"Dark City" is rated R because it's "weird"! ? Fantastic science fiction noir celebrating its 20th anniversary

The strange beings known as "Strangers" are deeply embedded in our memory and never let go.

The film starts in a classic film noir style, depicting the 1940s and 1950s in America. There was a film released in the 1950s with the same title, Dark City, so perhaps the intention was to create an illusion of it. But how does it develop after that? Leaving behind murder, mystery, and the presence of femme fatales, the film gradually shifts from a micro perspective to a macro one. With the help of innovative visuals by designer Patrick Tatopoulos ( I, Robot (2004), Pitch Black (2000), Independence Day (1996), etc.), it reveals a dark sci-fi color that goes beyond the viewer's imagination.

And the most glaring feature is the presence of a strange group called the "Strangers." They have pale faces and wear black bondage-like clothing, and at first glance they resemble Jiangshi, Hellraisers, and Nosferatu (vampires). They are also mysterious and creepy, like the "Men in Grey" from Michael Ende's " Momo ."

"Dark City" © Photofest / Getty Images

Once a day, they gather at midnight to perform a ritual called "Tune," and time in the entire town stops. From there, they begin the strange task of manually replacing the "memories" of each resident. When the Tune is complete, the residents lose all memory of the previous day and are transformed into completely different people.

Who? Why? For what purpose? No, no, you shouldn't ask such basic questions. Because there are no concrete answers. If you are worried about such basic things, not only will you not be able to go any further, but you may even give it an R rating, just like the MPAA official said, because it's "weird." I guess it takes a certain kind of ability or talent to be amused and think, "Weird is weird. What's wrong with that!"