John Murdoch (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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After the success of The Crow, people were anxious to see what director Alex Proyas would do next. That question was answered with Dark City. With a star-studded cast that included Kiefer Sutherland, and William Hurt, would this follow-up be another film worth watching – or was director Alex Proyas nothing but a one-hit wonder?
The cast is exceptional in Dark City. While Rufus Sewell wasn’t (and still isn’t) as well-known as some of his fellow cast members, he does an excellent job playing a confused amnesiac trying to piece his life together in a world gone crazy. His co-stars keep up his good work, delivering great performances as a sultry love interest (Connelly), a hard-nosed detective (Hurt) and a crazed scientist with dark secrets (Sutherland).
The story, written with the aid of David S. Goyer (The Invisible), is a standout. In the beginning of Dark City, we are introduced to an amnesiac (Sewell) who wakes in a bathtub to find a fancy – yet broken – syringe on the floor – and a dead woman painted with strange symbols in the other room. From this shocking beginning, we follow the amnesiac as he unravels more and more about the situation he finds himself in.
This opening gives the film a lot of leverage, enticing the viewer to unravel the mystery along with this amnesiac. As it goes, it gets weirder and weirder, yet the film manages to keep the viewer enthralled all the way to the climactic conclusion. This is only added to by the setting which has a feeling of being stuck in the era of Humphrey Bogart and the like, but with some major off-kilter vibes that keep the viewer guessing.
Thankfully, while there are special effects involved during the course of Dark City, they seemed to use a process that has managed to weather the test of time, making the film seem ageless in its own right. While many films of the pre-2000s (and even ones later than that) showcase some outdated CGI or other techniques (like Maximum Overdrive does), these effects have managed to stay relevant, and their age doesn’t affect the viewers enjoyment of the film at all.
With a strong cast, a neo noir setting and a mysterious hook to pull the viewers in, even the fantastical ending of Dark City can’t detract from the appeal of this impressive (but usually forgotten) sci-fi flick. It stands the test of time, and it is just as enjoyable now as it was when it was released more than 25 years ago.
