Film Tip: Dark City (1998)

if you like the Matrix or similar movies that tear off the fabric of our so-called "reality" to show us an ugly alternative truth, i highly recommend Dark City.

while it is thematically a lot like the Matrix, instead of an overabundance of fight scenes it focuses more on world and character exploration and all that in a very beautiful setting that i could best describe as a mixture of film noir and an architectural style reminiscent of Fritz Lang's "Metropolis." 

combine that with some stellar acting and motivations that go beyond "they are programs, they do what they do because it is their job" and you got yourself an amazing story with actual surprising twists, magnificent cinematography, interesting characters and all in just about 90 minutes instead of an almost 7 hours long trilogy.