Code 8

Code 8 takes place in an alternate reality where 4% of the world’s population are born with super-powers, allowing them to do everything from read minds to manipulate electricity or, in rare cases, even heal other people physically. In the present-day, however, powered individuals like Connor Reed – who lives in a crowded metropolis called Lincoln City with his sickly mother – are forced to scrounge for work and discriminated against by the government, which uses drones and autonomous robots to support the police and keep them in check. As such, Connor can’t help but be tempted when he’s offered high-paying work by Garrett, a criminal who works for Lincoln City’s most infamous drug lord, Marcus Sutcliffe. But when Lincoln City cops Park and Davis  realize Connor is carrying out crimes for Sutcliffe, it puts him and everyone he cares about in danger.

Director: Jeff Chan
Cast: Robbie Amell, Stephen Amell, Sung Kang,

Review: Essentially a humbler, grungier indie “X-Men” without the same dependence on splashy effects, “Code 8” is a solid genre effort from director Jeff Chan. Spun off from his prior short of the same name, the crowdfunded effort is resourceful and polished on a tight budget. Its fast-paced progress has enough appeal to suggest a possible franchise, even if this potential kickoff is held back from becoming something more memorable by the general familiarity of the story and character concepts.

Verdict: Worth the Popcorn