Nolan proposes they work together to escape, but Grieves instead forces one of Ambro's scientists to inject him with the time-travelling drug.
Frank Grieves is a 'Dreck', a roaming narc responsible for keeping the black market dealers off the streets and the licenced drugs companies rich. While everything appears slick, there is a gritty underbelly hiding beneath it all.

Synopsis

Ambro demonstrates by killing Sidorov and sending his body elsewhere in time. After the others leave, Nolan sets Grieves free, saying that he knows Ambro will kill him next as a security threat. Grieves has his family flee the city, and, after confronting Nolan, Grieves is also captured. NARCOPOLIS is one of those movies that, in narrative terms, ties its shoelaces together at the start and never fully finds its footing thereafter. When he is taken off a case involving an unidentified corpse, he discovers that legalization has come at a price. When he is taken off a case involving an unidentified corpse, he discovers that legalization has come at a price.

Plot Keywords If you have any interest in gritty futuristic or time travel films, it’s definitely worth a viewing. Things go south, though, and the movie cuts to London of 2024.

There, he finds Gray, who, after Grieves threatens to harm Sidorov, reveals that she is a time-traveller from 2044. [5], Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 29% of seven surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating is 4.5/10. After Ambro goons attempt to kidnap his son, Grieves realises that the body he found earlier is the adult version of his 9-year-old son, Ben.

The film is set in 2024 after all drugs have been legalised in the United Kingdom. | Suddenly, reinforcements appear out of nowhere, disable Ambro's security forces, and disappear with Gray after injecting her with a drug.

[2] IFC Midnight released the film on 2 October 2015 in the US,[4] where it was accompanied by a tie-in comic book. Narcopolis is a futuristic thriller set in the near future where all classes of drugs have been legalized. The film was financed with angel investors similar to a tech start-up. After Grieves leaves, Ambro orders the police to kill Rankin and kidnap Sidorov. Grieves' superior, Nolan, does not approve of his investigation and instead orders him to work on busting the few remaining street dealers, who operate a shrinking black market since the legalisation of all narcotics. Narcopolis Release Date: When was it released?

As his options drain away, it's clear that legalization has come at a heavy price. Frank Grieves is a 'Dreck', a roaming narc responsible for keeping the black market dealers off the streets and the licenced drugs companies rich.

In the near future, Frank Grieves is a new breed of police officer working in a city where all recreational drugs are legal. The movie isn’t without its faults.

The movie quickly cuts to two unnamed people breaking into the Ambro headquarters, determined to stop the company’s drug work, once and for all. Back in 2024, Grieves once again discovers the body at Ambro's headquarters, but this time it is his own body, not his son's.

Frank and the world he inhabits are very reminiscent of Blade Runner. | In 2044, computer hackers destroy the research records of Ambro, the largest and most powerful drug company. The cast is incredibly strong, and is rounded out by two Game of Thrones alumni, Jonathan Pryce and Harry Lloyd. Perhaps the reason Narcopolis (written and directed by Justin Trefgarne) works so well is the balance it strikes with viewers. Narcopolis Review.

Frank gives Ben a copy of H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine, which mirrors many of the movie’s themes–those of class, and the damage that technology can cause if placed within the wrong hands. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In 2044, computer hackers destroy the research records of Ambro, the largest and most powerful drug company. Perplexed as to why his DNA scanner can not identify the body, Grieves becomes obsessed with solving the mystery. Before he can be caught, the lead hacker injects himself with a drug and disappears. With a crumbling world falling upon a decaying society, Frank Grieves is one of a new breed of elite cop working beyond the reach of the struggling police force. Check it out!! Frank’s relationship with Ben is the linchpin within the film; both actors do an excellent job of portraying a relationship that is rocky, yet still infused with love and care. When he discovers a rogue substance in an unidentified corpse, evidence suggests that Ambro, the most powerful drug manufacturer of all, are conducting secret tests on an experimental narcotic. United States October 2, …

Unable to give up the mysterious case even after being taken off it, he finds a woman named Eva Gray (Elodie Yung), who holds the missing pieces to the puzzle Frank must put together to uncover what the Ambrose Corporation is truly attempting to accomplish–to create a drug that will allow time travel. Summary . Eddie Rankin, Grieves' friend and a medical examiner, tells him that an unidentified drug was found in the man's body.

"[10] Michael Rechtshaffen of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it starts and ends well, but the middle rehashes Blade Runner and The Terminator. Elliot Cowan stars as a police officer who becomes obsessed with solving a case that involves an experimental new drug developed by the largest pharmaceutical company.

