Dark City
An amnesiac fugitive navigates a perpetually nightbound city where alien experimenters can rewrite minds, bodies, and reality itself.
Overview
A man awakens in a nightmarish city, hunted by forces beyond his comprehension.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- paranoid
- eerie
- late night viewing
- dark rainy evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an original, strikingly designed, and ambitious science-fiction noir, while some found its complicated story thin or bewildering.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film combines layered gray, green, and black imagery with comic-book compositions and an oppressive urban environment.
John Murdoch awakens without recollection and must reconstruct his identity while evading murder accusations.
The Strangers manipulate citizens, memories, and the city itself in an experiment about human nature and identity.
Murdoch uncovers a city controlled by The Strangers, whose abilities can alter its inhabitants and physical form.
Films like Dark City, and why
Blade Runner
Shared neo-noir atmosphere, dystopian cityscape, identity crisis, and visually elaborate science fiction.
The Matrix
Shared reality manipulation, paranoia thriller structure, philosophical questions about identity, and noir-inflected science fiction.
The Thirteenth Floor
Shared constructed reality, amnesia, investigative mystery, and cerebral dystopian science fiction.
Metropolis
Shared expressionist production design, German expressionist influence, and oppressive urban nightmare imagery.
Movie Details
- Director
- Alex Proyas
- Release Date
- 1998-02-27
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (3360)
Cast
- Rufus Sewell
- William Hurt
- Kiefer Sutherland
- Jennifer Connelly
- Richard O'Brien
- Ian Richardson
- Bruce Spence
- Colin Friels
- John Bluthal
- Mitchell Butel
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Dark City about?
- An amnesiac fugitive navigates a perpetually nightbound city where alien experimenters can rewrite minds, bodies, and reality itself.
- What is Dark City like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark City as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dark City violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Dark City as brutal.
- What did critics think of Dark City?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an original, strikingly designed, and ambitious science-fiction noir, while some found its complicated story thin or bewildering.
- Which films are like Dark City?
- Films with a similar feel include Blade Runner, The Matrix, The Thirteenth Floor, and Metropolis.
- How long is Dark City?
- Dark City runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dark City?
- In United States, Dark City is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
