The Anomaly (2014)

An ex-soldier named Ryan Reeve is taken captive by the "Anomaly" organization where he learns that he only has 9:47 minutes/seconds to find out why they want him dead.

Director:

Noel Clarke

Writers:

Simon Lewis, Noel Clarke (additional material by)

Stars:

Noel Clarke, Ian Somerhalder, Brian Cox

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Noel Clarke	...	Ryan
Ian Somerhalder	...	Harkin Langham
Brian Cox	...	Dr. Langham
Alexis Knapp	...	Dana
Luke Hemsworth	...	Agent Elkin
Niall Greig Fulton	...	Leonid
Michael Bisping	...	Sergio
Ali Cook	...	Agent Travis
Art Parkinson	...	Alex
Reuben Dabrow	...	Polska
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Erman Alexander	...	Shanghai background
Ermar Alexander	...	Shanghai Background (as Erman Alexander)
Gordon Alexander	...	Graveyard Thug
Linn Allen	...	Shanghai background
Paul Blackwell	...	Futuristic NYPD officer

Storyline

Set in the future, the film is about the development of new cutting-edge bioweapon. Traumatized ex-soldier Ryan Reeve wakes up in the back of a moving van next to a young boy who has been kidnapped, he attempts to free the boy, but blacks out. He is forced to work out what is happening in bursts of time no longer than ten minutes, before his mind is taken over again. He teams up with the mysterious "Dana" as he battles a conspiracy known as "Anomaly" led by Harkin Langham, and learns that the bioweapon is the same mind control that has allowed its creator to take over his body.

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Plot Keywords:

conspiracy | mind control | near future | terrorist plot | prostitute | 

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official Twitter

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 2014 (UK)

Also Known As:

A Anomalia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Unstoppable Entertainment,Tea Shop & Film Company,thefyzz

Technical Specs

Runtime:

97 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ryan (Noel Clarke)'s wife in the pictures that are shown on camera, is the (also) British actress Freema Agyeman. Noel and Freema both appeared in the BBC science fiction show Doctor Who.

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Quotes

Dr. Langham: But in the world that I crate, if you break my laws, you will simply be switched off. Your signal overtaken. And that fear will create a beautiful future.

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits.

User Reviews

Blue Light Smug

The Anomaly is basically a sci-fi film with only one point of view. It doesn't give much exposition to its questionable futuristic world, unless it has something to do with the main character's fight against his own odds. The plot is appropriately straightforward, even with its heavy ideas, it all consistently fits. However what isn't so clever is how it is put together. How the character picks up the pieces of information is drab and incoherent, that seems like the filmmakers doesn't care much of the mystery and instead focus more on its style. While those pretentious use of slow-motion and lens flares can be cool to look at, it also robs the potential of being at least a solid science fiction film. It's far from horrible as what many people have called it, but then it is also true at being a typical action film that you would watch when you are bored in an afternoon.

By looking at its aesthetics, people might be impressed, especially if you acknowledged its non-blockbuster budget. But it might as well gloss over to the fact that it is a vaguely defined future. We're not even sure if is this really the future or just an alternate universe. Nobody even mentions the year and some of its product placements are too modern (notice the poster of 2013's We're The Millers). A goof like this may be forgiven if the world itself isn't this charmless. The flavor it eagerly provides is the colorful lights. The weapons, the devices, etc. consist lights with certain types of color to undoubtedly match its lens flares. And there is no distinction either in every place they stop into. Whenever it passes from London to New York to wherever else, the additional objects we only see, to make sure that this isn't the same world we are living in right now, are holograms and blips that look exactly the same. And what these things showcase in their screens might indicate a commentary of having an overly commercialized society, but that only leaves to a theory.

The real pivotal hook here is the high-concept. It has to be simple, though the huge deficiency takes place at the first act when it introduces its concept by jumping into various time and countries to show off a set of stylish set pieces and visuals. It gets a lot interesting when the real questions finally unfolds, despite that it is usually tension free. Slick direction helps to keep the attention on, and it's probably too slick for its own good. It's still fine to follow the rest of this nonsense, even though it keeps reverting its potential darkness to silly moves and an unbelievably big deus ex machina. What people would likely complain the most are the often interrupting action scenes that seems to solely exist to look cool than to drive tension. Its trademark slow-mo fights have a groan-worthy welcome, though the extended choreography in the middle eventually becomes entertaining. We should admit that most of them are just unnecessary and difficult to take seriously, but sometimes there is an advantage to it since this is already a bland universe.

As for the acting: Ian Somerhalder could have been effective as the villain if he provides a sense of psychosis, but just like everyone else he is there to look cool. The lack of convincing his nefarious intentions sucks out the fun whenever he is around. The real pleasure is when (possibly spoilers) some of the characters become surrogates of Brian Cox. Cox himself is mostly there to be strapped on a machine and phone in to a footage, but when Clarke and Hemsworth do the impression for him, it becomes ludicrously entertaining.

There is a sense of competency to be found in The Anomaly that sort of glosses the fact that it is still a generic action, and as a directorial debut of its star, it must be a little surprise of not being a total disaster, but this is still not as smart neither as awesome as it wanted to be. With a little vibe of inspiration to The Matrix; single-word title, mind-blowing concept, with cool looking characters, and stylishly constructed slow-mo; the film just doesn't manage to make any of that great. But then there is an undeniable value (plus it is perfectly short), only when there is nothing else interesting around. Because generic action has become so generic, at least this one has an intriguing use of budget, fine to root for concept, a fun mimicry to its only veteran actor, and of course absurd amount of pretty lights.