When I was 15-years-old I dragged a girl I was dating who had no interest in science fiction to go see “Dark City” a movie I had already seen once earlier that week. She hated it, but perhaps because she was bored she let me get to second base. I consider this a net win.
A clever YouTuber, ClaraDarko2, has done a side-by-side mashup highlighting the similarities between “Dark City” and “The Matrix”. The stories have a lot in common, not the least of which is learning to fight with the help of a needle injection of knowledge. It’s nice to see how “Dark City” holds up next to the much more expensive film. In many ways, I honestly think “Dark City” looks less dated. One of the most curious things it doesn’t compare, however is success. “Dark City” which came out in 1998 earned only $27 million in spite of favorable reviews, “The Matrix” on the other hand, came out just one year later and earned $171 million boosted by the groundbreaking special effects.
If you haven’t seen “Dark City” before, make sure to check it out after watching this YouTube mashup. Besides looking good and having great acting, it also has the best psychic fight you’re going to find outside of “Akira”.