They are two different genres. Matrix is more in the generally more liked action genre. That why it has more broad appeal than Dark City in the more niche Film Noir/Mystery genre.

We can compare more objective criteria and both have flaws and both have great things. Matrix though has a much bigger budget. This in itself is no guarantee for a good movie, but it help Matrix to have the much better production value and effects. But besides that both movies have their Pros and Cons. Hard really to put one above the other besides personal preferences based on their genres.

So why is it a protest vote, that's what I responded to.

T2 blew me away just as much when I saw it in the cinema, perhaps more. I still think T2 is a better movie, one I can enjoy for the entire director's cut without feeling the urge to skip ahead.

Oddly Inception takes the nr.1 spot on IMDB, while that's very enjoyable as well, it's another one that I get less out of on repeat viewings. Movies like Dark City, Gattaca, Moon all 'grow' on repeat viewings while classics like Alien, Blade Runner, Twelve Monkeys, Star Wars (the originals), Wrath of Khan never seem to lose their impact. The Matrix feels less every time I watch it, hence the preference for Dark City.

In 1999, no doubt, would have voted The Matrix. Dark City took over about 10 years ago. Perhaps having seen the sequels to The Matrix lessened the movie as well. Can't unsee what it turned it. (Still not terrible movies, just far below the first one)

Dark city luckily never got a sequel, which keeps it its own contained story

Anyway my personal top sci-fi atm is
Blade runner, 12 Monkeys, Children of Men, T2, Akira, Undiscovered Country, Alien, Wrath of Khan, Dark city, Moon, The Matrix, Interstellar, Gattaca, Brazil, 2001, Inception, AI, Strange Days
Mostly ordered by how much I would want to watch them again. Inception has fallen the most in my list. It was pretty tedious when watching again tbh. Star Wars I've seen too much to feel like watching again atm :) The matrix drops a few places every time I watch it :/

Gattaca and Brazil are among my favorites too.

I haven't seen Matrix in many years, it doesn't have anymore rewatching value for me personally.

If we have come to sci-fi discussion, I would recommend to everyone a really underrated one - Pandorum (2009), it is one of the coolest and shocking ones I have ever seen but like most lower budget movies it went under the radar.

Pandorum was a nice surprise, when I watched it years after release. Surprising also as I am not used to such good german movies.

And if you like Sci-Fi you have not too much big budget movies to choose from, as most producers see at as niche and don't allocate a lot of money.

Also, the list of SvennoJ is very comprehensive for great SF-movies to watch, but misses the original Ghost in the Shell.

Both are excellent films in my book, but I personally find the atmosphere and mystery of Dark City more compelling. Matrix definitely benefits from a bigger budget, but the world of Dark City just drew me in more. It's such a criminally overlooked film in my opinion and it's a real shame so few have seen it.

Good catch, that's sci-fi as well, forget about while deciding whether Akira qualifies as sci-fi. Plus it's not that long ago I watched the live action version (not as good) and the spruced up version (I prefer the original)

Pandorum was indeed a lovely surprise, went in expecting an avg B movie, turned out very good. There was another nice surprise I watched on Netflix, crap it rotated out of my watch again list and I can't remember the name right now. One of the reasons I dislike streaming!

The Matrix, no contest.  Critical consensus leans heavily in its favour on every noteworthy aggregate review site, it spawned a franchise across various entertainment media, carted away numerous high-profile awards, was once used as a sales pitch as the de-facto reason to buy a DVD player, is widely regarded as one of the greatest action movies of all time as well as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time, and has found its home as a staple in movie collections everywhere.

Dark City, while great, never achieved the same critical or commercial success and has pretty much been forgotten shortly after release.  Its largest contribution to the medium is probably that it loaned some set pieces to The Matrix.

I feel like Dark City also had the stronger cast; Keifer Sutherland, William Hurt, Richard O'Brien, Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, Ian Richardson.

Not that The Matrix's was bad, far from it, just not quite on the same level.

Think I started watching Dark City a while ago and couldn't get into it. Matrix is one of my GOAT movies, so that one.