Darkman, a 1990 superhero film starring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand, has been praised by fans as ‘exhilarating’ and ‘moving’ and airs on Film4 tonight
Niamh Spence Freelance Showbiz Reporter and Jane Lavender Associate Editor
08:00, 08 Jan 2026Updated 08:20, 08 Jan 2026
The fan is a little-known gem(Image: Dia Dipasupil, Getty Images)
A superhero film hailed by viewers as ‘exhilarating’ and ‘moving’ featuring Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand is showing on Film4 tonight.
Darkman, which hit cinemas in 1990, centres on scientist Peyton Westlake (Liam Neeson), who suffers horrific disfigurement and is presumed dead after gangsters working for bent property developer Louis Strack Jr. attack him, following his solicitor girlfriend Julie Hastings’ (Frances McDormand) discovery of their crooked operations.
A radical medical treatment to rescue him, incorporating artificial skin and nerve-severing procedures, bestows superhuman power but renders him psychologically unstable and dependent on 99-minute synthetic masks that crumble when exposed to daylight.
Taking on the persona of Darkman, he hunts down those who wronged him, exploiting his transformed condition and mask-crafting abilities to intimidate them and sabotage their criminal network, whilst battling his diminished humanity and feelings for Julie.
Frances McDormand and Liam Neeson star in this underrated superhero horror(Image: )
One admirer said: “Real Raimi fans will know and love this one. I think, an amazing early, early dark superhero genre entry. Some may be turned off by the directors antics/mannerisms but overall I think I really delivers on it’s premise. Liam Neeson is great in this!”
One fan added: “This is the first superhero film before Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Sam did really outstanding directing to make a R rated vigilante hero with his body badly burn and missing several body parts and using his technology to replace people’s body to be a hero or a villain and really unbelievable stunts work and amazing cinematography and good writing to make it a original superhero/vigilante film.”
Another viewer described it as: “A mad movie, in the best possible way. It’s disturbing but also exhilarating, funny but also moving at times, a very stand-out, unconventional dark tale,” adding that “And the helicopter ride is one of the most spectacular scenes and stunts you’ll ever see in a movie. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there. Definitely worth watching, and you’ll surely do that more than once. Skip the sequels though. Just like the sequels to The Crow, they should have never been made.”, reports the Mirror.
Liam Neeson in Darkman(Image: )
Liam Neeson’s performance also received high praise, with one reviewer writing: “Darkman is a good movie that I remember watching as a kid and loving. Rewatching it in 2023, it seems a little dated but I still love the story and the action. Liam Neeson plays the part well. Well worth seeing.”
Another added: “Just finished watching Darkman and I gotta say I’m really impressed and probably would’ve never expected that the man behind franchises like the Evil Dead and Spider-Man directed this.
“Sure there are some iffy moments with the effects but hey the film was made in 1990 and had a budget was only 16 million dollars. I think Liam Neeson and Francis McDormand both did a good job and had great chemistry in this movie. Definitely would recommend to someone who not likes Sam Raimi movies but also to those who a dark superhero that isn’t a Marvel or DC film.”
Another wrote: “This is a Great of it’s time. Gritty, gory, horrific to the liking of Raimi’s background. Possibly ahead of it’s years in concept and screenplay Dark Man’s stakes go higher and higher until it’s climatic finish. It was great to see earlier work of Liam Neeson and Francis McDormand in the lead actor and actress roles. This one is exceptional ahead of the time in portraying a C-list comic character.”
