Rent Cypher (2002)

Excellent, overlooked sci-fi thriller - Cypher review by RD

I saw Cypher at the cinema expecting a decent film on the back of the director's first film, Cube. Cypher was better. Ostensibly a sci-fi espionage thriller with more than the occasional twist, it's a film that works as much because of its mood and the skill of its actors. For all that it's occasionally slightly absurd nevertheless, Cypher is thoroughly compelling, sometimes thrilling and especially Northam and Liu are excellent and share genuine screen chemistry. For all that it is a relatively low budget film it's a real diamond in the rough and deserves more and your attention.

Smart sci-fi from Canada - Cypher review by AER

From the same team that made CUBE, this Canadian sci-fi has a lot of interesting ideas and ramps up the intrigue enough to keep you guessing the outcome. Jeremy Northam and Lucy Liu lead the cast in this twist on the Simulacrum theory that also spawned The Matrix and Dark City. However, it doesn't quite stick the landing, and as it's quite a low-budget film, the ambition outreaches the abilities of the SFX team. It's very watchable but the conclusion is very corny and inevitable. Shame it didn't save enough of its originality for the final stretch.

Recommended for those that love small sci-fis with big ideas. It's better acted than Cube, but perhaps not quite as dynamic.

6 out of 10