#rufussewell

Sometimes, a "Director's Cut" is a gimmick to sell DVDs. Dark City is not one of those cases. See this movie but make sure you find a good Blu-ray that contains the original vision, his "cut". Any issues you might've had with the original film are not present in it.

John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) wakes up one night in a bathtub and learns that he is being sought for a series of ritualistic murders. Suffering from amnesia, he has no idea if he did the crimes or not. If he didn’t, why is he the prime suspect? What do the strange figures in black cloaks that seem to be everywhere have to do with this?

I saw the theatrical version of the film, which means I have to address its flaws (I'll review the Director's Cut later). Let's begin with the film's premise. Sounds pretty spooky, doesn’t it? Amnesia. A serial killer. A quest to clear your identity that might turn into a shocking revelation. Eerie people in black cloaks. I can already picture your mind trying to make sense of it all. Wonder no longer if you're watching the theatrical cut. It tells you right away what's actually going on. It sucks the scares right out of this movie. Not completely but enough to make you go "what were they thinking?"

Dark City has a great premise and its worldbuilding is spectacular. It's unfriendly and sleazy. There's a ton of atmosphere. You don’t know if you’re supposed to be excited to learn John's true identity or if you should be frightened of what he's about to discover. In this way, the experience you feel is the same as his. There's so much you don't know you're unsure if you should be scared or getting ready for an action scene. What happens in this “Dark City” gave me chills. What we learn is so bizarre and nerve-wracking it made me fall in love with the film despite the initial hurdle.

This is a great-looking picture. Some of the CGI effects are a bit dated but nothing’s too glaring. The practical effects are where the wonder's at. They sell this world. So do the performances. I’m not sure if it’s difficult, or easy to play an amnesiac but Rufus Sewell does an impeccable job. He makes it look easy. The side characters are terrific too. Jennifer Connelly is a particular standout, followed closely by Kiefer Sutherland as Dr. Daniel P. Schreber. Is he a hero, or a villain? It’s hard to tell but a compelling question to ponder.

It isn't enough for me to tell you how I feel about Dark City. I need to spread the word. If you want a film that makes you think, that combines fantasy, film noir, horror, and science fiction, this is what you've been looking for. I had some issues with it, but it seems as though they'll all go away with the Director's Cut so learn from my mistake and get on it. It's a visually arresting, smart, and memorable film. A real brain-twister. (Theatrical version on Blu-ray, May 1, 2015)