Code 8

"Fear is the most dangerous power."

2019 1h 39m EN

😐

6.3

MID

🍅

81%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

6.1

IMDB

★6.3TMDB · 2,267🍅81%Rotten Tomatoes●48Metacritic★6.1IMDB · 57,258

Science FictionActionCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In Lincoln City, some inhabitants have extraordinary abilities. Most live below the poverty line, under the close surveillance of a heavily militarized police force. Connor, a construction worker with powers, involves with a criminal gang to help his ailing mother. (Based on the short film “Code 8,” 2016.)

“Fear is the most dangerous power.”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Where to watch · US

NetflixSubscription

Netflix Standard with AdsSubscription

Amazon VideoRent

Apple TV StoreRent

Google Play MoviesRent

Google Play MoviesBuy

YouTubeBuy

Fandango At HomeBuy

Cast

Robbie Amell
Connor Reed
Stephen Amell
Garrett
Kari Matchett
Mary Reed
Penny Eizenga
Receptionist
Lawrence Bayne
Big Joe
Jai Jai Jones
Travis
Alex Mallari Jr.
Rainer
Shaun Benson
Dixon

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jeff Chan
Writers: Chris Paré, Jeff Chan, Andy Cung
Languages: English
Countries: Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 3 countries: Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Code 8 Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jeff Chan, shot by Alex Disenhof. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Ryan Taubert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Paul Skinner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell and Kari Matchett carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jeff Chan directs. Alex Disenhof behind the camera. Ryan Taubert scores. Paul Skinner cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 1% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 7 years ago.
3International production across 3 countries: Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Part of the "Code 8 Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
5Directed by Jeff Chan, shot by Alex Disenhof. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Ryan Taubert. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Paul Skinner shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Robbie Amell and Stephen Amell and Kari Matchett carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Fear is the most dangerous power.".
10IMDB entry: tt6259380 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 11 themes, including "drug trafficking", "dystopia", "superhero", "remake".
12Released under 17 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Alex Disenhof
Original score: Ryan Taubert
Editing: Paul Skinner
Production design: Chris Crane
Makeup / hair: Allan Cooke
VFX supervisor: William Chang
Sound: Brody Ratsoy
Stunt coordinator: Neil Davison
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $15,000,000
Box office: $157,209
Return: 1% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: Code 8 (2019)
Rotten Tomatoes: 81% 🍅 Fresh
Metacritic: 48/100
IMDB rating: 6.1/10 · 57,258 votes
MPAA: TV-MA

Awards

1 nomination total

Part of

Code 8 Collection

Collection of movies based on the short film Code 8.

Also by

Jeff Chan

Stills · wallpapers

Selected frames

Full-resolution frames — open one to save it as a wallpaper.

Wallpaper

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2019-12-30
★ 5/10
I thought the trailer made Code 8 look like it was gonna be pretty bad, but I liked the premise, and I wanted to see what Stephen Amell could do in a 2019 feature film, so I gave it a chance, and while I don't think it was great, it was better than I had been expecting. There were some bits that sort of reminded me of last year's Darkest Minds, and that's definitely a bad thing, but overall it was actually pretty decent. It goes for both the social commentary, and a pew pew splodey zap zap action crime thriller. It doesn't work spectacularly as either, but it tries, and its failures certainly are not abysmal ones. Final rating:★★½ - Had a lot that appealed to me, didn’t quite work as a whole.
Peter McGinn2021-07-27
★ 6/10
Code 8 never really grabbed me, though I managed to watch it all the way through. Perhaps I am an outlier viewer, but I would have liked to see more time spent on why society lowered the status of the super-powered people to practically second class citizens. To me that might have been more compelling viewing than the details of Connor’s descent into crime or his mother’s rather stereotypical declining health. But within its narrow plot and limited number of interesting characters, it may have been less than great, but it was better than mediocre.
CinemaSerf2022-03-27
★ 5/10
Robbie Amell is undoubtedly a good-looking man, but that really does not forgive the fact that as an actor, he is really dead behind the eyes. The concept here is quite interesting - ordinary people have superpowers and are all still pretty much persecuted by the authorities. Amell is down on his luck and has a sick mother so, to pay for her extortionately expensive treatment, he seeks work casually - and soon falls in with the wrong company where he uses his powers (he can generate and focus electricity) to further their petty, but increasingly ambitious criminal activities. This gets him caught up between a drug-smuggling gang and with the pursuing police. Cousin Stephen discards his bow and arrow for this film, instead heading the druggie gang that will betray everyone/anyone as soon as look at them. The dialogue and pace of the film - there are some decent action scenes - keep it moving quite well, and the visual effects do their job - but the acting is just bland and the story an amalgam of B-grade X-men themes.