- Richard Linklater's A Scanner Darkly is easily the best adaptation of Philip K. Dick's mindset that I've ever seen. That's a little different from being the best movie adapted from one of Dick's novels — an honor that surely belongs to Blade Runner — but no other film has come as close as A Scanner Darkly to capturing the semi-autobiographical, disorienting, drug-induced paranoia that defines much of Dick's work. Who else would invent a world in which a ubiquitous stimulant known as Substance D slowly separates the lobes of people’s brains until they start hallucinating, all while subject to constant monitoring by shadowy law enforcement agents?
- One such agent is Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), who dons a morphing-camouflage cloak while at work in order to protect his identity while covertly spying on the people in his life. From the moment that he begins to trail off in the middle of a corporate presentation, though, one gathers that Bob's addiction to Substance D has gotten out of control. He's not yet as bad as Charles Freck (Rory Cochrane), whose strung-out bug hallucinations ultimately destroy his life, but sometimes Bob sees things that just aren't there. Not that his equally drug-addled roommates are much better. James Barris (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a pychopathic know-it-all who loves to hear himself talk, while Ernie Luckman (Woody Harrelson) is more your garden-variety stoner. Donna Hawthorne (Winona Ryder), nominally the most stable member of the group, is widely referred to as Bob's girl, despite her prohibition against physical contact.
- I've somehow gotten this far without mentioning that A Scanner Darkly is an animated film. Having now seen it, any other choice would be unthinkable. The rotoscoping used to paint over the live-action performances makes the entire film appear as though you're seeing it in dappled light, under a quivering layer of water, or, yes, through a scanner darkly. The creative camouflaging effect constantly permutes the agents' appearances in every way imaginable, and the hallucinations emerge naturally from the visual hubbub rather than seeming like awkward special effects. The film's visual stylings are unfailingly interesting to watch and a perfect representation of how I imagine Dick actually viewed the world.
- While there is no shortage of disturbing scenes in A Scanner Darkly, I was surprised at how many completely hilarious scenes are also present. Essentially any interaction between Arctor, Barris, and Ernie quickly devolves into an inane shared conspiracy theory in which each character takes turns convincing the others of something even crazier than what they initially thought. The casting of Reeves, Downey Jr., and Harrelson is particularly inspired since, speaking frankly, none of these three actors need to try very hard to convince an audience that they're on something. I'm not sure that the film contains any particularly useful message in the end, but it is an utterly fascinating watch nonetheless.
- Also featuring a brief and unexpected appearance by human colon polyp Alex Jones.
