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I'm a sucker for the noir aesthetic, and I have been for years. Give me cities shrouded in shadow, jaded detectives who have been hardened by the things they've seen, and give me atmosphere that soaks into every scene. Add elements of science fiction to turn it into techno-noir with giant cities that are collapsing under their own weight, and I'll watch it every time. The Matrix might be the best-known techno-noir film of the '90s, but it's far from the only one.
One of my overlooked favorites is Dark City, a mind-bending techno-noir thriller that explores the idea of identity against the backdrop of a city swathed in darkness. Released in 1998, this absolute gem preceded The Matrix by a year, and it's currently streaming for free on Tubi.
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I've been a fan of techno-noir vibes since my first time watching Blade Runner, and the '90s delivered a spate of excellent options that allowed me to feast my eyes on beautiful sets, amazing stories, and worlds that felt real and gritty in the best of ways.
Dark City delivers a futuristic city swathed in shadows, with vibes reminiscent of the 1950s, such as automats and the costume design, and it's a style I can't get enough of.
A man wakes up in a bathtub with no memory of who he is or how he got there. Almost immediately, things go off the rails. There's a dead woman in the next room, a cryptic phone call telling our unknown protagonist to get out of there, and a mystery that begins to unfold in the dark streets of the city. John Murdoch figures out who he is slowly through a series of clues, like his name in a ledger at the motel and his briefcase.
As he tries to figure out what happened, he's beset on two sides. Police Inspector Frank Bumstead is trying to unravel a case of dead prostitutes that's leading him toward John. And then there are the mysterious "strangers."
The strangers
Jasin Boland/New Line CinemaThese are tall, pale men who seem to have the ability to alter reality through "tuning." John is cornered by these strangers, but in a moment of desperation manages to alter reality and escape their clutches.
Soon after, the clock strikes midnight, and John watches as every person in the city falls asleep; the strangers then use their mysterious abilities to alter the city's architecture.
As John tries to recover his memories, he recalls that he is from a small town outside the city, called Shell Beach. However, any attempts to reach it end in failure. At this point, John is apprehended by the inspector, who believes him when he explains that something strange is happening in the city and uses his ability to tune in to prove it.
The atmosphere, set design, and overall cinematography in Dark City make every frame worth noticing. The 100-minute length is infused with mystery, drama and more questions than answers. The strangers stalk John and the inspector, a local doctor who has information about the strangers and their origins, as the city continues to change and trap everyone within its alleys.
I won't spoil the third act for you when you discover what the strangers are really after and the methods they employ to find answers. When John begins to unravel the mystery he woke up inside, things go from weird to truly out of this world. The murders, the amnesia and the city are all linked by the strangers, and once you find out what happened, there is no going back.
Dark City reached cult classic status with good reason. While it might not have been a box office hit, it's still an amazing watch 27 years later. It's one of those sci-fi movies that always gets me, and the cast delivers a top-notch performance. Stream it for free on Tubi, and discover the mystery for yourself.
English (US) ·