Generally, a visionary filmmaker is to this point forward of the curve {that a} masterwork goes unnoticed on the time of its launch. Look no additional than Alex Proyas’ Darkish Metropolis as one of the vital obtrusive examples of the previous 30 years. Not solely is Darkish Metropolis a provocative and supremely fashionable sci-fi-noir that holds up in its personal proper, nevertheless it additionally impressed the universally beloved first Matrix film, which was launched one yr later, making Darkish Metropolis much more of an afterthought.
Thankfully, Darkish Metropolis is streaming free on Tubi for a short time longer. For many who missed the film the primary time round and need to see one of many vivid and imaginative science fiction manufacturing designs, set decorations, and cinematography that aptly mirror the bold material, ebook a ticket to Darkish Metropolis without delay.
‘Darkish Metropolis’s Lofty Premise
Alex Proyas (The Crow) directed Darkish Metropolis from a script co-written by esteemed writers Lem Dobbs (Kafka) and David S. Goyer (Blade, The Darkish Knight). Fusing neo-noir and sci-fi parts, the story follows John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell), who out of the blue wakes with amnesia in a tub. Murdoch quickly learns he is needed for a homicide he cannot keep in mind if he dedicated, and turns into the goal of a weird band of pale, bald “Strangers” who can freeze time, manipulate temporal actuality, and “tune” town by making the inhabitants go to sleep to allow them to alter their reminiscences.
As Murdoch evades the strangers and tries to recollect who he’s and why he has been accused of homicide, he begins to traverse a hellish, futuristic nocturnal metropolis with Gotham Metropolis-like structure, encountering a slew of unsavory characters. Detective Frank Bumstead (William Harm) is scorching on his heels, creepy scientist Dr. Daniel Schreber (a powerful Kiefer Sutherland efficiency) has ulterior motives, and Murdoch’s spouse, Emma (Jennifer Connelly), is not what she appears.
With nobody to belief, Murdoch quickly beneficial properties a bonus when he discovers he has the identical tuning capability because the strangers. As Murdoch learns to harness his newfound powers, he engages in a surprising psychokinetic battle with the chief of the strangers. To not spoil the difficult ending, Darkish Metropolis is a paragon of laborious sci-fi storytelling and a very unbelievable visible achievement. Followers of The Matrix, Inception, Brazil, The Thirteenth Ground, The Metropolis of Misplaced Kids, or absolutely the progenitor, Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, should see Darkish Metropolis ASAP.
‘Darkish Metropolis’ Was Too Bizarre & Difficult For Regular Audiences
4 years earlier than Darkish Metropolis was launched, Alex Proyas discovered business success with The Crow. Regardless of being mired within the tragic, on-set loss of life of star Brandon Lee, The Crow doubled its manufacturing price range, grossing over $50 million in opposition to a $23 million price ticket (through Field Workplace Mojo).
Following the success, Proyas overestimated the viewers’s capability to welcome an much more summary and difficult piece of science fiction that the world was frankly not but prepared for. As such, regardless of incomes rave critiques, Darkish Metropolis struggled to gentle the theater. The movie barely broke even, grossing $27.2 million in opposition to a $27 million price range (through Field Workplace Mojo).
Earlier than the movie was launched theatrically, New Line Cinema executives had been involved that the movie was too summary and inaccessible for audiences and requested Proyas to report voice-over narration from Sutherland to assist clarify what was taking place. Proyas reluctantly obliged, saying it was pointless to spoon-feed the viewers, however eliminated the voice-over within the 2008 Director’s Minimize.
But, regardless of its tepid monetary efficiency, Darkish Metropolis has rightly emerged as a bona fide sci-fi cult basic prior to now 20 years. Coupled with rave modern critiques, together with Roger Ebert’s 4-star evaluate, evaluating it to 2001: A Area Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Metropolis for its outstanding imaginative and prescient, Darkish Metropolis has overcome its box-office blemishes to turn into one among Proyas’ greatest movies.
In fact, Darkish Metropolis in the end needed to contend for longevity with the Wachowskis’ landmark sci-fi hit, The Matrix, launched one yr later in 1999. Satirically, the Wachowskis had been so impressed by the cyberpunk aesthetic of Darkish Metropolis that they bought a number of props and items of the set. Particularly, the set-piece involving the rooftop chase in Darkish Metropolis was recycled to be used in The Matrix. One factor that Darkish Metropolis arguably does higher than The Matrix is lean into its movie noir conventions.
Why ‘Darkish Metropolis’ Deserves Reappraisal
However make no mistake, it is the noirish parts of the movie that make the science fiction side work, and vice versa. The symbiosis is mirrored within the timeless high quality of town’s structure. It is unimaginable to inform when the film takes place, due to the ’40s and ’50s-style cityscape, which itself pulls from completely different cities around the globe. As Proyas mentioned of Darkish City:
“The film takes place in every single place, and it takes place nowhere. It is a metropolis constructed of items of cities. A nook from one place, one other from some place else. So, you do not actually know the place you’re. A chunk will seem like a avenue in London, however a portion of the structure appears like New York, however the backside of the structure appears once more like a European metropolis. You are there, however you do not know the place you’re. It is like each time you journey, you may be misplaced.”
Sadly, regardless of the admirable ambition, audiences had been left a bit too “misplaced” when Darkish Metropolis was initially launched. However when watching the film in 2025, what stands out probably the most is the phantasmagorical fusion of science fiction and movie noir that continues to problem audiences practically 30 years later.
Darkish Metropolis is accessible to stream on Tubi, Plex, and The Roku Channel.
Darkish Metropolis
- Launch Date
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February 27, 1998
- Runtime
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100 minutes
- Director
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Alex Proyas