The “visionary” 1998 movie Roger Ebert called an instant masterpiece: “It is a triumph”
The article revisits Alex Proyas’s 1998 science-fiction film Dark City, which Roger Ebert praised as an immediate masterpiece and a triumph. It argues that the film’s imaginative visual design, noir atmosphere and ambitious ideas helped it stand apart from conventional Hollywood science fiction, despite receiving limited attention on its original release.
Dark City follows John Murdoch, played by Rufus Sewell, as he awakens with no memory in a shifting, night-bound city controlled by mysterious beings. The film also features Jennifer Connelly, Kiefer Sutherland and William Hurt, and its blend of existential questions, expressionist imagery and dystopian storytelling has since earned it a cult reputation.
- Dark City was hailed by Ebert as a visionary 1998 masterpiece.
- Its noir science-fiction style later gained cult status.
- Rufus Sewell leads the film’s mysterious dystopian story.