'

Dark City

Play trailer

Dark City

R

Released Feb 20, 1998

1h 41m

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

90 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. The problem is that he can't remember whether he committed the murders or not. For one brief moment, he is convinced that he has gone completely mad. Murdoch seeks to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity. As he edges closer to solving the mystery, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of ominous beings collectively known as the Strangers.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Bill Boisvert

Chicago Reader

Real humanists may have misgivings.

Rated: 1/4

Jun 16, 2022

Full Review

Mike Clark

USA Today

Dark City is fascinating, visionary filmmaking that captures the sensation of dreaming and being unable to wake up.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 9, 2018

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

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

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

David Reddish

CBR

The core of the film itself offers a meditation on human nature. Memories and personality do not define human beings; choices do. That haunting philosophy... makes Dark City live on as a classic; one of the most important sci-fi movies ever made.

Rated: 4/4

May 5, 2025

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Dark City deftly creates a world both foreign and familiar at the same time to match the clouded tone of its story.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 7, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

This is an exceptionally stylish-looking production driving a story with grand aspirations, and though flawed, like the majority of Proyas’ work, it achieves most of what it sets out to do.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 22, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Gendgi S

Awesome classic, great story, great acting, a must watch for sci fi / mystery fans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

Full Review

Korra N

Gripping, intense & thought-provoking, Alex Proyas' sci-fi thriller isn't just a genre classic but a classic period, with outstanding acting, breathtaking visuals, gorgeous cinematography & haunting sound/production design.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/25

Full Review

Patrick R

A perfect sociological metaphor of contemporary society... much more profoundly than The Matrix and with a unique perfect romantic visual style (it's no coincidence that he's the author of 'The Crow'), and good script ... this film throws in your face, in a very simple but spectacular and multiform way, the true meaning of: The dynamics that determine our anthropo-social reality are deeply hidden, hypercomplex, and extremely difficult to understand. Good science fiction... TRUE science fiction... that is, with a shocking and profound message

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/10/25

Full Review

J H

The theatrical version is great, but the Director's Cut is even better.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/09/25

Full Review

Dakin B

This was straight up garbage

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

Audience Member

An original sci-fi idea with great cinematography and very unique and almost unhinged editing. The final resolution of the movie is a bit awkward but the plotline will keep you entertained and immersed throughout the movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/25

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Alex Proyas

Director

Rufus Sewell

John Murdoch

Kiefer Sutherland

Dr. Daniel Schreber

Jennifer Connelly

Emma Murdoch

William Hurt

Inspector Frank Bumstead

Richard O'Brien

Mr. Hand

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

17%

28%

Even Cowgirls Get the Blues

Watchlist

Donnie Darko

88%

80%

Donnie Darko

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Donnie Darko

The Hidden

76%

73%

The Hidden

Watchlist

Blade: Trinity

24%

58%

Blade: Trinity

Watchlist

Jason X

20%

25%

Jason X

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Jason X

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Pete’s Dragon, The Handmaiden, Iron Fist and More on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

RT on DVD: Harold & Kumar, Doomsday and Dark City Director’s Cut

Alex Proyas to Direct The Silver Surfer?

View more photos

Synopsis

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. The problem is that he can't remember whether he committed the murders or not. For one brief moment, he is convinced that he has gone completely mad. Murdoch seeks to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity. As he edges closer to solving the mystery, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of ominous beings collectively known as the Strangers.

Director: Alex Proyas
Producer: Alex Proyas, Andrew Mason
Screenwriter: Alex Proyas, Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs, David S. Goyer
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: New Line Cinema, Mystery Clock Cinema
Rating: R (Violent Images|Some Sexuality)
Genre: Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 20, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.3M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Most Popular at Home Now