It does not take long to realize that there is a lot less here than meets the eye.
Dark City (1998)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
Reviews for Dark City
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.
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.
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.
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]
Was "The Matrix" before "The Matrix" was ever in the pop culture lexicon...
In the annals of noir Sci-Fi, by any measure, this is a Classic of cinematic invention.
...the movie is mostly style, but it's a style so engrossing, it more than makes up for any lack of substance.
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.
City ultimately plays like one of those art-deco dystopian CD-ROM adventures of recent years.
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.
If you don't fall in love with it, you've probably never fallen in love with a movie, and never will.
This is one of those movies that's more concerned with set design motivation than anything that's going on inside the characters' heads.
Latest News for Dark City
March 10, 2009:
Alex Proyas Looks Back at Dark City ![]()
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...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 95% 95% | Star Trek |
| 14% 14% | The Ugly Truth |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 67% 67% | Public Enemies |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 95% 95% | The Cove |
| 85% 85% | World's Greatest Dad |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Fresh Links
Featured

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.



Top Critic

