Prolific one-man film industry Noel Clarke directs and stars in this ambitious but uneven sci-fi romp, which mixes well-worn big-screen riffs from Source Code, Inception and The Matrix with downmarket DVD-oriented crass, gratuitous nudity and nifty fast-slow-fast MMA punch-ups. Clarke casts himself as traumatised antihero Ryan, an ex-soldier experiencing life in interrupted staccato bursts as his brain is messed with by futuristic forces. Following the Roger Corman exploitation rule book to the letter, The Anomaly wrings maximum bangs for bucks from its tight budget while unashamedly showcasing the director's buff assets. Brian Cox is all too fleeting as the enigmatic eminence grise.
The Anomaly review – ambitious but uneven sci-fi romp
Noel Clarke's latest effort mixes a Matrix-style plot with downmarket DVD tactics, writes Mark Kermode