Metacritic Movie Ratings
A Scanner Darkly Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 90

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano

  The brilliance of A Scanner Darkly is how it suggests, without bombast or fanfare, the ways in which the real world has come to resemble the dark world of comic books.

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• 70

  out of 100

  VarietyJustin Chang

  Deeply intriguing but almost too-faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's nightmarish 1977 novel.

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• 70

  out of 100

  The New York TimesManohla Dargis

  Rotoscoping makes certain sense for a film about cognitive dissonance and alternative realities, though both the vocal and gestural performances by Mr. Reeves, Mr. Harrelson and, in particular, the wonderful Mr. Downey make me wish that we were watching them in live action.

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• 63

  out of 100

  USA TodayClaudia Puig

  Definitely not for everyone. It's a very bleak story with uneven pacing and a narrative whose jumps in time are confusing and occasionally infuriating. But the post-apocalyptic mood blends well with its uniquely stylized look and surreal story.

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• 42

  out of 100

  Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman

  In A Scanner Darkly, we're watching other people freak out, but the film is maddening to sit through because their freak-outs never become ours.

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• 40

  out of 100

  The Hollywood Reporter

  Audiences will have to seek out their own peculiar diversions in order to last the whole course of this demi-dud.

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