Dark City (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Bob S

  
  A bit hack thematically, very digital, absolutely breakneck pacing visually and plotwise, dreamy illogical... kinda cool hyper-pastiche. Dick Tracy meets Kafka in the Matrix

• Spencer S

  
  Though ultimately a lackluster effort, but ambitious and ravenously astute, Dark City is the best neo-noir sci-fi ever attempted, and beautifully executed. It holds each element in the palm of its hand and instead of squashing it like a bug, lays the groundwork with impressive set… More
  Though ultimately a lackluster effort, but ambitious and ravenously astute, Dark City is the best neo-noir sci-fi ever attempted, and beautifully executed. It holds each element in the palm of its hand and instead of squashing it like a bug, lays the groundwork with impressive set designs (reused for the Wachowski Brothers' The Matrix), bleak photography and cinematography, and acting that is far and beyond that of the cast called upon. For one thing, Connelly has always made beautifully resonant films, instead of the fluff of the eighties we were ingratiated towards. The lead of the film is amnesiac John Murdoch, played by Rufus Sewell. The fact that he has no memory plays well into the neo-noir aspect, since these "Strangers" work as the police would in the same sense, except in a world that mirrors complete darkness and lack of any true emotion, it's easier to centralize one villain as a large entity rather than a single person. The concept behind the world itself was the most interesting part, though it's not unearthed (without the voice over narration) until an hour in, and all the ambiguous buildup gave me a headache. It was enjoyable to watch the storyline unfold as it did, and with the introduction of the Strangers could have lent to a more particular mind figuring it out sooner, but I leave my viewing up in the air with suspense of disbelief. Besides that, the effects were very low budget for a nineties film, and one that was well financed at that. The Matrix, made just one year later, had the computer generated output to create much more effective visuals, but couldn't completely replicate the dreary cityscape that Alex Proyas imagined so vividly. At times I almost wondered if this world was our own, and the ending reflected the protagonist as a Jesus like figure, sacrificing his own happiness through ignorance for one as creator, perhaps all of our lives relatively only real to us and the basis of our lives are simply the memories we have. The whole film deals with our souls through memory, and whether or not it actually is in our emotions rather than experiences and thought processes. Also, the climax of the film felt rushed, as the final battle between good and evil used bad effects and didn't truly work with the overall storyline the film was already following. It would have been great to lead into other great Proyas work, but we have sadly all been let down, yet this gem at least exists to fuel the discussion for another day.

• AJ V

  
  This movie is like a cross between the Matrix and The Truman Show. Both great movies themselves, and before them, this great movie. It has a great, interesting cast, a great story, and a very cool style. It's like a neo-1940s. I really enjoy this movie, and I highly recommend… More
  This movie is like a cross between the Matrix and The Truman Show. Both great movies themselves, and before them, this great movie. It has a great, interesting cast, a great story, and a very cool style. It's like a neo-1940s. I really enjoy this movie, and I highly recommend it.

• Jameson W

  
  Phenomenal film! One of the best Sci-Fi movies I have seen in a while, and definitely one of my new favorites. Dark City is one of the most thought-out and well done films I have seen. Director Alex Proyas did an excellent job with this film. The pacing is perfect; I had tons of… More
  Phenomenal film! One of the best Sci-Fi movies I have seen in a while, and definitely one of my new favorites. Dark City is one of the most thought-out and well done films I have seen. Director Alex Proyas did an excellent job with this film. The pacing is perfect; I had tons of questions throughout, but never was I bored or completely lost. The director takes his time and never assumes the audience needs a rushed conclusion. Basically, you need to this movie. Everything about it is fantastic...the concept, story, cast, visuals, tone, music, emotion, pacing, direction. I literally could have asked no more from this film. Truly an underrated gem!

• Shawn E

  
  A strange sci-fi with some terrific visuals and style, but the plot is hard to follow at times and the mysteries are slow to reveal.

• Tim S

  
  My original thoughts on this: "This had quite an interesting cast and strong direction, but somehow it just doesn't quite reach that epic place you want it to. There are some troublesome things about it, but I suppose it's another one of those 'warm up'… More
  My original thoughts on this: "This had quite an interesting cast and strong direction, but somehow it just doesn't quite reach that epic place you want it to. There are some troublesome things about it, but I suppose it's another one of those 'warm up' movies where you have to see it multiple times to warm up to it." Now having seen it and the director's cut a couple of times, I feel a bit less hard on this movie. It is filled with lots of things we've seen before and some muddied plot details, but it has some great performances, marvelous art direction and set designs...and it's just an overall enjoyable sci-fi experience. It still doesn't get exactly to where it's going, but isn't dismissable by any means.

