▁Leonard ▁M alt in ' s ▁Film ▁Guide ▁describes ▁it ▁as ▁a ▁" tr end y , ▁influ ential ▁' 6 0 s ▁film ▁– ▁in ▁flash y ▁form ▁and ▁c yn ical ▁content ". ▁Tony ▁Ray ns ▁though , ▁in ▁the ▁Time ▁Out ▁Film ▁Guide , ▁is ▁as ▁dam ning ▁as ▁Thom son . ▁For ▁him , ▁the ▁film ▁is ▁a ▁" le aden ▁re hash ▁of ▁ideas ▁from ▁God ard , ▁Anton ioni ▁and ▁Berg man ", ▁although ▁with ▁nod s ▁to ▁the ▁" Ro yal ▁Court ▁school ", ▁which ▁" now ▁looks ▁gro tes qu ely ▁pret ent ious ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁touch ▁with ▁the ▁real ities ▁of ▁the ▁life - styles ▁that ▁it ▁pur ports ▁to ▁represent ." ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Dar ling ▁holds ▁a ▁rating ▁of ▁ 6 5 % ▁on ▁Rotten ▁Tomatoes ▁from ▁ 1 7 ▁reviews . ▁ ▁Box ▁office ▁The ▁film ▁was ▁a ▁commercial ▁success , ▁gross ing ▁$ 1 2 ▁million ▁at ▁the ▁world wide ▁box ▁office ▁against ▁a ▁budget ▁of ▁only ▁£ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0 . ▁It ▁earned ▁$ 4 ▁million ▁in ▁the atr ical ▁rent als . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Richard ▁Greg son , ▁the ▁film ▁only ▁earned ▁£ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁Britain , ▁but ▁Nat ▁C ohen ▁sold ▁the ▁U . S . ▁rights ▁to ▁Joe ▁E . ▁Lev ine ▁for ▁$ 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁made ▁a ▁profit ▁- ▁and ▁the ▁movie ▁was ▁a ▁big ▁hit ▁in