Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows FanStore News Showtimes

Darkman

Play trailer Poster for Darkman R Released Aug 24, 1990 1h 35m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 64 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
When thugs employed by a crime boss lead a vicious assault on Dr. Peyton Wilder (Liam Neeson), leaving him literally and psychologically scarred, an emergency procedure allows him to survive. Upon his recovery, Wilder can find solace only by returning to his scientific work developing synthetic skin, and seeking revenge against the crime boss. He assumes a phantom avenger persona called Darkman, who, with malleable facial qualities, is able to infiltrate and sow terror in the criminal community.
Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

Where to Watch

Darkman

Darkman

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Gruesome and deliciously broad, Sam Raimi's Darkman bears the haunted soulfulness of gothic tragedy while packing the stylistic verve of onomatopoeia springing off a comic strip page.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (64) Critics Reviews
Chris Bennion Times (UK) Raimi’s visual flair papers over most of the cracks. Apr 22, 2024 Full Review Noel Murray The Dissolve Darkman is funny, but it's no joke; it's the work of a man who underlines the conventions of adventure stories and horror because he enjoys them, and knows that even when rendered tongue-in-cheek, they're timeless. Rated: 4.0/5 Feb 20, 2014 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Darkman is a thrillingly demented pop spectacular: a grade-B movie made by a grade-A lunatic. Rated: B Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Raimi’s first studio picture is first and foremost a director’s showcase. Rated: 2.5/4 Feb 26, 2024 Full Review Douglas Davidson Elements of Madness That the comedy, horror, and drama from a performance, narrative, and technical perspective still holds up, providing lessons on what could or should be done in film today, is noteworthy. Feb 19, 2024 Full Review Warren Sonbert Bay Area Reporter Because nothing in the movie builds, or is placed, or is set off against any other switch position than "Full Throttle," it's exhausting in a not exhilarating way. Oct 17, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (1000+) audience reviews
Aaron V I am not sure if this is verified, maybe just some random Hollywood gossip story that caught on somewhere, but I swear I remember hearing that Sam Raimi wanted to direct Batman, but the studios weren't sure about such a relatively unknown director taking on such a big project. As we know, Tim Burton's Batman has been cemented in comic-to-film legend (I agree with Michael Keaton, that the spate of comic movies littering the 2010s owe their existence to that very first iteration of the dark knight); so Sam Raimi went ahead and made his own "comic book style" movie, with his own made up dark brooding antihero, taking justice into his own hands. Hence, we get Darkman... Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/07/24 Full Review Landon J Real Raimi fans will know and love this one. I think, an amazing early, early dark superhero genre entry. Some may be turned off by the directors antics/mannerisms but overall I think I really delivers on it's premise. Liam Neeson is great in this! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Jonathan O This is the first superhero film before Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Sam did really outstanding directing to make a R rated vigilante hero with his body badly burn and missing several body parts and using his technology to replace people's body to be a hero or a villain and really unbelievable stunts work and amazing cinematography and good writing to make it a original superhero/vigilante film. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/13/24 Full Review Laurian D A mad movie, in the best possible way. It's disturbing but also exhilirating, funny but also moving at times, a very stand-out, unconventional dark tale. And the helicopter ride is one of the most spectacular scenes and stunts you'll ever see in a movie. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there. Definitely worth watching, and you'll surely do that more than once. Skip the sequels though. Just like the sequels to The Crow, they should have never been made. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/26/24 Full Review Jay H A very entertaining movie. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/19/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Well performed to show the comedy and scary vibe in one movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/31/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Darkman

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Darkman

Darkman: Official Clip - Chopper Ride Darkman: Official Clip - Chopper Ride 2:56 Darkman: Official Clip - Call Me... Darkman Darkman: Official Clip - Call Me... Darkman 2:33 Darkman: Official Clip - Darkman Battles Strack Darkman: Official Clip - Darkman Battles Strack 2:59 Darkman: Official Clip - Darkman Impersonates Pauly Darkman: Official Clip - Darkman Impersonates Pauly 2:51 Darkman: Official Clip - Escape From the Burn Ward Darkman: Official Clip - Escape From the Burn Ward 2:59 Darkman: Official Clip - Playing in Traffic Darkman: Official Clip - Playing in Traffic 1:30 Darkman: Official Clip - The Pink Elephant Darkman: Official Clip - The Pink Elephant 2:30 Darkman: Official Clip - Durant Sees Double Darkman: Official Clip - Durant Sees Double 1:53 Darkman: Official Clip - You Have Been a Bad Boy! Darkman: Official Clip - You Have Been a Bad Boy! 1:10 Darkman: Official Clip - See the Dancing Freak! Darkman: Official Clip - See the Dancing Freak! 1:45 View more videos
Mercury Rising 21% 40% Mercury Rising Watchlist Point Break 70% 79% Point Break Watchlist TRAILER for Point Break La Femme Nikita 90% 84% La Femme Nikita Watchlist Die Hard 2 69% 70% Die Hard 2 Watchlist TRAILER for Die Hard 2 Blown Away 38% 40% Blown Away Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis When thugs employed by a crime boss lead a vicious assault on Dr. Peyton Wilder (Liam Neeson), leaving him literally and psychologically scarred, an emergency procedure allows him to survive. Upon his recovery, Wilder can find solace only by returning to his scientific work developing synthetic skin, and seeking revenge against the crime boss. He assumes a phantom avenger persona called Darkman, who, with malleable facial qualities, is able to infiltrate and sow terror in the criminal community.
Director
Sam Raimi
Producer
Rob Tapert
Screenwriter
Chuck Pfarrer, Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Joshua Goldin
Distributor
MCA/Universal Home Video, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Production Co
Universal Pictures, Renaissance Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 24, 1990, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$32.8M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround
Most Popular at Home Now