Summary

• Code 8 movies are based on the 2016 short film, but introduce important changes to characters and stories.
• Connor faced discrimination and poverty in both the short film and movies due to being a Power with special abilities.
• Code 8: Part II continues Connor and Garrett's struggle with corruption and a drug called "Psyke," setting the movies apart.

Netflix’s Code 8 starred Robbie Amell as Connor Reed, a Class 5 Electric who, as a Power, faced daily discrimination, forcing him to work small jobs every day to provide for his family.

After being shorted on his pay after a day of work, Connor and his friend were confronted by the police and their drones, with tragic results. Code 8 was turned into a full-length feature in 2019, with Chan back as director as well as Robbie Amell as Connor. Code 8 saw Connor working with Garrett (Stephen Amell), a fellow Power who worked for a crime boss responsible for the production and distribution of a drug called “Psyke”. Code 8: Part II continued Connor and Garrett’s stories and their personal struggles with corruption and Psyke, further setting the movies apart from the short film.

10 Connor’s Family Life

Connor lived with his brother & grandmother in the Code 8 short film.

The Code 8 short film didn't spend much time explaining Connor’s family life. Instead, it simply showed a quick glimpse at it at the beginning, with Connor living with a younger boy (understood to be his brother) and their grandmother, who used an oxygen tank, implying she had health issues. In Code 8, Connor lived with his mother, Mary (Kari Matchett), also a Power, who had cancer and needed immediate treatment as she was starting to not be able to control her powers. Unfortunately, Connor’s mother died at the end of Code 8.

9 Connor Was Already Unemployed At The Beginning Of The Code 8 Short Film

Connor had a job at the beginning of Code 8.

Just like in the movies, in the Code 8 short film, Powers faced discrimination and were forced to live in poverty, as they couldn’t get jobs because of their special abilities. This led Connor and his fellow Powers to wait around and take small jobs every day in order to be able to provide for their families. In the short film, Connor had no stable job and went through the routine of getting small jobs every day, but in the Code 8 movie, he was working at a construction site at the beginning.

8 Aaron Abrams Played Connor’s Friend & Fellow Power In The Code 8 Short Film

Aaron Abrams played Officer Davis in both Code 8 movies.

In Code 8, Connor worked at the construction site with his friend and fellow Power, Freddie (Vlad Alexis), and was later seen looking for a job with him. Freddie also appeared in the Code 8 short film, but he was played by Aaron Abrams, who, in the movies, played Officer Davis. While Freddie was a friend of Connor, Officer Davis was against Powers and played the role of “bad cop” in Code 8, but he redeemed himself in Code 8: Part II thanks to a much-needed change of perspective.

7 Connor Wasn’t Fired From The Construction Site In The Code 8 Short Film

His employer wasn’t fair to him and the rest.

Both situations showed the disparity in the world of Code 8 between Powers and “normal” people.

In the Code 8 short film, Connor, Freddie, and others were picked up for a job at a construction site and were promised a specific amount of money. Unfortunately, their employer wasn’t honest and paid them a lot less, but Connor, tired of all the struggles they go through as Powers, confronted him. Connor ended up smashing one of the windows of his car, calling it even between them, but that caught the attention of the police and their robots, all of which quickly tracked Connor and Freddie.

In Code 8, the police were alerted about various Powers working at the construction site where Connor had been working, and as they weren’t ed, they were forced by the police to leave, leaving them unemployed. Both situations were not only frustrating to Connor but showed the disparity in the world of Code 8 between Powers and “normal” people.

6 Officer Park’s Partner Was Officer Dixon In The Code 8 Short Film

Officer Davis was Park’s partner in the movies.

Dixon had the same role as Davis in the first Code 8 movie, as both had a deep prejudice against Powers.

Officer Davis didn’t exist in the Code 8 short film, and instead, Officer Park (Sung Kang) was accompanied by Officer Dixon (Chad Donella). Dixon had the same role as Davis in the first Code 8 movie, as both had a deep prejudice against Powers and looked for reasons to have them arrested, no matter what. Davis even went as far as to suggest planting evidence to imprison Connor, but his role took a turn in Code 8: Part II after he teamed up with Connor and Garrett to expose the corruption and crimes of Sergeant Kingston.

5 Connor Was Arrested For Smashing His Employer’s Window In The Code 8 Short Film

There were bigger reasons to arrest him in the movies.

As mentioned above, Connor smashed his employer’s window in the Code 8 short film after he refused to pay them what they were promised. This caught the attention of the police and the drones, who quickly found them and confronted them. Officer Park believed Connor when he told him he wasn’t using his powers to smash the window, but he still broke the law and he had to arrest him. To defend himself, Connor pushed Park, but Dixon reacted violently.

In Code 8, Connor was taken to the police station for questioning after he started working with Garrett, and at the end of the movie, he was sent to prison as part of his deal with Officer Park. In this case, there were good reasons to arrest him.

4 Freddie Was Killed By The Robots In Front Of Connor In The Code 8 Short Film

Connor’s friend in Code 8 wasn’t killed.

Seeing his friend being violently arrested led Freddie to use his strength to throw Dixon against the police car. Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the police’s robots, who shot Freddie as he was seen as a menace. Connor held his friend until his last breath, and confronted Officer Park, who threatened to shoot him but, ultimately, let him go. As the movies didn’t continue the story of the short film, it’s unknown if Connor faced consequences for confronting Park and messing with the drone and robots.

3 Freddie’s Death Unleashed Connor’s Full Power In The Code 8 Short Film

Connor unleashed his power during his first job with Garrett in Code 8.

Connor didn’t show his powers in the Code 8 short film until Freddie’s death. Overcome with anger, frustration, and sadness, Connor let his electric powers out, destroying the police’s robot guards and crashing the drone. In Code 8, Connor unleashed his powers during his first job with Garrett so they could open a gate, and he later showed the full extent of his skills when Garrett asked him to get rid of the drone after one of their robberies.

2 Garrett Was Introduced In The First Code 8 Movie

Garrett wasn’t a part of the Code 8 short film.

One of the biggest changes in the Code 8 movies is the introduction of Garrett. In the Code 8 short film, the villains were the police and all the “normal” people who looked down on Powers, and Garrett was nowhere to be seen. In Code 8, Garrett worked for Marcus, so he wasn’t exactly a hero, but wasn’t a villain either – however, in Code 8: Part II, he fluctuated between ally and antagonist, making it hard for Connor and the audience to fully trust him.

Stephen Amell voiced Drone Operator #1 in the Code 8 short film.

1 Psyke Wasn’t Mentioned In The Code 8 Short Film

Psyke may or may not have existed in the short film.

Psyke is at the core of the conflicts in both Code 8 movies.

Another huge change and addition in the Code 8 movies is Psyke, a drug made from the spinal fluid of Powers that triggered a series of social and political conflicts across the city. Psyke wasn’t mentioned or shown in the Code 8 short film, so it’s unclear if it already existed or not, as it focused on the struggles of Powers rather than the war triggered by the production and distribution of the drug. Psyke was at the core of the conflicts in both Code 8 movies, and will surely continue to be if a third movie is made.