Upon awakening with a start in an icy bathtub in a strange room--with a woman's dead body inconveniently nearby--John Murdoch can't remember how he got there. With a police detective hot on his trail and a psychiatrist skulking around, Murdoch discovers that the key to his mystery is the presence of strange extraterrestrial creatures, the Strangers, who are experimenting with the memories of the humans in his city--from which there may be no escape. Ambitious sci-fi noir, with rich production design and a dense, Kafkaesque concept, made DARK CITY a cult classic.
Director Alex Proyas explored similar themes in his short film STRANGE RESIDUES, made when he was in Australian Film and TV School in 1981.
Review 1:
"...Director Alex Proyas (THE CROW) treats and photographs Sewell like a film noir figure..."
Source: USA Today
p.9D 02/27/2998
Review 2:
"...Relentlessly trippy in a fun-house sort of way....A visually arresting ride that offers many unsettling surprises..."
Source: New York Times
p.E8 02/27/1998
Review 3:
"...Deliciously snaky performances by Hurt and Sutherland....A trippy must-see for late-night moviegoers..."
Source: Premiere
p.22 01/01/1998
Review 4:
"...A great visionary achievement....Original and exciting....It is a triumph of art direction, set design, cinematography, special effects -- and imagination..."
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
p.35 02/27/1998
Review 5:
4 stars out of 5 -- "This mind-wringer is sci-fi specialist Alex Proyas' best film to date....A must for anyone who takes their sci-fi strong, dark and minus sugar."
Source: Empire
p.173 10/01/2008