RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Dark City
Dark City

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Bookmark and Share

Dark City (1998)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
77 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 77

Fresh: 59

Rotten:18

Average Rating: 7/10

Consensus: Stylishly gloomy, Dark City offers a polarizing whirl of arresting visuals and noirish action.

Runtime: 1 hr 51 mins

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Synopsis: Upon awakening with a start in an icy bathtub in a strange room--with a woman's dead body inconveniently nearby--John Murdoch can't remember how he got there. With a police detective hot on his... Upon awakening with a start in an icy bathtub in a strange room--with a woman's dead body inconveniently nearby--John Murdoch can't remember how he got there. With a police detective hot on his trail and a psychiatrist skulking around, Murdoch discovers that the key to his mystery is the presence of strange extraterrestrial creatures, the Strangers, who are experimenting with the memories of the humans in his city--from which there may be no escape. Ambitious sci-fi noir, with rich production design and a dense, Kafkaesque concept. [More]

Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien

Starring: Rufus Sewell, Kiefer Sutherland, Jennifer Connelly, Richard O'Brien, Ian Richardson, William Hurt, Bruce Spence, Colin Friels, John Bluthall, Mitchell Butel, Melissa George, Frank Gallacher, Ritchie Singer, Justin Monjo, Nicholas Bell, Satya Gumbert, Frederick Miragliotta, Peter Sommerfeld, Timothy Jones, Jeanette Cronin, Paul Livingston, Michael Lake, David Wenham, Alan Cinis, Bill Highfield, Terry Bader, Rosemary Traynor, Edward Grant, Maureen O'Shaughnessy, Dhobi Oparei, Marques Johnson, Doug Scroope, Cinzia Coassin, Tyson McCarthy, Luke Styles, Anthony Kierann, Laura Keneally, Natalie Bollard, Eliot Paton, Naomi van der Velden, Peter Callan, Mark Hedges, Darren Gilshenan, Ray Rizzo, Bill Rutherford, Marin Mimica, Tony Mosley, Glenford Richards, Stanley Steer, Greg Tell, William Upjohn

Director: Alex Proyas

Director: Alex Proyas
Composer: Trevor Jones
Producer: Andrew Mason, Alex Proyas
Story: Alex Proyas
Screenwriter: Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Dark City

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It does not take long to realize that there is a lot less here than meets the eye.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/28/08
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Murdoch's quandary proves surprisingly engrossing, the art direction is always striking, and unlike most contemporary sci-fi, the movie does risk a cerebral approach, tapping a vein of postmodern paranoia.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Proyas drenches each shot in a unique feel and delivers a movie with a visual sense with all the inventive, poetic power of Ridley Scott or Terry Gilliam firing on all cylinders.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A visionary slice of visceral experience.

Full Review Source: Mr. Brown's Movies | comment Comment
03/31/09
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/07/09
Jon Popick
rec.arts.movies.reviews

The experience of Dark City is one that no film lover should miss... seen now as it was intended after 10 long years of wandering in the shadows.

Full Review Source: Flipside Movie Emporium | comment Comment
08/10/08
Rob Vaux
Flipside Movie Emporium

Proyas assembles his inspirations into a unique amalgam with the power of myth to tap the fears and desires of our collective unconscious. [Blu-Ray]

Full Review Source: Groucho Reviews | comment Comment
08/05/08
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews

mixes visual marvels with B-movie archetypes

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
07/28/08
Jesse Hassenger
Filmcritic.com

Was "The Matrix" before "The Matrix" was ever in the pop culture lexicon...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
07/27/08
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed

In the annals of noir Sci-Fi, by any measure, this is a Classic of cinematic invention.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
07/25/08
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals

...the movie is mostly style, but it's a style so engrossing, it more than makes up for any lack of substance.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
07/25/08
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

A mishmash of iconography lifted from better movies.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/28/08
Lisa Alspector
Chicago Reader

Dark City trades in such weighty themes as memory, thought control, human will and the altering of reality, but is engaging mostly in the degree to which it creates and sustains a visually startling alternate universe.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
04/28/08
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

City ultimately plays like one of those art-deco dystopian CD-ROM adventures of recent years.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
04/28/08
Ty Burr
Entertainment Weekly

[A] stylish hybrid of futuristic thriller and film noir.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
04/28/08
Rita Kempley
Washington Post

Proyas floods the screen with cinematic and literary references ranging from Murnau and Lang to Kafka and Orwell, creating a unique yet utterly convincing world.