• Chris W

  
  This is a wonderfully imaginative sc-fi thriller that, unfortunately is criminally underappreciated. I can't prove this, but I have a feeling that a reason for this might have to do with the fact that a year after this came out, The Matrix- a similar, yet more popular and… More
  This is a wonderfully imaginative sc-fi thriller that, unfortunately is criminally underappreciated. I can't prove this, but I have a feeling that a reason for this might have to do with the fact that a year after this came out, The Matrix- a similar, yet more popular and accessible film, was released. With this film, it is as if Alex Proyas combined Kafka, philosophy, film noir, and the visual aesthetic/art design of films such as Metropolis, Blade Runner, and Tim Burton's Batman in a blender, then topped it off with a trippy and compelling sci-fi mystery. The story, like much of the film, is dark and mysterious, and the audience feels much like the main character for a great deal of the running time. This film wastes no time in getting the film started, letting the plot unfold as it goes along instead of setting things up with lengthy explanation first. Doing it this way will be maddening for some, and it is confusing, but it is supposed to be. Stick with it, though. It's worth it. You do need to pay attention and come to this film with the intention of engaging the mind, but that's fine by me. This film, as a result, is both entertaining and stimulating...a perfect film for discussion afterwards. The effects are cool, but don't really hold up over time. In a way it kind of adds to the charm since this film already mixes a futuristic look with something reminiscent of the 1940s. Since the effects and action aren't the point of the story though, the slight datedness of the effects isn't a dealbreaker. Besides having a great look, and terrific ideas, the camera work, music, and acting are terrific as well. Sewell is good, but he's eclipsed by Sutherland who turns in a really odd and creepy performance. In fact, this might be Sutherland's most out there performance. That's not a bad thing though. Richard O'Brien is suitable creepy in his role as one of the creppy and msyetrious Strnagers, and Jennifer Connelly is also good, but, even though she has a sizable role, I wanted to see more of her. Like I said, The Matrix probably stole this film's thunder, and, even though the two are comparable, that film didn't really rip this one off. They are similar, and comparisons are valid, but this film relies more on atmosphere and ideas than that one, hence why this one may not be as appealing to some. You should still definitely give this one a chance though. It is quite thought provoking and excellent...just come to it ready to focus,pay attention, and do more than just sit back staring at the screen.

• Saskia D

  
  Somebody recommended me this movie after seeing Inception. I liked the lighting, the symmetry and the atmosphere of the movie. It has some minor flaws, but overall, the idea behind it is really cool. Let's say it's a mix of The Matrix and Inception with the weirdness of The… More
  Somebody recommended me this movie after seeing Inception. I liked the lighting, the symmetry and the atmosphere of the movie. It has some minor flaws, but overall, the idea behind it is really cool. Let's say it's a mix of The Matrix and Inception with the weirdness of The City of Lost Children (Jeunet). For a final rating I think I have to watch it again..

• Conner R

  
  I've seen this a few times now and I must say that the Director's Cut of this really sends it over the border of good into a great movie. Without the ridiculous narration that ruins the plot and a few extra scenes here and there, it helps give the story and visuals more time… More
  I've seen this a few times now and I must say that the Director's Cut of this really sends it over the border of good into a great movie. Without the ridiculous narration that ruins the plot and a few extra scenes here and there, it helps give the story and visuals more time to spread their wings and show us the world that was originally intended. Now the theatrical version of the movie isn't terrible, it just doesn't have the power and mystery of this cut. Rufus Sewell is by far one of the greatest villain actors of all time, but in this it's really cool to see that he can play just as good of a protagonist. I love The Strangers, those are some bad guys that will never be forgotten (chattering teeth, bondage gear and pale skin). Also, the supporting cast of this is pretty much flawless. While Kiefer Sutherland is pretty much the only flaw of the movie, he isn't even that bad. The visuals in this movie, especially the Neo-Noir city, is ridiculously beautiful. You just don't typically see so much time and effort put into every frame of a shot. The idea of a moving city is great and the way it is shown is even better. What's neat about this movie even if you're not into its look is the completely original sci-fi element. Nothing has ever really tackled the essence of the human soul and human motivation and this does it without even trying that hard.

• Dean !

  
  A strange, weird Sci-Fi/horror. Not helped by a confusing plot that takes a while to unravel. Featuring a well known cast including the brilliant Ian Richardson who should be in more films and an early small role for Melissa George. It's ambitious and with the right budget could… More
  A strange, weird Sci-Fi/horror. Not helped by a confusing plot that takes a while to unravel. Featuring a well known cast including the brilliant Ian Richardson who should be in more films and an early small role for Melissa George. It's ambitious and with the right budget could have been amazing. I kinda felt it was trying too hard to be a film ahead of its time. It's not until about half way through things start to make sense, until then the highlight was Melissa George stripping off. Could have been a classic but falls a bit short for me.

