Dark City

R

Released Feb 20, 1998

1 hr. 41 min.

Fantasy

Sci-Fi

List

76%

89 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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Alec C

The human soul is capable of incredible things and the mind can literally move mountains! As an amnesiac man wakes up wanted for multiple murders, he begins to discover the sinister machinations of a group of sinister aliens who control the surreal city where the sun never shines. A provocative, psychological, science-fiction film that manages to question the nature of humanity and the mysteries of the unknown!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

Full Review

Conrad G

Interesting and cool film that doesn't get much attention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/15/24

Full Review

E K

This is one of my favorite late 90s Sci-Fi movies 😁

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/24

Full Review

Jason L

I'm sorry this movie is dumb. Even if I had seen it before The Matrix I would not have liked it. Why does Keifer Sutherland act so weird? It's so dark you can't see what's happening. The story is the most basic plot points of a dozen movies. The things they do to try to dress it up and make it cool are embarrassing.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/05/24

Full Review

Amy S

Phenomenal. There isn't a movie in existence that I've watched as many times as this stunning piece of cinema. A fantastic piece of speculative fiction.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie is amazing and gripping. The SFX are superb! If this film would have starred Keanu Reeves maybe it would be mentioned more regularly.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/03/24

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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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

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

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

Full Review

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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
Executive Producer: Michael De Luca, Brian Witten
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
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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