Dark City

The dark setting and black backgrounds create an original and depressing atmosphere. Alex Proyas literally revels in this, and it must be acknowledged that this is his style and he is a good director. Rufus Sewell is in an unusual role here, one of his few in B-movies. The film has a very peculiar atmosphere and top-level visual effects, and it does not lack originality and inventiveness, but the ending is not as intellectually or emotionally strong as I would have imagined based on the unfolding of the story. (20/02/2005)

And they say lightning doesn’t strike twice. If Proyas's The Crow was dark, depressing, interestingly stylized, and narratively "unusual", all this is doubly true for Dark City, a very bleak and unpleasant vision of a world dominated by bald aliens who are allergic to light, can bend physics to their advantage and have a motive that, even after much thought, doesn't seem illogical or nonsensical. Of course, we've seen the single hero destined to carry out a revolution and defeat an invincible foe a few times before, but when everything around is so tastefully polished, thoughtful and novel, a little cliché can never hurt. And Jones’s soundtrack is perfect for the genre :)) 85% (25/12/2013)

Alex Proyas revels in the dark. He literally loves it. And he wants the viewer to love it too. This is not only the case with Dark City, but also with his other films. If there's a dawn breaking, it's more metaphorically, through enlightenment, change. This precursor to The Matrix offers another answer to what visions are presented to us and what a person can achieve. (13/10/2015)

From the first to the last minute, the extremely paranoid script by Alex Proyas and David S. Goyer, who clearly revels in his own convoluted plot, is just the foundation of the overall quality of the film. Proyas's penchant for dark and grungy corners of urban districts was once again put to good use in creating a desolate atmosphere that weighs on the viewer like a heavy blanket. It’s a visually refined "plaything," abundant with a flood of fantastic yet not gratuitous special effects, supported by the excellent camera work of Darius Wolski, and an unsettling yet captivating soundtrack by Trevor Jones. All in all, it is pleasing not only to the eye but also the brain, which is not allowed to rest for even a moment. Add to that a great cast, led by the strange Doctor Kiefer Sutherland, followed by William Hurt and Rufus Sewell. With all these elements combined, this film is definitely something that will linger in one's mind for quite some time. (06/11/2005)

Wow, that was a ride! Mix together Metropolis, P.K. Dick, Burton, Gilliam, the Coens, and maybe even The Matrix, add to that Proyas' ornate direction and Proyas' very, very bizarre script... And you get Dark City. It's a juicy treat for genre lovers, which I would probably recommend to Franz Kafka if he ever wants to come back from the grave to watch a movie. (24/07/2010)