The Anomaly
| The Anomaly | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Noel Clarke |
| Produced by |
|
| Written by |
Simon Lewis
Noel Clarke |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Tom Linden |
| Cinematography | David Katznelson |
| Edited by | Tommy Boulding |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 97 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | £11.6 million |
The Anomaly is a 2014 British science fiction action thriller film directed and co-produced by and starring Noel Clarke and also featuring Ian Somerhalder and Luke Hemsworth.
Plot
The film is set in a futuristic setting involving a battle over control of the mind and of cutting-edge biotechnology. Ex-soldier Ryan Reeve (Noel Clarke) wakes up in the back of a van[1] next to a young boy, Alex (Art Parkinson), who is being held prisoner. He frees the boy and must work out what is happening in bursts of exactly nine minutes and forty-seven seconds, as the control and conscious awareness of his body is repeatedly being hijacked by another person. He teams up with the mysterious "Dana" (Alexis Knapp) as he battles a conspiracy known as "Anomaly" led by Harkin Langham (Ian Somerhalder).
Cast
- Noel Clarke as Pvt. Ryan Reeve/Anomaly #66
- Alexis Knapp as Dana
- Brian Cox as Dr. Lloyd Langham
- Ian Somerhalder as Agent Harkin Langham/Anomaly #X
- Rachael Jowett as Margaret
- Luke Hemsworth as Agent Richard Elkin/Anomaly #13
- Ali Cook as Agent Travis/Anomaly #97[2]
- Art Parkinson as Alex
Production
The film was produced in the United Kingdom in 2013. Clarke performed his own stunts, modifying his diet and receiving fight training for the purpose.[3]
Distribution
The first official trailer was released on 19 April 2014. The film was shown at the Edinburgh Film Festival in June 2014[4][5] and entered general release in the UK and the Republic of Ireland through Universal Pictures on 4 July.[6]
Reception
The film was unanimously panned by critics, with a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 0% based on 16 reviews,[7] making it the worst reviewed British film of 2014. On Metacritic, it has a score of 27 out of 100 from 7 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".[8] Mark Kermode of The Observer called it "ambitious but uneven".[9] Other critics described it as "hilariously naff science-fiction mularkey"[10] and "a peculiar Brit flick best described as a noble failure"[11] and referred to "tangled conception and tortuously opaque execution"[5] and to "meag[re] rewards for those willing to endure its laborious convolutions".[4]
References
- ↑ Jake Perlman, "'The Anomaly' trailer: Noe sci-fi action thriller", Inside Movies, Entertainment Weekly, 16 April 2014.
- ↑ Nathalie Raffray, "Magician Ali Cook turns spy for Noel Clarke’s The Anomaly", Ham & High, 10 July 2014.
- ↑ "Noel Clarke gave up pizzas for The Anomaly", Belfast Telegraph, 6 July 2014 (video).
- 1 2 Neil Young, "'The Anomaly': Edinburgh Review", Hollywood Reporter, 18 June 2014.
- 1 2 Guy Lodge, "Film Review: 'The Anomaly': Derivative and incomprehensible, Noel Clarke's shoestring sci-fi actioner doesn't live up to its title", Variety, 17 June 2014.
- ↑ "'The Anomaly': Noel Clarke fights time in sci-fi puzzle", cinema, Euronews, 7 July 2014.
- ↑ "The Anomaly". Rotten Tomatoes/Flixster. Retrieved 2015-08-18.
- ↑ "The Anomaly". Metacritic. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
- ↑ Mark Kermode, "The Anomaly review – ambitious but uneven sci-fi romp", The Observer, 5 July 2014.
- ↑ Allan Hunter, "The Anomaly: Cringe-worthy confusion paying homage to all sci-fi films", The Express, 4 July 2014.
- ↑ David Edwards, "The Anomaly review: Noel Clarke delivers a peculiar film best described as a noble failure", The Mirror, 4 July 2014.