Code 8
A desperate electrically gifted man enters a dangerous criminal network when systemic poverty leaves him no legal way to save his ailing mother.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- earnest
- brooding
- late night genre viewing
- superhero double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded it as a polished and resourceful low-budget science fiction crime film with strong performances and plausible effects, though its crowded screenplay and restrained action limit its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
People with special abilities are marginalized into poverty and subjected to heavily armed authority in a near-future society.
Connor enters Garrett's criminal operation to pay for his mother's medical treatment.
Connor's electrical abilities are used for robberies and escalating criminal activity rather than grand superheroics.
The film presents robot police, combat drones, and a dystopian urban environment with comparatively grounded visual effects.
Films like Code 8, and why
The Darkest Minds
shares near-future dystopia, persecuted superpowered people, and social inequality
Chronicle
shares grounded superhuman abilities, oppressive institutions, and crime thriller tension
Elysium
shares police surveillance, technological control, and dystopian science fiction action
Upgrade
shares low-budget science fiction, criminal conspiracies, and morally compromised protagonists
Movie Details
- Director
- Jeff Chan
- Release Date
- 2019-12-06
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (2254)
Cast
- Robbie Amell
- Stephen Amell
- Kari Matchett
- Penny Eizenga
- Lawrence Bayne
- Jai Jai Jones
- Alex Mallari Jr.
- Shaun Benson
- Sung Kang
- Aaron Abrams
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Code 8 about?
- A desperate electrically gifted man enters a dangerous criminal network when systemic poverty leaves him no legal way to save his ailing mother.
- What is Code 8 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Code 8 as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Code 8 violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Code 8 as moderate.
- What did critics think of Code 8?
- Critics broadly regarded it as a polished and resourceful low-budget science fiction crime film with strong performances and plausible effects, though its crowded screenplay and restrained action limit its impact.
- Which films are like Code 8?
- Films with a similar feel include The Darkest Minds, Chronicle, Elysium, and Upgrade.
- How long is Code 8?
- Code 8 runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Code 8?
- In United States, Code 8 streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
