jamesgandrew If you like the works of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, then you need to see Dark City. It's something of an underrated gem that has gained cult status in recent years, mostly due to its connection to The Matrix. The film, depending on what version you watch, maintains ambiguity till the end and slowly gives you answers. This isn't an action film like its bigger and more commercially successful brother (The Matrix), it's a neo-noir that has many tropes of the genre. Dark City is also a visually stunning film with moody lighting, detailed sets and fantastic model work. The performances the main actors give excellently convey that sense of cluelessness.If you're a fan of The Matrix, this is also a film you need to see because not only do they have similar plots, they also retain some of the same sets. Both were filmed in Fox studios in Sydney during the late 90's so there's lots of speculation what film's idea was first. This is not to say The Matrix is inferior, it's one of the best action movies of that decade or heck of all time. Although I do think Dark City deals with its themes of reality more thoroughly. Essentially I think the first thirty minutes of The Matrix are the whole of Dark City.I had the privilege of seeing this in the theatre in its original 35mm print and I have to say it looked absolutely incredible. If you haven't seen it, check it out!

robfollower John Murdoch awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he has lost his memory and is wanted for a series of brutal and bizarre murders. While trying to piece together his past, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of beings known as The Strangers who possess the ability to put people to sleep and alter the city and its inhabitants. Now Murdoch must find a way to stop them before they take control of his mind and destroy him.Rufus Sewell and beautiful Jennifer Connelly and great in this visual sci-fi fantasy world with a hint of neo-nior action . Must see cult classic .

William Bradshaw Dark City is highly underrated as far as I'm concerned. This movie sets the bar for twisted alter dimensional movies, and really keeps you guessing throughout it's entirety. If there is one negative thing I can say about this movie, it would have to be the acting. I did find some of the characters to be a little lackluster in that department, Jennifer Connelly specifically. However, Keifer Sutherlands role as the doctor could certainly have been taken down a notch or two. There are moments when his acting is a bit annoying, and you feel as if he's trying to pass his characters personality off a little too hard. With that being said, this movie really hits the nail on the head when it comes to making humans feel as insignificant as possible, and I personally love that. It can be quite a humbling feeling to know that somewhere out there, we may actually just be the lab rats for a much larger experiment. That's just my opinion though. Back to the review, I feel that Director Alex Proyas does a great job with tying the story line together throughout the whole movie, and really keeping it all a mystery. I don't want to waste time here explaining the movie through a synopsis, but rather say this, if you would like a mystery movie that really keeps you guessing, this is for you. If you enjoy a movie that really unfolds towards the end and it gives you that satisfied feeling of understanding, this is for you. And last but not least, if you are into dark and twisted scenarios for the human existence, this is definitely for you! I thought it was fantastic!

Thomas Drufke There's no doubting the imagination of Alex Proyas. Though most of Dark City is difficult to follow and is more style than substance, once the kick of the film finally happens, you realize how inventive and inspirational this film is to the science fiction genre. When push comes to shove, Dark City ranks among the weirdest and most unique sci-fi features to date.Knowing close to nothing going in was a wise choice, but I did find myself saying "what in the world is going on?" several times. The story follows a man named John Murdoch who finds himself alone in a bathtub with no memory of who he is or where he's been. Murdoch is being hunted by both law enforcement and a mysterious group of people, known as 'The Strangers' with unknown powers and abilities. In some ways, Dark City makes for a good compilation of films like The Matrix, Minority Report, Blade Runner, and even Metropolis. For much of the film Murdoch is the audience. We have no idea where we are, who's good, who's bad, and where this all ends up. But once Murdoch starts to understand 'The Strangers' agendas, the film starts to take off.The supporting cast includes William Hurt, Jennifer Connelly, and Kiefer Sutherland. Similar to how I feel about the movie overall, I didn't really care for any of the characters in particular until you understand the context of how the film is being played out. Sutherland has the most to do, but his performance is diluted to a quick breathing nerdy doctor. I think as a whole Dark City will play better on repeated viewings. Especially because it will become more and more apparent just how many films have taken from Dark City. Proyas has made a few interesting directing choices since this one, but none quite capture the scope or uniqueness of Dark City. In the long-running genre of science fiction, Proyas' breakout film is definitely among the better ones.+Noir elements+Mystery plays out nicely+Gets better as it goes along-Could have opened up with more context8.7/10