The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

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A dystopian world, where superhumans and society constantly clash, sounds familiar? Well, Code 8 uses this same old theme, but can it stand out?

Code 8 follows young Connor Reed (Robbie Amell), who has the unique power of controlling electricity and lives in a world where people with abilities like him are outcasts. With his terminally-ill mother working in a supermarket, they barely get by. When his mother’s sickness hits another low, Connor is desperate enough to do anything to make money to save her. That is when he is recruited by telekinetic crime boss Garett (Stephen Amell), and delves deep into a criminal world he had known next to nothing about.

Despite the cliché theme, what’s interesting about the film’s plot is its protagonist; not the typical, self-righteous hero, but, in fact, an outcast and a criminal. The events of the plot are capable of keeping the audience watching the action all the way to the end, especially with the feature’s realistic action scenes.

However, action is not enough, or at least profound enough, to impress all audiences. The issue was not in the pace of the plot, as much as it was in how the plot dealt with developing the events.

Code 8 also wasted huge potential by not digging into Conner’s psyche, especially as the character seemed promising. Being a decent guy earned the audiences’ sympathy to a certain extent.

For the acting, Stephen Amell ironically had more command and charisma on screen than his cousin – the film’s protagonist – Robbie Amell. Stephen was plausible, engaging, and charismatic, even though he was playing a degenerate criminal who the audience knew little about. Robbie Amell was just as ambitious as the production, but the result was average for both of them.

Ambitious yet not groundbreaking, Code 8 is fun to watch for once, unless you want to remember why you forgot about it in the first place.