Code 8 Movie Review

Major Spoilers included in this movie review. Please read with caution.

Code 8 is a Canadian science-fiction / action / superhero movie—not a Netflix Original despite it streaming on that platform—starring cousins Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell, who are really familiar with the superhero genre. The film is written and directed by Jeff Chan.

The plot centers around Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), a powerful Electric, and his desperate attempts to save his dying mother in a world that discriminates against their people. They are also behind on paying their bills. Connor ends up getting recruited by a man named Garrett (Stephen Amell) to earn some quick cash. The plot escalates from there in a predictable manner. As a superhero fanatic myself, the comparisons are difficult to ignore.

However, the world-building, how the society treats the super people, the special effects of the powers, and the dark tone work out far better than the plot itself. No matter what the main characters did to fight the system, they were always at a disadvantage—similar to My Hero Academia—against the “normal” antagonists and their Guardians (think Sentinels from X-Men but smaller).

The opening five-minute scene—filled with news reports about how people with abilities were gradually being discriminated against—was an effective way to exposition the world before introducing us to Connor and his mother. There was so much hopelessness for people with abilities (only 4% of the world’s population but still), and how they weren’t able to overcome the obstacles set on making them lose.

Connor and Garrett’s character dynamic wasn’t explored as much as I would’ve liked in this movie, especially Garrett. Connor’s motive to save his mother was a solid character journey, but Garrett didn’t develop much throughout the movie or provide a reason for why he was in the crime business. Garrett wanted to move up in the crime organization and hated working for Sutcliffe (Greg Bryk), the leader of said organization. The movie didn’t bother to dive into his character’s background. This resulted in little to no humor being present to balance out the darkness and misery we experience in the middle and final parts of the film.

Nia (Kyla Kane) was a minor character in the film who deserved more screen time. She had a small arc—that could’ve been bigger—about how people wanted her for that healing power and not for who she is as a person. She was plot-device around in the film, but she knew it and hated being used only for her powers.

The special effects on the superpowers was clean and interesting to watch. Connor’s electrical powers and Garrett’s telekinesis was portrayed very well. Nia’s healing powers looked gorgeous, which was a good juxtaposition to what that power was doing to her. The film made the limited budget work in their favor.

Overall, Code 8 is definitely worth watching. There’s enough in the movie to have a good time, and there is set-up for a spin-off series. Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell have expressed interest in continuing the story. The plot is very similar to other superhero stories, but the production did a good job on CGI and special effects. The performances of Stephen Amell and Robbie Amell are also great to watch.

It’s streaming on Netflix and on the top 10 list. Go for it!