Code 8 (2019)

(On Cable TV, March 2020) I wasn’t expecting much from Code 8, but had to give it a chance given that it’s a Canadian Science Fiction movie likely to play for years in order to satisfy CanCon Cable TV requirements. Fortunately, my expectations were exceeded early on. While I didn’t quite believe in the premise of the film (in a parallel reality where some humans have shown supernatural powers for decades, a modern-day metropolis features them as an unwanted, marginalized minority tightly monitored by police), the first few minutes quickly ground Code 8 in a credible reality, and then set up a street-level crime thriller spiked with psi powers. Writer-director Jeff Chan’s refreshingly low-key approach works wonders: this isn’t about superheroes saving the world as much as downtrodden mutants trying to get ahead in a society terrified of them. The obvious parallels with the black American experience with police aren’t really played up, which does allow the film to breathe while not shackling itself to on-the-nose parallels. Robbie Amell is bland but likable as the protagonist, an electrically-gifted young man trying to save his sick mother and get away from the shadow of his dead criminal father. Sung Kang is a bit more interesting at the police officer chasing him, while Kyla Kane makes a bit of an impression as the moral lever of the film’s third act. Code 8 is unassuming and that proves to be one of its greatest assets: it never tries anything too ambitious, but it stays well within the limits of what it can deliver. This is partially illustrated by the script, stronger when dealing with the nitty-gritty of its protagonist’s situation, and substantially weaker when trying to grapple with the wider-scale machinations about organized crime in the city. Still, the story works, and even has a nicely bittersweet ending. I suspect that the film will be championed by a variety of viewers (those convinced that films can be crowdfunded; fans of the Arrow TV show; Canadian movie fans, etc.) but I’m just relieved that it’s a decent production, and a reasonably entertaining film on its own.