• Tsubaki S

  
  Fantastic visual piece, but a bit weak in the story. Strange aliens with fantastic mental powers are dying of something (this something is never explained as far as i remember) and want to study the human soul. For all the potential interesting questions the film raises about the… More
  Fantastic visual piece, but a bit weak in the story. Strange aliens with fantastic mental powers are dying of something (this something is never explained as far as i remember) and want to study the human soul. For all the potential interesting questions the film raises about the human mind, and human emotions it tosses them to end up the movie in a big nerd battle of mental powers. Weak lead actor, the aliens could had been better written, and Jennifer Connelly's character is just the token love interest. It's an engaging movie no doubt, but it cripples itself from being something better.

• KJ P

  
  I believe this film fails on many levels! It's extremely boring and very odd! I give it some credit, but it's not for me!

• Lewis C

  
  Dark City doesn't have a slow build-up like many sci-fi movies of a similar vein. Instead, it thrusts you headlong into the mystery of a man who wakes up with no knowledge of who he is, in a city that just doesn't seem quite right. It gives you these mysteries and then… More
  Dark City doesn't have a slow build-up like many sci-fi movies of a similar vein. Instead, it thrusts you headlong into the mystery of a man who wakes up with no knowledge of who he is, in a city that just doesn't seem quite right. It gives you these mysteries and then continually expands on them, leaving you few quiet moments to attempt to figure them out for yourself. Needless to say, I was very impressed by this approach. It lended a thriller-type atmosphere to a genre where that's not often the tone.   I might have initially been interested in Dark City because of Jennifer Connelly, but I ended up enjoying the movie even after I realized that her role was relatively minor. I think that the film suffered a bit because its director didn't quite do the material justice, but overall, Dark City was interesting and fun to watch.  

• Randy T

  
  I can't, in all honesty, say that this film is underrated. Had it gotten a tremendous amount of hype I may have been disappointed. I can, however, say with a fair amount of certainty that <i>Dark City</i> is under-appreciated. This has all the makings of a classic… More
  I can't, in all honesty, say that this film is underrated. Had it gotten a tremendous amount of hype I may have been disappointed. I can, however, say with a fair amount of certainty that <i>Dark City</i> is under-appreciated. This has all the makings of a classic science fiction piece and may, in time, surpass <i>The Matrix</i> in the hearts and minds of genre fans.

• Anthony L

  
  Alex Proyas's best film to date seems to have flown under the radar a bit. Its a real shame, as this is a fantastic sci-fi film, one of the best from the last 20 years in fact.

• E.J. B

  
  The greatest of all sci-fi films. It asks a simple question: what makes humans human? Not only ahead of its time, but a sure fire classic that will be around for decades to come.

• Phil H

  
  This looks awesome, really er...dark lol grimy, goth, bleak, really nails the comic book brilliantly. Its alittle strange and hard to follow but I haven't seen it since it was released at the cinema. The cast excels and really makes this so much better. I love Richard O Brian in… More
  This looks awesome, really er...dark lol grimy, goth, bleak, really nails the comic book brilliantly. Its alittle strange and hard to follow but I haven't seen it since it was released at the cinema. The cast excels and really makes this so much better. I love Richard O Brian in there too, a forgotten goodie.

• Ping C

  
  This is a near perfect movie. A personal favorite.

• Luke B

  
  Trounced at the box-office over 10 years ago, Dark City has gathered pace over the years. DVD sales have created such a strong and dedicated fanbase that there is now talk of a sequel. It's not hard to see why Dark City failed at first. Imagine trying to cut a trailer together… More
  Trounced at the box-office over 10 years ago, Dark City has gathered pace over the years. DVD sales have created such a strong and dedicated fanbase that there is now talk of a sequel. It's not hard to see why Dark City failed at first. Imagine trying to cut a trailer together from the footage. There's no real "WOW" moment to grab audiences by the nuts. Dark City lives up to it's name. Gothic and grim in it's tone. The noir aesthetic adds to a complex but intriguing mystery. The strangers are a fantastic group of villainous characters and Sewell shows why he should have become a leading man. It's noir-sci-fi and it's deep and entertaining. It focuses strongly on memory and whether our memories make us what we are. William Hurt was fantastic and it was incredible to see Richard O'Brien as a character as memorable as Riff-Raff.

• Josh L

  
  Worth it just to see the impressive visuals and atmosphere alone. I don't think the story has aged very well because it didn't grab me like "The Matrix" or some other sci-fi movies did, but it's still decent.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings