A Scanner Darkly (2006)

A Scanner Darkly is a 2006 American adult animated science fiction thriller film directed by Richard Linklater based on the novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. The film tells the story of identity and deception in a near-future dystopia constantly under intrusive high-technology police surveillance in the midst of a drug addiction epidemic. The film was shot digitally and then animated using interpolated rotoscope, an animation technique in which animators trace over the original footage frame by frame, for use in live-action and animated films, giving the finished result a distinctive animated look. It was distributed by Warner Independent Pictures and it was the first (and only so far) animated film released by Warner Independent Pictures.

The film was written and directed by Richard Linklater and stars Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey, Jr., Woody Harrelson and Winona Ryder. Steven Soderbergh and George Clooney are among the executive producers. A Scanner Darkly had a limited release in July 2006, and then a wider release later that month. The film was screened at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and the 2006 Seattle International Film Festival, and nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form in 2007.

Synopsis

The United States has lost the war on drugs. Substance D, a powerful and dangerous drug that causes bizarre hallucinations has swept the country. Approximately 20% of the total population is addicted. In response, the government has developed an invasive, high-tech surveillance system and a network of undercover officers and informants.

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