Narcopolis

The Good: wonderful plot that even had me guessing wrong when it was revealed there was a twist, I still guessed the twist wrong. Unpredictable plot and even minor plot lines, like the family dynamic - just never what you think it's going to be, and you're just so pleasantly surprised by the writing and by each scene. Acting - just phenomenal, all around, from every actor, some of them big picture actors who obviously chose this indie flick bc it is solidly GOOD scifi.

The Bad: Some of the plot points are pretty hard to follow, but when that happens in a bigger budget picture, like Memento, ppl are like GENIUS - can I get a WHAT WHAT. How about we DON'T dumb everything down to the point that ppl become brainless idiots, even if we have to think to follow the story and sometimes can't. The sound and cinematography values are Blair Witch' Projects younger sibling-work.

The Ugly. NOT the lead actor. He is HECKA hot. Can I get some more, please sir?

I would have given it 7 stars for the plot and idea, but this movie so very messy. I just can't help but giving it five. The characters lack depth, the scenery is very messy and the plot is just so tangled you just find it hard to keep track of the conversations and all the events that take place in the movie. This is generally a fun and refreshing sci fi thriller that deals with a shady future and it that sense the setup does look gray and depressing. The problem is with the characters who lack depth and it's not easy to figure out their background - with messy flashbacks not being as clear as they perhaps were meant to be. The story is somewhat tangled and has a few unexplained holes with conversations that are vague and unclear and characters behaving unreasonably.

It's a movie that deserves a good word but somehow the mess just ruins the party and when the movie ends, you just have this empty feeling of "oh it ended... I didn't even notice it until the credits appeared".

***EDIT

2018-01-21

Okay, I just re-watched this, and I do NOT know what the hell I was smokin' when I originally reviewed this, but quite honestly this film a near masterpiece! Serious 'Hard' Science Fiction, well done, beautifully conceptualized. I cannot understand for the life of me why the average rating for this film is only 4.4 at this moment. This is truly one of THE very best Sci Fi films that I have seen in a very long time. Powerful, effective, and most DEFINITELY engaging!

*******

Clearly, the director and everyone involved poured their hearts into the making of this film. The performances are quite good. It's an interesting touch that the boy and the Mother in the film are in actuality the wife and son of the director. The boy is particularly good in his role, and although not really having much experience in heavy duty acting, he really did an outstanding job, especially in his scenes with his screen Dad.

The cinematography was also very good with some nice shots of futuristic looking buildings from different countries in contrast with some rather stark UK interior shots. Apparently, they had VERY little money to work with, but considering that, I thought they did an EXCELLENT job of putting this movie together. The editing and pacing are good. I particularly liked the sound design. I thought that it fit the scenes really well with a nice mix of Industrial and moody backgrounds that were quite effective.

The director mentions in his commentary that he deliberately left the last act and the ending slightly ambiguous, which is fine. I don't mind ambiguous endings at all, and I felt the film ended on just the right note... Another great example of a similarly themed movie (although having to do with memory) is the excellent French film 'CHRYSALIS' (2007) which I would also HIGHLY recommend for a Futuristic Crime Thriller!

I would keep in mind, though, that if you are expecting a really HUGE, epic Sci Fi Blockbuster (like the Awesome 'BLADE RUNNER' for example) this movie isn't about that. The look, cinematography, and style are very nicely done, but the Sci Fi elements are more downplayed and low-key. So, you might not get quite as worked up as you would for other Science Fiction films that have more effects and action, since this one is more concept and character driven. BUT... with that said, when the Sci Fi part of the story kicks in about half way through, the concept and story are very well thought out and executed, and the film most definitely DOES leave the audience wondering and asking themselves what the hell is going to happen next...

I had originally given the film a '7', but just after rewatching it now just about 3 years later, I most enthusiastically give it a strong '8'

Very highly recommended!

Drugs and time travel - that's like ham and eggs right? Can't have one without the other correct? a perfect marriage

True but after watching this mess, even a liter of black coffee couldn't keep me from dozing off to slumber city in parallel universe

Narcopolis ( "Narcopolice"? ) just loses itself in trying to tie too many loose ends that seem to be caught in a vortex of bad Sy Fy writing where no hack has gone beyond.

Hate being hard on a movie - regardless of budget, it is still someone's creative sweat equity - but this is a real stinker

But if you are suffering from insomnia...this might be the right drug for ya.

Justin Trefgarne has his first cinematic debut with the crowdfunded Narcopolis; a sci-fi drama about a future where drugs have been not only legalized, but are being pushed by corporate backers as being a safe alternative to street narcotics.

There were several things I really liked about this film, despite being what most people would consider a low budget type of film. First, as a science fiction, it brings a very unique idea to the audience. Although the majority of the film is in the detective style of neo-noir films, the concept is a solid one. Imagine a future, where the majority of citizens are not only using, but encouraged to do so though advertising and product guarantees. Narcotics are available in every society I can think of, but very few of them have been privatized outside of the prescription drug market. There is some decent acting, and I was particularly impressed by Eliot Cowan's portrayal as the protagonist Frank Grieves; who portrayed a massive and daunting man, battling his own demons, while progressing through a series of bizarre events.

The things that most people will notice are the poorly written plot twists, and dialogue. Some of the twists that are meant to shock the audience fall quite flat during this film, or are revealed at the wrong times. Perhaps due to poor direction or writing execution, it's hard to say, but there are several scenes that make little to no sense in the overall plot. A few of the actors are new, and you can tell in the way they exchange dialogue. Yet if you can look past these scene errors and look at the overall film, I think you'll be quite pleased at the end result. I encourage more films from Justin Trefgarn and hope he keeps to the same genre. I especially enjoyed the opening of the film, which set quite a pace that I wished that the rest of the movie kept up to.

Needless to say, it's a very sound Sci-Fiction / Drama, but most viewers will hold it to perhaps too high a standard. An excellent first entry along the lines of 'Equilibrium' (2002).

5/10