CODE 8 : Sunday 31st May 2020.

In these very trying and testing times for us all that has seen many cinema's, Odeon's, and movie theatres around the world close their doors for the foreseeable future because of the escalating threat of the COVID-19 Coronavirus taking an ever increasing hold on the world at large, many film and television productions halted in their tracks indefinitely, and new film releases pushed back to some future date when some sense of movie going normalcy is expected to resume, I have, needless to say, had to adapt to this new world order. And so with my usual Reviews of the latest cinematic releases being curtailed, instead I will post my Review of the latest release movies showing on Netflix until such time as the regular outing to my local multiplex or independent theatre can be reinstated.

In the last few weeks then, a number of new feature films have landed at Netflix - of which I review as below 'Code 8' which went live on the streaming service on 11th April and which I saw from the comfort of my own sofa at home on Sunday 31st May.

'CODE 8' is a Canadian Sci-Fi film Written, Co-Produced and Directed by Jeff Chan in only his second full length feature film after 2014's horror thriller 'Grace : The Possession', and following a number of short films including 2016's short film of the same name upon which this film is based, and also Directed by Jeff Chan. Released in theatres in mid-December last year and having taken just US$150K, the film was released on Netflix in April and has garnered generally positive Reviews. In December 2019 apparently, a short-form spin off series was announced starring the two principle cast members and also Directed by Jeff Chan as being in development at Quibi.

As the opening credits roll we see a montage of the dawn of the 20th Century as mechanisation takes over manufacturing and the wheels of industry turn over at an ever increasing rate down through the decades where robotics first come to the fore. At about the same time the public at large becomes aware of people born with superhuman abilities (about 4% of the global population) known as 'Powers'. This results in the government passing laws requiring all Powers to register their abilities. They quickly prove their usefulness to the economy, especially in the construction of Lincoln City as the 'City of Tomorrow'. As the Second Industrial Revolution begins, Powers become increasingly marginalised leading to extreme prejudice as they become widely regarded as second-class citizens who cannot be trusted. By the end of the 20th Century, a crime syndicate known as 'The Trust' has flooded the market with an addictive drug called 'Psyke', farmed from the spinal fluid of desperate or trafficked Powers. Police authorities start using advanced drones armed with androids named 'Guardians' and ever-present facial recognition software to thwart Power-related crime, and to conduct random checks on registered and non-registered Powers.

Connor Reed (Robbie Amell) is a mid-20 year old Class 5 Electric (electrokinetic). His mother Mary (Kari Matchett) is a Cryo (cryokinetic), suffering from progressive brain cancer which causes her abilities to sometimes act erratically and without warning putting her at odds with the owner of the supermarket where she works. As Powers, they cannot afford the treatment she desperately needs. Connor, whose father was also an Electric and who was killed when he was younger, lives with his mother and tries to pay his way working as an unregistered day labourer alongside a bunch of other Powers, using his abilities to install electrical wiring without any protection. While on a job at a building site, the Police arrive and order those unregistered workers to disband. Elsewhere in the city, a drug raid is carried out by Detectives Park (Sung Kang) and Davis (Aaron Abrams) on an apartment building owned by crime lord Marcus Sutcliffe (Greg Bryk), the local agent of The Trust who is also a Reader (telepath). About US$1M worth of farmed Psyke is seized, putting Sutcliffe in conflict with Wesley Cumbo (Peter Outerbridge), his superior in The Trust who demands their expected cut of US$500K in a week's time.

Connor is approached by Garrett Kelton (Stephen Amell), a TK (telekinetic) and Sutcliffe's partner in crime to participate in the theft of several chemical drums with which to cut their remaining Psyke product. Connor reluctantly agrees for an upfront fee of US$200, and uses his electric powers to break through an electric fence at night to gain access to the chemical plant. Afterwards they meet Sutcliffe and his apparent girlfriend Nia (Kyla Kane). After being dropped off later that night Garrett hands Connor US$300 for a job well done, and offers him another job in the morning if he is interested. 

Garrett recruits Connor and agrees to help him earn enough money to pay for his mother's much needed medical treatment. He begins training Connor on how to harness his abilities and uses him as an enforcer in the Psyke trade. Connor gets to know the other members of Garrett's crew, including Freddie (Vlad Alexis), a mute Brawn (super strength), and Maddy (Laysla De Oliveira), Garrett's girlfriend and a Pyro. Sutcliffe has his crew rob a bank late one afternoon to pay back The Trust, however, the vault only contains US$50K, since the vault was emptied for the weekend earlier in the day.

