An underrated sci-fi/noir masterpiece

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2014)

I sat down to watch this film (Director's Cut) with my girlfriend just last night. I've seen it numerous times, but I was curious what her reaction to the film might be.
It's hard for me to talk much about DC itself without giving much away. It's one of those films that's best appreciated when going in with no knowledge of the film at all, for Dark City will throw you some ingenious red herrings, some delightful moments of foreshadowing and some jaw-dropping twists throughout its running time.
As I expected, for the first 20 minutes of the film, she seemed genuinely uncomfortable with it. Those rapid cuts, the vague production design that gives no specific idea of time or setting, the slowly growing impression that you're watching a detective thriller and then *BAM* - the first twist hits, and you have no idea what you're watching again.
That is ingenious, edge-of-the-seat film-making.
Dark City is marvellous. It takes the viewer on a journey quite unlike anything I've ever seen. And all a year before The Matrix came along and scooped up all they credit (they even used the same sets!)
The acting here - while having received some criticism - is all top notch in my book, and by the time the credits roll, you'll be amazed at the total transformation the characters and story have made since those opening shots. It has suspense, action, mystery, horror, romance and pretty much everything in between. The only negativity I could draw attention to is the weak final fight, which feels like it needed more budget to become fully realised.
She seemed quite surprised as the film came to a close with those beautiful sunny shots that contrast so starkly with the rest of the film. Dark City was actually pretty damn good.