds to the disorienting feeling of the characters who are struggling to hold onto their sense of reality. Keanu Reeves’ blankness is actually a plus in this film, and the supporting cast is equally impressive. The film’s commentary on government surveillance and the war on drugs is still relevant today, making it a must-watch for anyone who wants to question the status quo. Plus, who doesn’t love a good mind-bending movie?
Production Company(ies)
3 Arts Entertainment
Distributor
Warner Independent
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Texas, United States; California, United States
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 40m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 2006 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 19, 2006
Genre(s)
Action/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Winona Ryder, Rory Cochrane, directed by Richard Linklater, written by Richard Linklater, genre: Action, Drama, Sci-fi, Mystery & thriller, Animation, box office performance: $5.5M, budget: unknown, reviewed by Bob Mondello, Brian Tallerico, Dana Stevens, Robert Hanks, Kim Newman, Ben Walters, Brian Eggert, Anton Bitel, Taylor Baker, David Walsh, Mike Massie, produced by Tommy Pallotta, Jonah Smith, Anne Walker-McBay, Palmer West, MPAA rating: R (Drug and Sexual Content|A Brief Violent Image|Language), narcotics cop, drug-addled world, undercover, addiction, paranoia, political instability, drug abuse, totalitarian states, rotoscoping, Philip K Dick adaptation, Orange County, California, Donna, drug dealer, spy, housemates, drug addiction, split personality, dystopian, black humor, serious, mind-blowing journey, visually stunning, eery, whacked-out feeling, drug-centric mystery/drama, Robert Downey Jr fan
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $8,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $13,310,469
Production budget ranking: 1,553
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $7,167,688
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Robert Downey Jr. – Barris Voice
Woody Harrelson – Luckman Voice
Winona Ryder – Donna Voice
Rory Cochrane – Freck Voice
Mitch Baker – Brown Bear Lodge Host Voice
Director: Richard Linklater
Producers: Tommy Pallotta, Jonah Smith, Anne Walker-McBay, Palmer West
Writer: Richard Linklater
Director(s)
Richard Linklater
Writer(s)
Richard Linklater
Producer(s)
Tommy Pallotta, Jonah Smith, Anne Walker-McBay, Palmer West
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (189) | Top Critics (54) | Fresh (129) | Rotten (60)
The coolest thing about the movie version of A Scanner Darkly is how very literally it takes the scanner part of that title.
October 18, 2008
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
TOP CRITIC
Linklater never pretends that he has all the answers, but he asks the questions in such an interesting, elegant fashion that you’ll be glad you came along for the ride.
March 24, 2007
Brian Tallerico
UGO
TOP CRITIC
As A Scanner Darkly proves, Keanu is the Coolness — passive blankness, leaden line delivery, and all. Let’s hear it for the vague blur.
September 23, 2006
Dana Stevens
Slate
TOP CRITIC
It is not a great film, but an insidious one, the sort that gets under your skin. It leaves you scrabbling at aphids, hoping they really are in your imagination.
August 19, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
Robert Hanks
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Its intelligence makes it near-essential viewing.
August 18, 2006 | Rating: 4/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Wondrously attractive, all the more so for the avoidance (with one or two exceptions) of extrovert Waking Life-style set-pieces.
August 17, 2006
Ben Walters
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A Scanner Darkly beautifully, and chillingly, considers Dicks persistent theme that our culture has destroyed its own ability to perceive objective reality.
March 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
rotoscoping [is] the perfect visual analogue for all the disorientation and dissociation of Dick’s novel, whose brain-altered burnouts have become alienated from the world around them and their own sense of self.
October 16, 2021
Anton Bitel
BFI
Episode 34: Relaxer / A Scanner Darkly / The Beach Bum / Holy Motors
September 14, 2021 | Rating: 86/100
Taylor Baker
Drink in the Movies
The hostility toward the Bush administration and its police-state ambitions is legitimate and no doubt deeply felt, but it is not particularly well developed.
February 14, 2021
David Walsh
World Socialist Web Site
When everything comes together at the end, it’s difficult not to be satisfied with the results.
November 21, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
Suffice it to say that A Scanner Darkly is a very fine film in which the writing, directing, performing, and technical arts all serve their story very well indeed…
February 28, 2020
Kathi Maio
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction…
Plot
In a future where America is losing the war on drugs, a narcotics cop becomes addicted while undercover and is ordered to spy on his housemates, one of whom is suspected of being his love interest’s biggest customer, in A Scanner Darkly.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Rotoscoping was used in the film, which involves tracing over live-action footage to create an animated effect.
Richard-Linklater.jpg
