A Scanner Darkly

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A Scanner Darkly

R

2006

1h 40m

Action

Drama

Sci-Fi

Mystery & Thriller

Animation

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

185 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

In the near future, as America virtually loses the war on drugs, Robert Arctor, a narcotics cop in Orange County, Calif., becomes an addict when he goes undercover. He is wooing Donna, a dealer, to ferret out her supplier. At the same time, he receives orders to spy on his housemates, one of whom is suspected of being Donna's biggest customer.

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Critics Consensus

A faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's novel, A Scanner Darkly takes the viewer on a visual and mind-blowing journey into the author's conception of a drug-addled and politically unstable world.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

03/24/2007

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.

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Dana Stevens

Slate

09/23/2006

As A Scanner Darkly proves, Keanu is the Coolness -- passive blankness, leaden line delivery, and all. Let's hear it for the vague blur.

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Robert Hanks

Independent (UK)

08/19/2006

3/5

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.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

03/21/2022

4/4

A Scanner Darkly beautifully, and chillingly, considers Dicks persistent theme that our culture has destroyed its own ability to perceive objective reality.

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Taylor Baker

Drink in the Movies

09/14/2021

86/100

Episode 34: Relaxer / A Scanner Darkly / The Beach Bum / Holy Motors

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

02/14/2021

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.

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Matija T

@maximilian Aug 16

The most underrated movie of all time.

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Petros T

@PetrosTserpelis Aug 6

The setting is very interesting, the visuals are cool, the cast (Rory Cochrane, Robert Downey Jr., Woody Harrelson, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder) is excellent, and it has some really funny scenes and great dialogue. That being said, the story has more gaps than it cares to address, in terms of vibe it often feels like watching two different films with no cohesion, and no attempt is made to get us to sympathize with any of the characters, rendering the finale more anemic than it should've been.

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Chris C

@PapaTangooo Jul 11

Interesting film. Very unique. Props to RDJ in his role.

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Irene M

@igawel Mar 30

March 2026 I'd read a graphic novel of this decades ago. I thought Robert Downey Jr was standout, so well-cast. The words disturbing, and Despair arise for me to describe how this movie made me feel.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 26

The worldwide gross is $7,659,918.00.

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Luca D

@JoeCamel7 Dec 6

Apparently a faithful adaptation to the book. Not like the other adaptations of his books, no this isn't an 90s sci-fi thriller. It's more of an indie adaptation of a book about a problem we still face to this day. The messaging on drug use and big pharma is a bit lost in the plot. The acting from Keanu is surprisingly not that bad, you know, considering. The supporting acting really shines. I love RDJrs character so much he really fits it well. Winona's character could have been more fleshed out and she would have had more time to shine in her supporting role. Not a super emotional movie but visually intriguing in an era before we had AI. To the untrained eye most people would think this is an AI movie, but to me it looks more like the music video for Young Folks by Peter Bjorn and John. If you like Black Mirror or any psychological short films this may interest you. Definitely not a "must see" though.

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Richard Linklater

Director

Keanu Reeves

Fred

Robert Downey Jr.

Barris

Woody Harrelson

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Rory Cochrane

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Synopsis

In the near future, as America virtually loses the war on drugs, Robert Arctor, a narcotics cop in Orange County, Calif., becomes an addict when he goes undercover. He is wooing Donna, a dealer, to ferret out her supplier. At the same time, he receives orders to spy on his housemates, one of whom is suspected of being Donna's biggest customer.

Director: Richard Linklater
Producer: Tommy Pallotta, Jonah Smith, Anne Walker-McBay, Palmer West
Screenwriter: Richard Linklater
Distributor: Warner Independent
Production Co: Detour Filmproduction, Thousand Words, 3 Arts Entertainment, Section Eight Ltd., Warner Independent Pictures
Rating: R (Drug and Sexual Content|A Brief Violent Image|Language)
Genre: Action, Drama, Sci-Fi, Mystery & Thriller, Animation
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 7, 2006, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.5M
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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