Dark City (1998)
This film has eluded me for several years. When I first heard about it, it wasn’t easy to find and got almost mythical status, as all who had seen it praised it highly. I knew about The Matrix similarities, so I expected that, and what I saw had both more things in common than I thought but also so much different.
The set design is mindblowingly amazing, like a mix of Metropolis and The City of Lost Children. It underlines the whole “what the hell is going on” that runs through the entire film, given the mystery an intriguing texture. We are just as confused as the main character and the gradual realization feels natural because of that. The only thing that makes this a non-perfect film is the ending that felt too much like a deus ex wrap up.
Here the the comparison to The Matrix is relevant again, as it really follows many of the same beats, look, themes and to an extent scenes as well. The Matrix has to reveal its premise earlier, or else Neo’s training arc wouldn’t make sense. Dark City can keep the confusion of the world going for much longer, making that gradual reveal much more satisfying. The Matrix also had a very similar deus ex, but that was more earned from the story, whereas here it comes almost out of nowhere.
I am glad I watched this now, as its style and philosophical themes demands a bit more to appreciate, and I likely wouldn’t have liked it if I had seen at release. The Matrix understandably took the thunder at that time for me - and the rest of the world.
Rating: 4.5