“What’s the world coming to when our murderers won’t tell us who they are?” —Sal Frieland
Today’s quick review: Anon. Years in the future, cybernetic implants record everything a person sees and does, as well as providing direct access to a wealth of digital information. Detective Sal Frieland (Clive Owen) spends his days solving crimes by consulting this perfect digital record. But when a serial killer hacks the record to cover their tracks, Sal’s only lead is a mysterious woman (Amanda Seyfried) who has erased all trace of her existence.
Anon is a cyber thriller set in a future where video surveillance is everywhere and only elusive hackers can provide anonymity. Anon extrapolates current technological trends to their unsettling conclusion: a world where technology is everywhere and privacy is nonexistent. The movie features a fascinating setting, innovative camerawork, and a decent mystery for its plot. However, flat characters and a mediocre ending put a damper on an otherwise solid film.
Anon works well as speculative fiction. The world it portrays resembles modern society with one major exception: smartphones and computers have been replaced with implants connected straight to the brain. Anon fleshes out its vision of the future with a number of subtle touches, including the effect of the technology on monetary transactions, the use of video records as surrogate memories, and austere, ultra-modern architecture and furniture.
The speculative setting also meshes well with the film’s plot and presentation style. The plot is a mystery that makes good use of the premise, showing just how vulnerable a fully digital future would be to the wrong sort of hacker. On the presentation side, Anon uses tricks like letterboxing, first-person camera, and elegant, wireframe-style UI to capture the effect of stepping into another person’s point of view.
However, Anon does have a few minor flaws that detract from its strengths. The plot begins strong and escalates well, but the ending is something of a letdown. The answers to the mystery are not as interesting as the build-up, the climax is not as gripping as it could have been, and the film goes through the motions of an emotional arc that never quite comes together, thanks to slight issues with the script and the detachment of the characters.
Anon is a solid pick for science fiction fans who enjoy the speculative side of the genre. Its premise sheds light on modern society, while its plot exploits the setting in clever ways. Those hoping for a fully satisfying story should look elsewhere. For a gripping sci-fi thriller with a similar premise, check out Minority Report or the various versions of Ghost in the Shell. For a simiar extrapolation of modern technology, check out Surrogates.
6.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for an excellent premise and a decent plot.