X
- 1998
- Not Rated
- 1 h 40 m
- 1998
- Not Rated
- 1 h 40 m
Summary Alex Proyas directs this futuristic thriller about a man (Sewell) waking up to find he is wanted for brutal murders he doesn't remember. Haunted by mysterious beings who stop time and alter reality, he seeks to unravel the riddle of his identity. [New Line]
Directed By: Alex Proyas
Written By: Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer, Alex Proyas
- 1998
- Not Rated
- 1 h 40 m
- 1998
- Not Rated
- 1 h 40 m
Dark City
66
8.6
Where to Watch
Summary Alex Proyas directs this futuristic thriller about a man (Sewell) waking up to find he is wanted for brutal murders he doesn't remember. Haunted by mysterious beings who stop time and alter reality, he seeks to unravel the riddle of his identity. [New Line]
Directed By: Alex Proyas
Written By: Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer, Alex Proyas
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
66
57% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
39% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
66
57% Positive
13 Reviews
13 Reviews
39% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
4% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
It is as cool and distant as the planet the Strangers come from. But, Lord, is Dark City a wonder to see. [2 March 1998]
Full of provocative concepts, but, like most films that attack such metaphysical concerns head-on, things have become a tad too jumbled by the end to be altogether satisfying. It's a problem built into the subject matter...This all said, Dark City is immensely entertaining, as well as visually dazzling.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 289 User Ratings
8.6
89% Positive
258 Ratings
258 Ratings
8% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
3% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 289 User Ratings
8.6
89% Positive
258 Ratings
258 Ratings
8% Mixed
23 Ratings
23 Ratings
3% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
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The story is dark and often violent, but it's told with a remarkable sense of visual energy and imagination.
It's full of visual flash, and can be enjoyed as a giddy ride, but you would waste your time trying to puzzle out the nuances of the story.
It's all about the amazing look, cobbled together from an astonishingly evocative range of sources: "Nosferatu" and "Mad Love," "Brazil" and "Metropolis," a haunted mosaic of bits and pieces of movie memories.
Looks like a million bucks (or rather, a million bucks gone to compost), but at its dark heart it's a tedious, bewildering affair, lovely to look at but with all the substance of a dissipating dream.
One reason this production-design vehicle is so incredibly boring is that the characters keep having to explain the plot to one another.
Almost a perfect movie. I liked the city with its style, it is very interesting and creative. Also I liked the dark and sinister mood of the movie. The story is also interesting, because you discover the background with the protagonist. Also the theme is not so popular and a bit complex. The characters are complex and therefore interesting. The visual effects are good, but not great, Matrix is much better in this case, but dont forget the movie is from 1998.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Dark City is a great film in some areas and a bad film in others. The strongest thing this one brings to the table is the concept. Entirely riveting in that regard, the world created by Alex Proyas is a very interesting one worthy of being evaluated further. The lighting and production design here are great and the acting all-around is stellar. So, then why did I not like it? Well, the writing left much to be desired. The way the story came together and was written took the concept and world created and made it seem boring and worthless. The good acting and direction was wasted on pretty poorly done dialogue. I still appreciate all the positives in this one and wish the end result was better, but sadly, it was not. As a whole, I was expecting a lot more in terms of thrills and drama from this one, but all I saw was a screenplay fumble a great idea and tear down the rest of the movie with it. The positives make this one worth watching though, which is more than you can say for a lot of movies.
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Give this authentic old style car to run something solid on, it will go miles, MILES!
Dark City
Proyas has got the style that fits right in for a comic book film. Definitely not for this current generation, although I'd love to see a throwback every now and then, that warps me back to the late 80s Tim Burton era. And as far as breathing that essense is concerned, Alex Proyas, the co-writer and director, has got that particular style written all over these gorgeous rich images shared in this film. But just like any style would, it only has legs to run so far. Just the first act, in this case. For after the tone sets in and the demand kicks in, the substance grows necessary and the luxury (style, as mentioned) feels like famished into that bank, which the makers feel free to use as an excuse of narrative.
What actually the film feeds on other than glamour is how it romanticizes a secret, a rumor. Everything is hyped up to the perfect amount, teasing us, preparing us for a dazzling show that ends up only in the been-here-seen-that acts. Also it's not just the predictability but also its inadequacy to satisfy us with that very expected product. And I don't just mean the film in its entirety.
But also, what is part of it. Characters, disappoints. Relationship disappoints. World, disappoints. Arcs, is what we are left with, generically mystic; which by the way could also be interpreted as commercially or irrelevantly. And among these disappointments, the star cast holds on to their reputation, from Jennifer Connelly as a fishy seductress to Kiefer Sutherland as the know-it-all messenger to William Hurt as the uncompromised hunky detective to Rufus Sewell as our empathetic protagonist sharing our views, viewer's views, for the most part of the film. Dark City is dark, undoubtedly, but it is not bright enough to prove why is it so dark, it's just dark- I cannot say dark enough.
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Production Company
Mystery Clock Cinema,
New Line Cinema
Release Date Feb 20, 1998
Duration 1 h 40 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline They built the city to see what makes us tick. Last night one of us went off.
Awards
Online Film & Television Association
• 3 Wins & 9 Nominations
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
• 1 Win & 7 Nominations
Fangoria Chainsaw Awards
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
