Dark Matter

2007, Drama, 1h 26m

40 Reviews 10,000+ Ratings

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critics consensus

The creaky plotting, inscrutable characters, and unconvincing ending make it difficult for audiences to connect with Dark Matter. Read critic reviews

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Dark Matter Photos

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Movie Info

Liu Xing (Ye Liu), a promising Chinese doctoral candidate accepted into an elite astronomy program in the United States, struggles to adjust to life in his new home. Xing finds an unlikely friend in university donor Johanna Silver (Meryl Streep) and a willing mentor in acclaimed professor Jacob Reiser (Aidan Quinn). But, when Xing's groundbreaking research begins to contradict Reiser's famed theories, Xing finds his dissertation derailed and his career in science speedily spiraling downward.
  • Rating:
    R (Language|Brief Sexual Content|A Scene of Violence)
  • Genre:
    Drama
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Chen Shi-Zeng
  • Producer:
    Andrea Miller, Janet Yang, Mary Salter
  • Writer:
    Billy Shebar
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $30.0K
  • Runtime:
  • Distributor:
    First Independent Pictures

Cast & Crew

Ye Liu
Liu Xing
Aidan Quinn
Jacob Reiser
Meryl Streep
Joanna Silver
Blair Brown
Hildy
Bill Irwin
Hal Silver
Joe Grifasi
Prof. Colby
Lloyd Suh
Laurence Feng
Rob Campbell
Gary Small
Jodi Russell
Claire Reiser
Boris McGiver
Rev. Hollings
Taylor Schilling
Jackie
Erick Avari
Prof. Gazda
Chi Peng
Mama
Chen Shi-Zeng
Director
Billy Shebar
Writer
Andrea Miller
Producer
Janet Yang
Producer
Mary Salter
Producer
Ellen Parks
Casting
Kirk D'Amico
Executive Producer
Linda Chiu
Executive Producer
Oliver Bokelberg
Cinematographer
Michael Berenbaum
Film Editing
Pam Wise
Film Editing
Van Dyke Parks
Original Music
Dina Goldman
Production Design
Elizabeth Caitlin Ward
Costume Design
Les Boothe
Set Decoration
Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for Dark Matter

RT on DVD: Frank Miller Talks The Spirit, Michel Gondry Releases New Music Video DVD
Sundance Awards: "Padre Nuestro," "Grace is Gone" Among Competition Winners
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Critic Reviews for Dark Matter

All Critics (40) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (16) | Rotten (24)
Full Review… Ben Kenigsberg Time Out Full Review… Joshua Rothkopf Time Out Full Review… Leo Goldsmith indieWire Full Review… Maureen M. Hart Chicago Tribune Full Review… Reyhan Harmanci San Francisco Chronicle Full Review… Josh Rosenblatt Austin Chronicle Full Review… Kelly Vance East Bay Express Full Review… Burl Burlingame Honolulu Star-Advertiser Full Review… Dave White Movies.com Full Review… Brian Orndorf DVDTalk.com Full Review… Nora Lee Mandel Film-Forward.com Full Review… James Verniere Boston Herald
View All Critic Reviews (40)

Audience Reviews for Dark Matter

  • Jun 04, 2014
    Meryl Streep somehow ended up in this real dog of a film about a Chinese student goes apeshit. One to be missed for sure.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • May 11, 2010
    A fairly watchable movie that tells the tragic story (that's somewhat based on true events) of an aspiring Chinese student who resorts to a violent shootout after his dreams are blocked by school/campus politics.
    familiar s Super Reviewer
  • Mar 18, 2010
    In "Dark Matter," Liu Xing(Liu Ye) has come to the United States from Beijing for his graduate degree under the tutelage of the acclaimed Professor Reiser(Aidan Quinn). In his informal way, he informs his student that he is about the best applicant he has ever had before assigning him to work on his pet cosmology projects, along with other students from China. They hang out together, steal cable and use any excuse to go out, be it church or Pioneer Village. They are all living the American dream. Liu Xing's specific dream includes a blonde wife which he writes back home about. "Dark Matter" is a wildly uneven movie due somewhat to amateurish directing. The stunt casting robs a lot of the attention from Liu Xing's story but Aidan Quinn is very good.(There is a closeup of his eyes that speaks volumes.) And is this supposed to be a period piece since a lot of the technology looks so out of date? The movie would have been better if it had settled down and took its time detailing its lead character's adjustment to America. Not every setback is the end of the world when they are studying the beginning of the universe. There is some intriguing material about assimilation and I had to wonder if Liu Xing and his colleagues moving to the United States are part of a brain drain. However, there is a lot more pointless emphasis on the insular world of college politics.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
  • Oct 14, 2009
    Great movie.I was hooked from start to finish.
    Brody M Super Reviewer
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