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Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder in "A Scanner Darkly"

A Scanner Darkly

R (2006) Publication Date Jul. 14, 2006

Psychedelic cinema takes center stage in this animated adaptation of the sci-fi story by Philip K. Dick. The visually stunning facade buckles beneath an abstract storyline that's certain to leave viewers scratching their heads.

But -- thanks to keen direction from ace auteur Richard Linklater ("Waking Life") and several appealing performances -- a poignant message about the dangers of drug addiction wriggles its way through the purple haze.

Seven years in the future, many of America's citizens are hooked on a designer drug called Substance D, even as law enforcement continues to crack down on users and abusers. Undercover cop Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves) spends his days either dwelling with a handful of addicts (including Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson) or studying their actions back at the office thanks to an array of hidden cameras.

But Arctor's life isn't all subterfuge and excitement. His girlfriend (Winona Ryder) is an enigmatic recluse, his white-picket-fence past perpetually haunts him, and he too is hooked on Substance D. While Arctor's reliance on the drug intensifies, his superior in the department begins to grow suspicious and Arctor's own inner circle is on the verge of self-destruction.

Linklater utilizes an animation method known as interpolated rotoscoping -- the same technique he brought to the big screen in "Waking Life" -- to vibrantly depict a world clouded by drugs and dependency. The unique approach makes for this year's most original film, although the esoteric narrative is difficult to follow. Mastermind director Ingmar Bergman would have been proud, if not slightly confused.

Linklater has always been a master at pulling tremendous performances from his talented cast, and he doesn't disappoint here. Ryder makes a welcome return to the screen while Reeves, Harrelson and Downey Jr. click like a trio of old college buddies. Rubber-faced actor Rory Cochrane ("Dazed and Confused") offers up some comic relief with his tweaky, agitated portrayal.

"A Scanner Darkly" is well worth viewing solely because films this unusual are rare in our Hollywood-infused world of pirates and popcorn. But spending 10 bucks at the theater for a cinematic acid trip may have been more enticing in the 1960s.

Rated R for drug and sexual content, language and a brief violent image. 1 hour, 40 minutes.

- Tyler Hanley