 A film in three minutes, you wake up in a room you don't know. Seeing a face in a mirror, you don't recognise. Outside, a cold monstrous city greets you, with all of its inhabitants having no memory of how they got to where they are. Concerned yet? A little on edge? Well, you have good reason to be. For not all the people living in this strange, concrete jungle are what you might call human. So best be on your guard as you traverse Alex Pryos' Dark City, a sci-fi film noir gem that oozes incredible atmosphere, explores thought-provoking existential themes, and is easily one of the best-looking worlds ever created for cinema. The story follows John Murdock, played by Rufus Sewell, a man who wakes up with amnesia only to discover that he is the prime suspect in a series of brutal murders. As John struggles to unravel the mystery behind his identity, he witnesses bizarre occurrences throughout the city, such as people falling asleep on mass and new buildings rising out from the ground, all whilst being plagued by memories of a beach he visited as a child. To make matters worse, Murdock is being hunted by the fastidious detective Bumstead, played by William Hurt, who begins to uncover the truth about the city's strange origins as he works the case. If you're looking for a film that contains visual flair from start to finish, then you can't do much better than what's director Pryos has managed to achieve here. The wondrous eclectic blending of 30s, 40s and 50s architecture, taking inspiration from Fritz Lang's Metropolis and M, as well as Ridley Scott's Blade Runner amidst an endless, gloomy landscape of sodium vapor light, is a character in its own right, and is replete with exquisite miniatures, practical optical effects, and clever set construction, photographed beautifully by Darius Walski, who collaborated previously with Pryos on 1994's The Crow. Editor Dove Hernig and composer Trevor Jones' combined efforts create a hyperkinetic visual and auditory pace that almost never slows down, generating an atmosphere that lovingly pays tribute to film noir movies of old, whilst also carving out its own unique sci-fi look that begs repeated viewing to truly appreciate every frame. But behind the presentation, Dark City's narrative is awash with nuanced existential subtext, as characters who think they know who they are begin to realise a much more terrifying reality, one that is delivered with a sinister, tragic bleakness that permeates almost every scene. Upon release in 1998, the film received praise from critics for its style and form, but failed to generate strong box office revenues, but thanks to home media such as DVD, Dark City has only thrived since its theatrical run, ensuring a legacy that thankfully hasn't been lost to the darkness. Now, with that said, do you know the way to Shell Beach?