Darkman

The Phantom Menace

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Our Review Published January 6, 2026

Darkman Series Episode 1

Liam Neeson needs thicker skin after Larry Drake (TV’s LA Law) burns down his laboratory and turns him into the vigilante Darkman. But will girlfriend Frances McDormand (Fargo) still want to marry the nerd after he disguises his disfigured looks under masks, and goes after the goons that work for shady real estate developer Colin Friels? And did writer-director Sam Raimi create a landmark superhero movie a decade before he spun the Spider-Man trilogy into box office gold? Listen Now to learn if this 1990 cult film holds together under the Now Playing Podcast spotlight.

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Aaron Lustig Andy Bale Arsenio Trinidad Bridget Hoffman Bruce Campbell Christopher Doyle Cliff Fleming Craig Hosking Dan Bell Dan Hicks Frances McDormand Jenny Agutter Jessie Lawrence Ferguson John Cameron John Landis John Lisbon Wood Jorga Caye Josh Becker Julius Harris Larry Drake Liam Neeson Maggie Moore Nathan Jung Neal McDonough Nelson Mashita Nicholas Worth Philip A. Gillis Professor Toru Tanaka Said Faraj Scott Spiegel Stuart Cornfeld Tau Logo Ted Raimi Tony Gardner Troy Fromin William Lustig

Darkman

1990 R 1h 35m

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.

Release Date

August 24, 1990

Director

Sam Raimi

Writer

Chuck Pfarrer, Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi

Stars

Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, Larry Drake, Nelson Mashita, Jessie Lawrence Ferguson, Rafael H. Robledo, Dan Hicks, Ted Raimi, Dan Bell , Nicholas Worth, Aaron Lustig, Arsenio Trinidad, Said Faraj, Nathan Jung, Professor Toru Tanaka, John Lisbon Wood, Frank Noon, William Dear, Julius Harris, Bridget Hoffman, Philip A. Gillis, Maggie Moore, Carl Bresk, Sean Daniel, John Landis, Carrie Hall, John Cameron, Craig Hosking, Karl A. Wickman, Cliff Fleming, Andy Bale, Neal McDonough, Stuart Cornfeld, William Lustig, Scott Spiegel, Cary Tyler, Charles W. Young, Bruce Campbell, Jenny Agutter, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Tau Logo, Josh Becker, Jorga Caye, Christopher Doyle, Troy Fromin, Tony Gardner

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Producer

Robert Tapert

Cinematography

Bill Pope

Music

Danny Elfman

Genre

Action, Science Fiction, Theatrical Release, Thriller

Country

United States of America

Language