An underrated gem

Rating: 10/10 (25 March 2018)

If you like the works of Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, then you need to see Dark City. It's something of an underrated gem that has gained cult status in recent years, mostly due to its connection to The Matrix.
The film, depending on what version you watch, maintains ambiguity till the end and slowly gives you answers. This isn't an action film like its bigger and more commercially successful brother (The Matrix), it's a neo-noir that has many tropes of the genre.
Dark City is also a visually stunning film with moody lighting, detailed sets and fantastic model work. The performances the main actors give excellently convey that sense of cluelessness.
If you're a fan of The Matrix, this is also a film you need to see because not only do they have similar plots, they also retain some of the same sets. Both were filmed in Fox studios in Sydney during the late 90's so there's lots of speculation what film's idea was first.
This is not to say The Matrix is inferior, it's one of the best action movies of that decade or heck of all time. Although I do think Dark City deals with its themes of reality more thoroughly. Essentially I think the first thirty minutes of The Matrix are the whole of Dark City.
I had the privilege of seeing this in the theatre in its original 35mm print and I have to say it looked absolutely incredible. If you haven't seen it, check it out!