Darkman (1990)
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A disfigured scientist uses a synthetic skin to mask his identity and hunt down the criminals who destroyed his life.
The story
Dr. Peyton Westlake is a scientist developing a prototype for a new "synthetic skin" to help burn-victims. When his girlfriend, Julie Hastings, uncovers a document involving a corrupt real estate developer, they are targeted by a ruthless crime boss, Robert G. Durant. During a violent raid on Westlake's lab, he is horribly disfigured and left for dead. However, an experimental treatment during his recovery grants him super-human strength and heightened emotions. Awakening to a world that believes him dead, Westlake must navigate his new existence, using his ability to alter his appearance with synthetic skin to hunt down the men who ruined his life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Dr. Peyton Westlake develops a synthetic skin that fails after 99 minutes. When his girlfriend Julie finds evidence of corruption by developer Louis Strack Jr., the mob boss Robert Durant attacks their lab. Westlake is disfigured and left for dead, but a medical procedure gives him enhanced strength and heightened emotions. He begins a campaign of vengeance, using his synthetic skin to create masks and impersonate Durant's associates to sow discord among them. He eventually reveals his true face to Julie, who leaves him after realizing his secret. In a final confrontation, Westlake defeats both Strack and Durant. He ultimately rejects a return to his old life, embracing his identity as 'Darkman' to fight crime as a masked vigilante.
- First release year
- 1990
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Sam Raimi
- Writers
- Sam Raimi · co-writer; Ivan Raimi · co-writer; Chuck Pfarrer · writer; Daniel Goldin · writer; Joshua Goldin · writer
- Cast and characters
- Liam Neeson · Dr. Peyton Westlake / Darkman; Frances McDormand · Julie Hastings; Colin Friels · Louis Strack Jr.; Larry Drake · Robert G. Durant
- Genres
- superhero; science fiction; action
- Themes
- vengeance; identity; transformation
- Tone and mood
- tragic; gothic; violent
- Premise and plot tags
- superhero; revenge; masked vigilante
- Source material / true-story basis
- A short story by Sam Raimi.
- Franchise connections
- Darkman
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · scale: percentage · review count: 161; Metacritic · score: 65 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Awards · Best Horror Film · Nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Director · Nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Actor · Nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Supporting Actor · Nomination; Saturn Awards · Best Makeup · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The film was inspired by the 1930s and 1940s Universal horror films.; Liam Neeson's makeup took up to five hours to apply.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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