A Scanner Darkly

Trippy, faithful adaptation of Philip K. Dick's 1977 novel of the same name forecasts a blurry, drug-fueled world of paranoia in which the government not only listens to phone calls but watches its denizens through ambiguous undercover police whose identities are secret even to their bosses. Fred (Reeves) is one such agent, ordered to spy on his pill-popping friends (Downey Jr., Harrelson, Cochrane, and Ryder) and the owner of the house where they drop in to check out, who happens to be another incarnation of himself. Confusing? That's the point. Director Linklater utilizes a technique known as "interpolated rotoscoping," essentially digitally adding a layer of animation over footage of live actors, which effectively enhances the altered-states feel.