Dark City (1998) Review

Dark City (1998)

Dark City follows John Murdoch, who awakens alone in a hotel room, wanted for a series of murders with no recollection of his past or who he is. As he seeks to unravel his life, he stumbles upon a group of ominous beings who seemingly control the entire world they live in. 

Dark City, though nearly incomprehensible on my first watch (it definitely needs multiple viewings), could easily be one of the most original sci-fi flicks of the last 30 years. The mix of classic pulp-y, noir themes with a striking, futuristic idea of how our world could be a simulation, run by aliens who only seek to understand, is so mind-numbingly interesting when contrasted with John’s central story. He, like the rest of us, is jarringly thrown into the mix, accused of  murder with no recollection of life before this very moment, sending him down a path of existentialism that flips what little world he has left, on its head. In his quest for answers however, all he finds are more questions; about this world, its people, and the darkly terrifying beings that are deeply obsessed with making sure his power stays contained. 

Dark City’s cross section between the 50s & 80s gives this city of night a particular ambiance, that is gritty, oddly reminiscent of what the mind conjures upon mention of Batman’s Gotham City. Yet, it’s like an imagining of the future from the perspective of pulp crime novels of yesteryear. So subtly off putting, where any look at the finer details will cause a cascade of Truman Show like events (which is the case). 

We get a rather interesting cast here, starring Ian Richardson, Kiefer Sutherland, William Hurt, Richard O’Brien, Jennifer Connelly, and Rufus Sewell. For what it’s worth Sewell is actually quite good here, playing just as confused as the rest of us, but charting a fascinating performance that grows as he learns more about the truth. Connelly and Hurt are also very intriguing, though theirs, and so many others, feel like they’re in a pulp-y, FMV game, so the acting always feels a touch off. 

Dark City, directed by Alex Proyas, is a definite mind-bender, that however unique, drags quite a bit in its Matrix-esque imagining of its world, focusing too much on the what and not enough on the why. 

6.8/10