“You invade my privacy, it’s nothing. I try to get it back, it’s a crime.”

***

Anon has the makings of an intriguing set up; a near-future where technology has stripped anonymity from daily life, the lives of each citizen recorded through their viewpoints, their data free to be used by those with the power to manipulate it. Stylistically the visual recreation of the tech falls somewhere between Peep Show and Wolfenstein 3D, only with none of the handheld, uncomfortable closeness of the British comedy, and all of the smooth, centrally framed detachment of the ’90s shooter. As a result, it never feels particularly real, quickly leaning towards gimmickry.

The core theme of privacy raised by the technology is at least pertinent, the film drumming up some interesting moral conundrums. But while the initial act sets up a compelling mystery for Clive Owen’s Sal to unravel, it’s all a bit too laid back for its own good (as is Owen’s performance), uneven pacing in the first two acts leaving it scrambling at the tail end to cram in all of its many twists. It has some smart ideas, but it’s just a little too rushed for them to play out wholly satisfactorily.

Rating (out of 5):