After experiencing further obstruction from Ambro's security and his superiors, Grieves returns early to demand answers from Sidorov. Desperate to protect his company's future, Ambro demands the police torture Ben's location from Grieves. The movie opens in London of 2044, with Todd Ambro (James Callis) explaining why it was so important that his company, the Ambrose Corporation, helped legalize all drugs within the country twenty-five years ago.
[6] Metacritic rated it 30/100 based on five reviews.

Twenty years earlier, Frank Grieves, a former addict and current police officer, discovers a body at Ambro's corporate headquarters. Before Grieves or Rankin can examine it further, Ambro has the body destroyed. Without a strong story and emotional backbone, a movie in this genre can often spin out of control, leaving viewers confused and dissatisfied. NARCOPOLIS arrives in theaters and on VOD October 2, 2015!! It is 2043 and the future is not what we expected. [11] Abby Garnett of The Village Voice criticised the film's lack of social commentary in favor of a too-complicated, slow-moving plot. Gray, who is also unidentifiable, escapes his protective custody when he is distracted. After paying off Rankin's debt to Sidorov, the scientist tells him to return in twenty-four hours. Daniel Rodriguez October 29, 2015 No Comments 500 views 0 likes. [13], "Narcopolis: London filmmaker Justin Trefgarne gets £20,000 from fans to help kickstart debut sci-fi film", "Heavy Metal to Bring Sci-Fi Thriller 'Narcopolis' to Comics (Exclusive)", "Narcopolis review – noirish techno-thriller that's a useful calling-card movie", "Review 'Narcopolis' is an odd trip to future of legal recreational drugs", "Cops-and-Drugs Time-Travel Thriller 'Narcopolis' Takes Too Long to Get to Its Promising Ideas", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Narcopolis_(film)&oldid=951560349, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 April 2020, at 19:29.

Some work incredibly well (Looper), while others fall flat (2002’s The Time Machine).Without a strong story and emotional backbone, a movie in this genre can often spin out of control, leaving viewers confused and dissatisfied. While much is left up to interpretation, the movie manages to strike a strong emotional connection that leaves many of the leftover questions moot. [8] Maitland McDonagh of Film Journal International called it "a strong, if not genre-changing, feature debut".

Trefgarne quoted the final budget as under £1 million. Narcopolis premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 19 June 2015 and was released in the UK on 25 September 2015. Todd Ambro explains that they need Ben, as he will perfect their time-travelling drug, which is currently flawed in a way that prevents people from staying long in their destination unless they are dead. "Morlock" is a code word based on The Time Machine, a book that Grieves gave to Ben.

Grieves discovers a second victim - this time alive - but she disappears and he is suddenly taken off the case by his superiors. [1] Further funding came through crowdfunding via Kickstarter. [12] Andrew Marshall of Starburst rated it 5/10 stars and called it "little more than a sci-fi police procedural" that ignores the interesting aspects of its premise. Both Frank and his estranged wife are recovering drug users, leading to strained relations. Narcopolis Is the Time Machine for a Modern Era. Astronaut Bowman (Keir Dullea) transports across the vast distances of space before ending up in a bedroom and speedily grows in age to become an old man. Opening with a Matrix-y prologue set in 2044, during which a couple of tech-ninja types surreptitiously break into a vaguely threatening computer mainframe, Narcopolis shoots back … Amazon’s MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE comes to NYCC. When Grieves continues his investigation, Ambro puts pressure on the police to rein him in. In a cramped and dangerous city where recreational drugs are legal and the population falls ever deeper into a state of loose morals and an altered sense of reality, Frank is one the few fighting for change. The only clue he has is the word "Morlock" hidden on the body. Suddenly in 2044, Grieves speaks to his now-adult son and reinforces how important his mission is. Grieves dismisses this as the ravings of a junkie and demands to know what Ambro has planned, which he believes may be an experimental drug codenamed "Morlock". Queer New York Comic Con After Party On Saturday the 10th! Plot. When he discovers a disfigured body with no identification, it sets him down a path of no return, where the truth is liable to get him killed.

[9] Andrew Pulver of The Guardian rated it 2/5 stars and wrote, "Despite the surface sheen, and some enterprising plot twists, it doesn't entirely convince. While the lack of explanation works in its favor when dealing with the time traveling aspects, the logic behind the sinister Ambrose Corporation is less clear, beyond “they are corporate, so they must be evil.” Why they so desperately want time travel technology is left up to interpretation, and to some viewers, could prove incredibly frustrating. Before he can be caught, the lead hacker injects himself with a drug and disappears. [7] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film's convoluted, self-indulgent plot makes it of interest only to science fiction die-hards. Is it too late to save the city?