Dark City

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Dark City

R

Released Feb 20, 1998

1h 41m

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

89 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.

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Critics Consensus

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

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Bill Boisvert

Chicago Reader

Real humanists may have misgivings.

Rated: 1/4

Jun 16, 2022

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

The movie's design is its only redeeming feature. This is one movie which seems to have been made almost exclusively for members of a Dungeons & Dragons fan club.

Rated: C

Jan 19, 2023

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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

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Chris B

A classic movie from day one . Visual feast for the senses. Great acting and directed perfectly.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/25

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Calvin T

Watchable but weird....I guess the word is "Different"

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

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Gabriel W

This movie is what you would get if you mixed The Matrix with Hellraiser. The acting was good but the idea was really something special. My favorite quote: Mr. Book: Is it done? Mr. Hand: Oh yes, Mr. Book. I have John Murdoch in mind.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Mark B

Visually it is great. It tries so hard to be film noir and the look is there, but it comes off as a confusing mess style over substance and it makes the critical error of just being boring.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/06/25

Full Review

Christy P

Weird, unique, dare I say.. dark? Some great sci-fi, maybe the best of the ‘90s. Loved Dark City when it released, and I’ve enjoyed introducing fellow sci-fi nerds to it today!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/25

Full Review

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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

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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)

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