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A Scanner Darkly

Play trailer Poster for A Scanner Darkly R 2006 1h 40m Action Drama Sci-Fi Mystery & Thriller Animation Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 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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A Scanner Darkly

A Scanner Darkly

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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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Critics Reviews

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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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Taylor Baker Drink in the Movies 09/14/2021
86/100
Episode 34: Relaxer / A Scanner Darkly / The Beach Bum / Holy Motors Go to Full Review 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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Matija T @maximilian Aug 16 The most underrated movie of all time. See more 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. See more Chris C @PapaTangooo Jul 11 Interesting film. Very unique. Props to RDJ in his role. See more 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. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 26 The worldwide gross is $7,659,918.00. See more 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. See more Read all reviews
A Scanner Darkly

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Cast & Crew

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Richard Linklater

Director

Keanu Reeves

Fred

Robert Downey Jr.

Barris

Woody Harrelson

Luckman

Winona Ryder

Donna

Rory Cochrane

Freck

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A Scanner Darkly

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Movie Info

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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