Guillermo del Toro understands better than most what makes a film effective. He can digest a feature and concisely convey in just a few words precisely what makes it special. The Mimic director sometimes takes to social media to share which titles have made an impact on him. I’ve come across several features with which I deeply connect thanks to his advocacy.
A few years back del Toro tweeted about an underrated ‘90s sci-fi cult classic with a star-studded cast. A picture that didn’t get its due in theaters but has since developed a devoted cult fanbase. I’m talking about Dark City.
The beloved filmmaker’s tweet reads: “Film: Dark City by Alex Proyas. A beautiful, sleek, lucid nightmare. Pregnant with unforgettable, overwhelming images. Highly influential.”
Dark City is truly an influential effort.
Well said. A lucid nightmare is a great way to describe the flick. Also, he’s quite correct. Dark City has influenced plenty of noteworthy filmmakers. In fact, the picture is widely considered a major influence on The Matrix. Not to mention David Cronenberg’s Existenz and Christopher Nolan’s Memento.
It’s a shame that Dark City didn’t pull in a larger audience. The flick barely broke even at the box office, taking in just over $27 million globally against an estimated budget of $27 million. However, filmmakers impacted by the picture benefited greatly from its influence. That reminds me a little bit of The Pixies and Nirvana. Cobain and company were influenced by The Pixies and ended up breaking into the mainstream more effectively than The Pixies ever would. Life is funny like that sometimes.
If you’re keen to check Dark City out, head over to Prime Video where you can find the film streaming as of the publication of this post.
The setup for this Guillermo del Toro Favorite goes like this:
John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) awakens alone in a strange hotel to find that he is wanted for a series of brutal murders. The problem is that he can’t remember whether he committed the murders or not. For one brief moment, he is convinced that he has gone completely mad. Murdoch seeks to unravel the twisted riddle of his identity. As he edges closer to solving the mystery, he stumbles upon a fiendish underworld controlled by a group of ominous beings collectively known as the Strangers.
That’s all we have for you at present. Stay tuned to the site for more recommendations from your favorite cinematic luminaries as we uncover them. If you’d like to chat more about influential cinema from the ‘90s, hit me up on Threads @FunWithHorror.
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