Substance D

I haven't watched much anime but of all that I have watched this one is my favorite. The animation is incredible! I'm very curious about the process they used to create the sequences, at times they looked very close to real images. The animation is so close to true that you won't need to know the cast beforehand, you will recognize Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jr. and Woody Harrelson as soon as you see their animated renditions.



In a future Los Angeles, the mood is dark and Substance D is the new drug. D is a particularly addictive one that polarizes the left brain from the right, causing its users to lose memory of everyday objects and to hallucinate horrific images, post-high. A group of undercover cops are sent out to break the ring of Substance D sellers but this proves to be somewhat counter-productive since undercover cops themselves become users and instant addicts.

The film is a very pointed finger at modern day drug abuse, although not quite as scary as the reality of right here, right now. But the film also makes a heavier point of the Orwellian tactics of government to try to control the flow of drugs, pointing out how it is still not effective and simple economics, supply and demand, tend to override good intentions.

9.0/10
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