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The 90s Sci-Fi Masterpiece Flop Everyone Forgets Thanks To The Matrix

By Drew Dietsch
| Published

Dark City is one of those movies that people seem to either love or have never seen. Whenever you bring up Alex Proyas’s 1998 sci-fi noir, those who know what it is react with joy. The film has maintained a strong cult following over the years with critical adoration coming from such luminaries as Roger Ebert.

And yet, Dark City has never been able to properly establish itself as a bonafide classic. For some reason, it has only remained beloved by a relatively small portion of the pop culture populace. Why is that?

Let’s find out. But first, let’s examine exactly why Dark City is such a triumph for science-fiction cinema.

How Dark City Was Masterfully Made

dark city strangers

Dark City marks the pinnacle of director Alex Proyas’s effects-driven style of filmmaking. He’d made a huge impression with The Crow in 1994 and this was his big-budget follow-up that looked to be an even more visionary experience. With a reported budget of $27 million (around $43 million today), Proyas embarked on a journey to create a world that hearkened back to the surreal landscape of movies like MetropolisBrazil, and The City of Lost ChildrenDark City would be a testament to the power of truly fantastical storytelling.

In that regard, Dark City is a resounding success. The entire film was shot on constructed sets with absolutely no location shoots. This adds a sense of intentional falseness to the whole endeavor and is vital for where the story goes. Production designer Patrick Tatopoulos reinforces a looming sense of unease around every corner. As he described in an interview with Cinefantastique:

“It’s a city built of pieces of cities. A corner from one place, another from someplace else. So, you don’t really know where you are. A piece will look like a street in London, but a portion of the architecture looks like New York, but the bottom of the architecture looks again like a European city. You’re there, but you don’t know where you are. It’s like every time you travel, you’ll be lost.”

dark city face

Dark City as a piece of production design alone is stunning. From the sets to the costumes to the score by Trevor Jones, everything is working in unison to bring to life a very specific vision. But, what matters most is whether or not the story and characters thrive in this extraordinary world. Thankfully, Dark City punctuates itself with a thrilling mystery that ends up questioning the very nature of reality itself. The story of John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) is a compelling puzzle that ends up unlocking the secrets of the story in a propulsive fashion.

Speaking of Rufus Sewell, the cast of Dark City is delightfully eclectic, with singular performances from not only Sewell, but Kiefer Sutherland and Richard O’Brien as well. William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly slot in perfectly to their film noir archetypes, and you can tell that everyone involved is committed to the uniqueness of the project.

dark city jennifer connelly

Without spoiling it entirely, a huge part of that uniqueness has to do with the themes and twists of the movie. Dark City represents an era of sci-fi cinema that was exclusively asking one big question: what is reality? We’ll talk about that more a little bit later, but suffice to say that Dark City is a movie with a lot on its mind and a willingness to execute those ideas in a dynamic and engaging way.

So, with all this in its corner, why is it that Dark City isn’t as heralded as it should be? We’re going to have to take the red pill to answer that question…

Why It’s Unfairly Overlooked

Dark City came out a year before The Matrix and explored many similar sci-fi ideas as a blockbuster smash. In fact, a number of films in the late ’90s – eXistenZThe Thirteenth FloorThe Truman Show – were treading the same existential ground. However, The Matrixwas the one that truly captured mainstream audiences’ imaginations and became a pop culture juggernaut. Granted, it was also the most action-packed and modern-feeling of all those films. Interesting tidbit: The Matrix actually shot on the sets that had been made for Dark City!

This isn’t to lay the blame solely on The Matrix for overshadowing Dark City. Proyas’s film is more deliberately obtuse and distancing at first, making it a hard movie to jump right into. In fact, New Line Cinema anticipated this and had the film reconfigured to make it clearer to wide-release viewers. This includes the addition of a voiceover that spoils the film in its opening seconds. Luckily, Proyas was able to release a Director’s Cut of the film years later and it is easily the preferred version to watch.

However, much like the equally overlooked Doom PatrolDark City might just be too weird to ever truly click with a large enough number of people. That’s probably why it has stayed an oddity that film fans adore. Movies that manage a genuine sense of originality are often so particular that only particular tastes will savor it.

Dark City is unabashed in its eccentricities and relishes the hypnotic, mystifying world it creates. That spellbinding aura won’t work on everyone, but those who do find themselves lured into the shifting corridors of this puzzle of a film will be rewarded with an adventure that is unforgettable. Open your mind and see the truth…


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Entertainment

Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love

Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.

Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.

The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?

Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.

After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?


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Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121

TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.


You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.

Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.

What’s included?

This license comes with: 

  • Word

  • Excel

  • PowerPoint

  • Outlook

  • OneNote 

The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations. 

Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about. 

Why rent when you can own? 

Mashable Deals

Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


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Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025

Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.

If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

Gibberish.

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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.

The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today’s Wordle is…

TRIPE.

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.


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