Dark City is a sci-fi noir movie directed by Alex Proyas (I Robot, The Crow) and released in 1998. Though it received many positive reviews at the time, it was a complete failure financially, with Proyas himself calling it a "box office disaster." But in the 24 years since its release, Dark City has become an underground '90s cult classic, and is the perfect movie for a modern remake.
Dark City escaped the lasting attention of most people when it was released, sandwiched as it was between the juggernaut of Titanic and The Matrix a year later. But one person who did notice it was Roger Ebert. At the time, Ebert praised it as one of the best movies of 1998, comparing it to both 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner. “Dark City was a reminder for me of the promise of the cinema,” Ebert said in his review. “Movies don’t have to be just photograph plays, all made up out of dialogue, they can also allow us to see new things in new ways.” He even recorded a feature-length commentary later to accompany the DVD set.
Still, it’s one of those movies that most people have never seen. In the time since its release, the movie has gained an underground following through word of mouth, becoming the kind of cult classic that is recommended by a friend as the best movie you’ve never heard of.
What Makes Dark City So Good?
With a phenomenal cast, stunningly beautiful and creepy set designs and visual effects, and a haunting musical score, it’s easy to see why Ebert and others were captivated.
Dark City stars Rufus Sewell as the main character, John Murdoch. He wakes up with no memories in a room with a dead sex worker, who is covered in strange symbols. Suspected of her murder, he flees from the police and a sympathetic detective, played by William Hurt. He is also pursued by strange, pale beings in trench coats called the Strangers, who have psychokinetic powers. Murdoch soon realizes he also has these powers, and can manipulate the world around him. Kiefer Sutherland plays Dr. Schreber, an odd scientist who is helping both the Strangers and the protagonists. Jennifer Connelly fits the feeling of the movie perfectly with her dark, classic beauty, playing Murdoch’s wife Emma, whom he doesn’t remember.
Rounding out the cast as the antagonist is Richard O’Brien of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame. He plays Mr. Hand, the leader of the alien beings known as The Strangers, though they are also a sort of collective hive mind.
The performances in Dark City are all compelling. It’s wonderful to see Rufus Sewell excelling at a time when he didn’t get enough recognition, though he would later say he felt it wasn’t his strongest performance. Sewell’s subtle take on Murdoch balances well with the noir personas of the detective and Emma, as well as Sutherland’s exuberant acting as the decidedly strange doctor.
The story happens at a fast pace. The movie is only 100 minutes, and each minute feels packed with new revelations and twists in the adventure, as the characters move closer and closer to the center of the strange maze of the city they are trapped in. Strong philosophical themes of individuality, existentialism, and liberation run through the film, represented in both the plot and incredible backdrop of the shifting city. The characters are often left questioning their own reality, even their own memories of things. The movie has been described as Kafkaesque in its surrealism and somber tone.
Visually, Dark City is a stunning masterpiece. Its dark urban design and color palette give it a strong parallel to The Matrix, with which it is often compared - both movies even used some of the same sets. But the differences are notable and interesting. Proyas wanted a movie that had touches of horror, as well as a noir feeling to the visual look of it. He was inspired by both The Twilight Zone and The Maltese Falcon, making this '90s neo-noir the decade's equivalent of Blade Runner.
The horror elements are subtle, but well done. The villainous Strangers almost have a Hellraiser feeling to them, and many of the backdrops feel borrowed from Proyas’ previous gothic classic, The Crow. What’s even more interesting is that the city itself, trapped in a persistent and never-ending night, seems to melt apart or smash together as The Strangers adjust the placement of buildings, doors, and other things. The motif of spirals and mazes persists through the film, leading the audience to the final, satisfying conclusion at the center.
The musical score was done by Trevor Jones, who also worked on Last of the Mohicans, Labyrinth, and The Dark Crystal. He manages to capture the feeling of the movie well, and the final theme played during the epic showdown is memorable and powerful.
Why is Now a Good Time For a Reboot?
With how much has changed since 1998, there is no better time for a reboot of Dark City than now. Sci-fi noir, sometimes called "tech-noir" (which is the name of a nightclub in The Terminator) is a genre that hasn't been explored enough. Though the 80s had the great Blade Runner (along with The Terminator and RoboCop, which are decidedly less noir in style), the 90s was the height of the subgenre. But even then there was a paucity of tech or sci-fi noir, arguably limited to movies like The Matrix, Twelve Monkeys, Strange Days, City of Lost Children, The Thirteenth Floor, and Gattaca which, alongside Dark City, unequivocally defined the style of tech noir.
But there has been a recent resurgence of interest in the kind of style that fits sci-fi noir lately. With the success of Blade Runner 2049, which was nominated for five Academy Awards, and the subsequent Amazon series Blade Runner 2099 now in development, the production of sci-fi noir work is on the rise. American adaptations of anime classics Cowboy Bebop and Ghost in the Shell didn't receive stellar ratings, but they still reflected a growing interest in revisiting this kind of sci-fi story, and the critical success of movies like Upgrade is encouraging. A movie like Dark City is a seamless way to begin to explore more of the untapped potential of this genre.
A remake of this movie would have much to lean on and build from, such as the plot and setting. It would also benefit from a modern perspective on technology, as well as updated special effects. Alex Proyas himself has been tentatively working on a new Dark City series, though Proyas has said it will be a new story set in the same world. With a chance to redeem the excellence of the original film for a new generation, as well as add a refreshing new take on it, Dark City is the perfect sci-fi movie for a modern remake.