Classic Review: Code 8 (2019)

Not all superhero stories are pretty but Code 8 is about much more than that. This Canadian indie sci-fi action film should be applauded for what it pulls off in spite of its indie budget. Taking place in a world full of characters who happen to have powers, those are powers are less of a gift and more of a curse. The major selling point, when it was first released, was its stars, real life cousins Robbie and Stephen Amell. As the latter was an established actor and approaching the end of his run as Oliver Queen/The Green Arrow, Robbie was still making a name for himself and this film went a long way into making that happen. Meanwhile, the Amells were not unfamiliar with the film’s world as they both starred in a short film of the same name, helmed by the creative team who also returned to develop this feature adaptation of their original story. That being said, this adaptation does play things a little too safe in not utilizing what it has created to its full potential. Instead, the film wraps it all within a bland storyline whose only purpose was positioning for a potential sequel (to which we now know to be the case, dropping this Wednesday on Netflix).

As mentioned, Code 8 takes place in Lincoln City, a city where those with powers are routinely marginalized by a government looking to control them by passing a law that forced them to register their abilities. Largely responsible for the construction of the city, the advent of a new industrial revolution forced them into the shadows, eventually leading to their downfall. Since then, drugs and crime have taken over the streets thanks to a crime syndicate known as The Trust. To keep up with the fight, police have turned to highly advanced yet controversial technology to keep the powered in check. The story hones in on Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), a young man with electrical powers forced to tend to his mother Mary (Kari Matchett) whose brain cancer led to her own powers to act erratically. Unable to afford treatment, his unregistered status made it difficult for him to work. Working as an unregistered day laborer and struggling to make ends meet, Connor found himself unwittingly pulled into a life of crime thanks to a man named Garrett (Stephen Amell), the underling of Marcus Sutcliffe (Greg Bryk), a local crime lord working for The Trust. Working small jobs for him, things escalated quickly from there as Connor became part of Sutcliffe’s gang and the drug trade, or at least until he earned enough money to pay for his mother’s treatment.

The crackdown of the Lincoln City police department on the drug trade, the systematic seisure of Sutcliffe’s Psyke, a drug made from the spinal fluid of desperate or trafficked individuals with powers, led to plenty of pressure from those above him to deliver their cut. Trying to make up for his financial shortfall, Garrett and his crew were tasked by Sutcliffe to secure that money which was an adventure in and of itself but in the end, it wasn’t enough in the eyes of his superiors. Taking one last big swing, Connor and Garrett concocted a plan and a power play, though for much different reasons, which was to attempt to rob the delivery of the police’s monthly psyke shipment set for destruction. What was an intense sequence, devolved into pure insanity as the seedy nature of the city’s criminal underworld reared its ugly head. Leaving chaos and destruction in their wake, the last step was to tie up any loose ends and it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone watching who would come out relatively unscathed. While Garrett’s only allegiance was to himself, seeing everyone and everything as a means to enrich his quest for money and power, Connor cared about others, however, his allegiance was to his mother also left him blinded. In order to move forward, he would have to learn to move on. As far as the two were concerned, there was much more to their story to come.

On a technical level, Lincoln City (shot in Toronto) is a big city that may not be that far off from the ones of today but the film offers enough flourishes to make it stand out. Its technological advancements, be it its aerial drones or ground level drones, are well done, especially the combination of practical and VFX used for the latter. Also, for a film about people with powers, its budget meant that it could only go so far with the extent of those powers and their variety. While limited, the film used them effectively. Ultimately, the best part of Code 8 was Robbie Amell’s uber-charismatic performance as the flawed yet relatable Connor Reed. His likeability instantly made him an easy character to follow despite the writing’s inability to approach anything with any depth. Stephen Amell brought charisma though it was mostly empty calories, sleepwalking as Garrett.

Overall, Code 8 is a decent indie sci-fi action film that makes the most out of its circumstances that while full of promise, roots it in a bland story with shallow writing.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.