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Darkman

Darkman

They destroyed everything he had, everything he was. Now, crime has a new enemy and justice has a new face.

199096 minRMidcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Director
Sam Raimi
Starring
Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake

Dr. Peyton Westlake is on the verge of realizing a major breakthrough in synthetic skin when his laboratory is destroyed by gangsters. Having been burned beyond recognition and forever altered by an experimental medical procedure, Westlake becomes known as Darkman, assuming alternate identities in his quest for revenge and a new life with a former love.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Darkman?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Darkman streaming on Peacock and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Darkman?

Darkman earns 8 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Box Office Hit.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Darkman worth watching?

Darkman's Midcredits score is the 61st percentile of all films, from 167K ratings across 6 sources. 52% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

61st percentile

Better received than 61% of films

76th percentile among Action64th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)66th
Approval (how many liked it)55th

66 /100

66th percentile of all films

81st percentile among Action71st percentile among 1990s

Critics 65 · Audience 66

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

52% liked it

55th percentile of all films

68th percentile among Action58th percentile among 1990s
52% rated it 7–1048% rated it 1–6

Critics 80% · Audience 60%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 7 noms overall

95th percentile

167K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Action93rd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 5% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$14M
Opening weekend$8.1M
Domestic gross$34M
Worldwide gross$49M

Returned 3.5× its budget — 78th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Darkman is an over-the-top, comic-book-style revenge story with a gothic visual flair and a wildly uneven tone.

Fans praised

  • Raimi's hyperkinetic comic-strip direction
  • Liam Neeson's emotionally layered performance
  • Danny Elfman's fantastically moody score

Detractors panned

  • laughable helicopter finale
  • silly action logic and paper-thin plot holes
  • confused tone between superhero and horror

What stands out

ActingDivisive72

Neeson's pathos and menace; McDormand and Drake as strong supports

OriginalityDivisive70

Raimi's own superhero creation; Phantom of the Opera homage

CinematographyDivisive70

Raimi's trademark wild camera angles and comic-strip visuals

AtmosphereDivisive70

gothic horror-meets-dark comic book grit

CharactersDivisive65

Peyton's tortured antihero arc; Durant as memorably vile villain

PacingDivisive65

fast-paced B-movie energy; drags in final act

Effects and spectacleDivisive60

practical gore and synthetic skin; some cheesy back projection

Plot and storyDivisive45

revenge setup works; logic holes and predictable finale

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 23 points higher than women.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 18 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Darkman like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you satisfied.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrillingMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
Register
Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Exuberant · 2% of films: Bursting with energy and joy in its own filmmaking.Campy · 4% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneSam Raimi plays the material with a comic-book exuberance that is half sincere, half tongue-in-cheek, mixing operatic revenge melodrama with slapstick violence and a knowing wink.
The rideSustained tension with action peaks; lonely, dark undertones throughout.
StructureThe story unfolds in a straightforward linear chronology: the hero's fall, his training in the shadows, and his final confrontation with the villains.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe villain's comeuppance delivers a satisfying release, but the hero's permanent disfigurement and chosen exile leave a poignant, melancholy aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

Why this archetypeThe story follows a brilliant scientist who is horribly disfigured and left for dead by a gangster and his crew, then rises from his own ashes to systematically dismantle the men who destroyed his life. While it centers on revenge, the hero's monstrous transformation and the villain's unchecked power fit overcoming_the_monster, and the loss of his humanity gives it a tragic arc.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfRevengeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Revenge · 4% of filmsIdentity · 14% of filmsJustice · 13% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA disfigured scientist uses his intellect and new-found brutality to punish the criminals who destroyed his life.
StanceQuestions whether vengeance can coexist with humanity; the hero becomes monstrous himself.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernForeground music · original score · Danny Elfman
SettingA dark, expressionistic version of an unnamed big city; laboratories and seedy hideouts.
MusicA bombastic, tragic orchestral score that mirrors the hero's rage and sorrow.

Content guide

Is Darkman okay for kids?

R

Darkman is rated R. As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (74/100), sexual content at minimal (10/100), language at moderate (49/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at intense (69/100). Overall it is heavier than 34% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 16 other countries
  • UK18
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-18
  • Greece15
  • Hungary18
  • ItalyVM14
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway18
  • SK15
  • Spain18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 59% of all filmsHeavier than 34% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 4%
Profanity
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 22%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 63%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is violence and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Darkman have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Darkman?

Cast

Liam Neeson
as Peyton Westlake
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Frances McDormand
as Julie Hastings
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Colin Friels
as Louis Strack Jr.
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Larry Drake
as Robert G. Durant
Nelson Mashita
as Yakitito
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Jessie Lawrence Ferguson
as Eddie Black
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Rafael H. Robledo
as Rudy Guzman
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Dan Hicks
as Skip
Ted Raimi
as Rick
Dan Bell
as Smiley
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Darkman?

Movies like Darkman include Batman Returns (1992), The Quick and the Dead (1995) and Spider-Man 2 (2004). Of the 12 closest matches, most are superhero films, and most are revenge thrillers.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Sam Raimi directed 4 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Darkman?

787 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: superhero. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.