Released: April 11th 2020 (Netflix)
Length: 100 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Director: Jeff Chan
Starring: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Sung Kang, Alex Mallari Jr and Kyla Kane
Having reached peak popularity over the last decade, the well-established superhero sub-genre is looking to branch out in different directions. Following closely behind 2019’s “The Boys”, Code 8 repositions the extraordinary individuals with fairly muted results.
As a feature length version of a 2016 short film, Code 8 switches places and sees people with powers at the bottom rung of the ladder. Instead of saving the day, they’re treated with endless suspicion and contempt, often being thrown out of work by the rise of automation and policed by intrusive law enforcement. We follow Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), an elecktrokinetic desperate to save his ill mother Mary (Kari Matchett). He falls in with a band of crooks led by Garrett Kelton (Stephen Amell) and embarks on a crime spree to raise personal funds. Cutting back and forth between various characters around Lincoln City, the film’s plot is comprised mainly of discussion and action. It does build intrigue at the start with a set of alternate historical footage that establishes the context, but it doesn’t follow through on this with the narrative. There could have been more interaction between regular people and the super-powered folk to emphasise the societal divide, thus creating stronger motives for Connor and his people. Some side characters are also off-screen for a while, affecting their place in the story.
Written as regular, relatable people, the characters of Code 8 do have potential, but settle for mostly sub-standard territory; a shame as they are well defined by their respective actors. Connor enters a bad crowd to help his mother, yet throughout the film he remains true to his morals. This is contrasted by Garrett, who is wrestling with greed and making more than he needs from his crimes. No one really gives a bad performance here; the characters are weak due to a lack of both balance and development. Sung Kang as the local police officer Park appears more sympathetic to the cause, but he doesn’t interact with Connor and the others nearly enough to make an impression. The biggest missed opportunity though is Nia (Kyla Kane); a woman with healing powers well sought after by the mob to be their personal medic. She doesn’t do much throughout the film aside from standing around and looking dejected when she could have played a greater role in bridging the divide between them and humans. Other side characters don’t have much to them at all; when the action does heat up, it’s hard to care for their plights.
Aiming for a more grounded take on superheroes, Code 8 does offer a relatively believable setting that ties into the problems of our own societies. Of course, the main characters are all marginalised and shunned, pressing them into unsavoury deeds to keep themselves afloat. The film shows this through a range of dimly lit, grungy sets that highlight the lower class and their struggles. Taking a less is more approach, the film is well shot all the way through and is accompanied by an ambient soundtrack that lends pathos to the more emotional moments. The action itself is rather reminiscent of Neil Blomkamp’s District 9 as large drones are flanked by combat robots throughout; technology that parallels our own worries about increased surveillance and invasion of privacy. The super powers themselves are also fairly minimal in their presentation; the special effects blend well with the actors and locations. For a modest budget, Code 8 creates a capable set of effects and technical details.
While Code 8 does attempt to flip the scales on the saturated superhero genre, the emotions and themes it attempts to convey rarely land with considerable impact. It’s a shame as no one gives a bad performance and the effects are good considering the film’s low budget. Genre followers will be somewhat intrigued but it doesn’t amount to much beyond that.
Rating: 3/5 Stars (Fair)