Dark City 4K UHD Review
“Dark City” has aged like a fine wine.
Scripted by Alex Proyas, Lem Dobbs and David S. Goyer, 1998’s “Dark City” is a neo-noir sci-fi film. The story begins with a man named John Murdoch who wakes up to a world of trouble. He has amnesia, he discovers the dead body of a call girl, and is being pursued by strange, bald, pale faced people known as The Strangers. On top of that, he discovers he has powers known as Tuning. As he seeks out answers about his identity (and his wife Emma), he uncovers bigger plots involving The Strangers, people being put to sleep, injected memories, illusions, and a Doctor (Schreber) who may have pivotal answers for him. While all of this is going on, Inspector Bumstead is investigating the string of murders and pegs John as a prime suspect. Slowly, but surely he too begins to see things are not as they seem and that The Strangers are possibly behind everything.
Directed by Alex Proyas (best known for “The Crow”), “Dark City” is a ahead of its time sci-fi film that was a definite precursor to “The Matrix.” The thinking person’s sci-fi film hits the ground running and immediately captures the viewer’s attention with its unique world building, big mysteries, a retro film noir vibe, weighty themes of identity and memory, and trippy visuals (the detailed grand sets and pioneering special effects).
The script is the real winner here. The more the story unfolds the more fascinating and richer the story is. In order to avoid spoilers for those who have yet to experience this underrated 90’s film, let’s just say the story goes into unexpected directions especially as The Strangers are unveiled.
The cast is stuffed with talent including Rufus Sewell (as John), William Hurt (Inspector Bumstead), Jennifer Connelly (as Emma), Kiefer Sutherland (as the strange Doctor), and, yes, Richard O’Brien of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” fame as The Stranger Mr. Hand. Everyone turns in a notable performance here as they are all dedicated to making this ambitious sci-fi story come to life.
Simply put, they don’t make sci-fi movies like this. Hell, they don’t even make movies like this anymore. “Dark City” has only gotten better with time and has aged supremely well.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? The very visual film gets a stellar 4K upgrade that maintains its original look while also getting sharper image quality.
Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? The Atmos track is nothing short of effective. A nice audio upgrade to be sure.
Extras:
* Intro by Alex Proyas
* A whopping 5 commentary tracks. Two by Alex Proyas (one from 2008 and one from 2025), one by Craig Anderson, Bruce Isaacs and Herschel Isaacs, one by writers Lem Dobbs and David s. Goyer and the last by film critic and fan Roger Ebert.
* “Designs And Storyboards”
* “Rats In A Maze”- A new visual essay by film critic Alexandra West about mazes in conjunction with the film.
* “I’m As Much In The Dark As You Are”- A new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson about the film noir elements and the theme of identity.
* “Return To Dark City”- The centerpiece of the new extras is this one hour documentary featuring a ton of interviews with cast and crew including Alex Proyas.
* Director’s cut and theatrical cut of the film.
* Theatrical trailer and image gallery.
* “Memories Of Shell Beach”- A 2008 retrospective making of featurette.
* “THe Architecture Of Dreams”- A 2008 extra featuring 5 viewpoints on the meaning of “Dark City.”
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