Narcopolis

In 2024, recreational drugs are legally controlled by the mysterious Ambro company. But dangerous narcotics are still available and that's what brusque cop Frank Grieves (Elliot Cowan, unable to make his caricature gumshoe character remotely believable) is cracking down on before being assigned a tangential case involving a mutilated corpse which puts his estranged family in danger. Give writer/director Justin Trefgarne credit for drenching his low budget sci-fi caper in adequate futuristic trappings - shiny London buildings provide the backdrop, blue-tinged darkness and chic dampness the hoped-for Blade Runner-esque atmosphere. But the unnecessary time travelling is both way too simplistic and confusing, the tension slack and careless, and when the half-baked conspiracy plot finally becomes illogical, complete disinterest sets in. Jonathan Pryce, who plays an ageing scientist who thinks mobile phones are melting his brain, only adds to the list of overreaching failures.