Underrated Films - Dark City

 

Alright, time for another Underrated Films. And this time a dive into a world sci-fi.

Dark City is a neo-noir sci-fi film that was produced by Mystery Clock Cinema and distributed by New Line Cinema. Alex Proyas not only directed but also wrote the screenplay along with David S. Goyer and Lem Dobbs.

The story is, a man named John Murdoch wakes up in a hotel bathtub with no memory of what happened before, then he shortly gets a phone call that urges him to run. John wants to find out what's going on, but the closer he gets to answers the more he finds out that a group known as the Strangers are behind this, but he'll also know this conspiracy is bigger than he could've imagined.

Why It's Underrated

Now when it debuted the film did gain some positive reviews. the late Roger Ebert was a strong supporter of it and in 2005 he included it on his "Great Movies" list. Then it was nominated for a Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation and would later go on to be nominated for six Saturn Awards then win Best Science Fiction Film being tied with Michael Bay's Armageddon. Sadly despite some pretty good success Dark City was a box office bomb and over time faded away. I only discovered through online forms, social media, and being a recommendation on Tubi.

My Thoughts

Before I start praising let's start off with one slight criticism. Characters like John Murdoch and Dr. Schreber have some very strong characters. You'll be interested in John's search for answers and find Schreber's more eccentric personality. The slight issue stems from John's wife Emma. Now don't get me wrong, she's a pretty good emotional anchor, but the character writing for her wasn't as strong as the other two.

Now let's start giving this movie some credit and believe me it deserves a lot. Starting with the strong performances. Rufus Sewell as John Murdoch perfectly plays a compelling confused who just wants answers. He adds a great lair of depth and he really carries the film. Then there's Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Schreber, because of Sutherland jittery performance I was just as interested in his character as I was Sewell's. Because Kiefer's acting on one hand you kind feel for his character because of the twitches and strained voice on the other hand he can kind of be unsettling, but at the same time you're kind of interested him more. Especially since he adds to the film's mystery. Lastly we have Jennifer Connelly as Emma. Even though her character's writing wasn't as strong, Connelly brings a sense of warmth. She's especially great during the more emotional scenes. Not to mention but she actually brings a more human element to the more surreal story.

The next thing I'll praise is the world-building. When doing research for behind the scenes details Alex Proyas mentions how he was inspired by 1940s noir cinema, and he wasn't lying. It's all there. Fedoras, trench coats, and a lot of beautiful Art Deco buildings. But before you see just how The Strangers are manipulating the city, you just can't help but get an unsettling feeling about it. The sense of there not being a hint of daylight helps give that off feeling, but what Proyas also did was give us eerie sound designs. You get a lot of creaks, distant echoes, and mechanical groans of the city makes it all feel wrong. Another brilliant thing about the world-building and this actually a strength and not a flaw, but the city fells hollow. Nobody gives details of past history linked to the city and despite how large the place is there's no cowards or even the slightest sign street life. Again, this doesn't hurt the movie it's one of its greatest strengths.

The last thing I'll praise is Alex Proyas' directing. His visual style especially his use of strak contrasts and deep shadows enhances the overall mystery. Making the frames feel like pieces to the puzzle. Not to mention but when he uses sweeping pans, tight close-ups, and disorienting angles helps us understand just how confused our protagonist is. Not to mention he takes a lot of what he did for The Crow over to Dark City. There's the previously mentioned dark aesthetic and urban surrealism. So if you liked the look of The Crow then you'll like what Proya's did for this.

Guys, I am so happy I discovered Dark City. It was an incredible watch and definitely worth more than one viewing. Sure I mentioned a slight issue, but this is still fantastic.

My final rating is, Great.

Initially I was gonna go into more details about the premise but it would've gone into spoiler territory. So I had to cut things out. Anyways, that's all for now. Come back on Thursday, Sept 11th, for my A Look Back at review of, This is Spinal Tap. Until then, enjoy the rest of your day.