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
04/28/08
Andrea C. Basora
Newsweek

If you don't fall in love with it, you've probably never fallen in love with a movie, and never will.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
04/28/08
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post

This is one of those movies that's more concerned with set design motivation than anything that's going on inside the characters' heads.

Full Review Source: CNN.com | comment 1 Comment
04/28/08
Paul Tatara
CNN.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

One of the most ludicrous movies in years.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
07/29/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com

Dark City is a truly scary flick.

Full Review Source: Houston Community Newspapers | comment Comment
05/09/07
Gary Brown
Houston Community Newspapers
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
all

Latest News for Dark City

March 10, 2009: Alex Proyas Looks Back at Dark City Opens in new window
Director Alex Proyas has kicked off his guest-starring stint at /Film in the best possible way -- namely, by revisiting "Dark City." More...

July 28, 2008: RT on DVD: Harold & Kumar, Doomsday and Dark City Director's Cut
Since we're all still recovering from Comic-Con 2008, and tons of new home video details dropped at the Largest Nerd Gathering in the World, it's time for RT on DVD: Geek... More...

July 26, 2007: Alex Proyas to Direct The Silver Surfer?
After having a grand old time shooting "Ghost Rider" in Melbourne, it looks like producer Avi Arad wants to bring more superhero movies down to Austrlia. Plus, word is that an... More...

May 21, 2007: Four Directors Up for the Next "Bond" Flick?
Curious to know who'll be directing the next James Bond flick? Join the club. One source has a short list of potential helmers, all of whom would be pretty ... distinctive. More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Dark City

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
—
The Code
23%
23%
Confessions of a Shopa…
39%
39%
Inkheart
80%
80%
Gran Torino
28%
28%
Tyler Perry's Madea Go…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
84%
84%
Two Lovers
27%
27%
12 Rounds
04%
04%
Street Fighter: The Le…
23%
23%
Jonas Brothers - The C…

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Renny Harlin

Renny Harlin

5 Fave Films from the 12 Rounds helmer.

Star Wars

Star Wars

We celebrate 10 years of Episode I.

Drag Me to Hell

Drag Me to Hell

We chat to Sam Raimi and his cast.

Cannes Must-Sees

Cannes Must-Sees

We pick the 10 movies not to miss.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Brandon Routh Talks Superman's Future Source: Moviehole
58
  • Sony's Amy Pascal Explains Moneyball Balk Source: Los Angeles Times
6
  • Three Theaters Getting Harry Potter in IMAX Opening Day Source: Collider.com
18
  • Weekly Ketchup: Adam Sandler joins The Zookeeper, David Fincher joins Facebook
72
  • Zak Penn Talks The Avengers Source: Sci Fi Wire
20
  • Watchmen Director's Cut Headed to Theaters Source: Collider.com
32
  • Lorenzo di Bonaventura Talks G.I. Joe, Beverly Hills Cop 4, More Source: Collider.com
14
  • (Teaser) Trailer Bulletin: The Last Airbender Source: MTV
61
  • Johnny Depp Talks Alice, Pirates 4, Dark Shadows Source: Collider.com
12
  • New Alice in Wonderland Concept Art, Stills Posted Source: USA Today
26
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers 2 Generates Explosive Box Office
168
  • Critics Consensus: Solid Public Enemies Doesn't Quite Bring The Noise
104
  • Five Favorite Films with Fred Durst
86
  • RoboGeisha: 2009's Most Insane Trailer?
74
  • Total Recall: Johnny Depp's Best Movies
74
  • RT on DVD: Street Fighter, Transmorphers 2, and Uwe Boll's Tunnel Rats!
36
  • Academy Invites Tyler Perry, Michael Cera, Seth Rogen to Join Oscar Ranks
28
  • Box Office Guru Preview: Dinosaurs and Gangsters Spark Fireworks
22
  • Karl Malden: 1912-2009
17
  • Edinburgh 2009: RT's 10 Must-See Movies
9
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Dark City at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Dark City at IGN

Fresh Links

Competitions
Blood: The Last Vampire
Blood: The Last Vampire External Link

Combine live-action and manga to create your own movie short and win big!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.