Connor sustains a deep cut to his arm while witnessing a gunfight back at Sutcliffe's HQ in which an unsuccessful attempt is made on Sutcliffe's life for the bodged bank robbery. Nia reveals that she is a Healer, and heals Connor's arm and says that she remains with Sutcliffe to ease the effects of his Psyke addiction in order to pay off a debt.

In talking to Connor about a stash of cash she found in her sons bedroom cupboard, Mary suddenly goes into convulsions and is rushed into hospital, where the doctor tells him they need to operate and soon to remove her tumour. Soon afterwards Park and Davis bring Connor in for questioning having deduced that he has the motivation (needing the funds to pay for his mothers surgery) and the power (able to control electricity at will) to aid in the recent robberies. They encourage him to cooperate but he refuses. Davis in discussion with Park suggests they plant evidence in order to coerce Connor into informing, while Park is adamant that they release him without charge due to lack of any evidence. Connor is released and suggests to Garrett they rob the scheduled Psyke Run, the monthly transport of the seized drug for destruction, which will be worth about US$10M. Garrett and Connor take the notion to Sutcliffe. Connor demands Nia heal his mother in exchange for his share of the proceeds, and Garrett states that he will be become a true 50/50 partner to Sutcliffe in running the Psyke trade, to which he agrees to both counts.

Come the day of the heist, the crew blocks the heavily armoured truck while it is inside a city no-fly-zone, preventing back-up by drones that carry Guardians. Connor shorts out the truck's electronics and disables the Guardians. Sutcliffe's men execute the four Police officers protecting the truck and turn on Garrett's crew, killing Maddy and mortally wounding Freddie before he, Garrett and Connor are able to escape. With the drugs now in the possession of Sutcliffe's henchmen, the drone pilot disregards the no-fly-zone and drops additional Guardians into the area, killing the rest of Sutcliffe's men at the scene of the crime. Freddie dies as Reed and Garrett drive away.

Davis and Park's Captain is angered that Connor was not arrested before the robbery, and demands they bring in those responsible. Connor covertly contacts Park and offers up Sutcliffe's HQ. The Police raid Suttcliffe's HQ while Connor and Garrett lay in wait at his escape route. After killing Sutcliffe and his bodyguard, Garrett takes the Psyke for himself and encourages Connor to force Nia to heal his mother. Nia pleads with Connor to let her go, explaining that her abilities do not just heal people, but force her to take the hosts disease or injury into herself. She could therefore die if she attempts to heal his mother. Connor nonetheless takes Nia to the hospital at gunpoint, but finally tells her to stop after he sees how painful the healing process is for her. Connor accepts his mothers fate and sheds a tearful goodbye before she passes away.

Connor drives to the Lincoln City Police Station afterwards and gives Nia his truck, saying she is free to leave the city and go wherever she wishes. He turns himself in to reconcile for his past mistakes. Garrett hands over the Psyke to Cumbo and takes over the drug trade for The Trust in Lincoln City. Connor visits his mother's grave before serving his jail time, while Nia has a tearful visit with her father in prison, whose debt she was paying off with Sutcliffe. Meanwhile, Park reluctantly accepts a commendation award for the successful raid on Sutcliffe.

'Code 8' looks and feels like a mash up of the 'X-Men' universe (mutants with various superhuman abilities) and 'Chappie' (a robot cop of the near future), mixed up with your run of the mill bodged bank heist, nefarious drug barons, and a good cop/bad cop thrown in for good measure to cover off on all genre bases. This film won't be for everyone for these reasons alone, and that said, and despite its lacklustre limited run at the Box Office, this film has fared surprisingly well once it landed at Netflix, where it topped the rankings in the US upon its release and remained in the Top 10 for weeks after. Robbie Amell offers a standout performance here channeling a younger Tom Cruise in both looks and mannerisms as the reluctant protagonist and opportunistic antagonist who comes good in the end but has a lot of fast growing up to do in the meantime. The production values and alternative world building in this film are well realised and executed and show what can be achieved with a fraction of the budget compared to other superhero offerings. The script is a little lacking in places, but the film is well paced, tightly woven, gritty and grounded, and is a promising second feature from Jeff Chan.

'Code 8' warrants three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard, from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-