Crime City ( Netflix )

Crime City is a neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Shane Black and written by my friend James Jacobs.

Plot: A young woman is mugged by an unknown attacker. The killer kills the woman and flees. The police suspect accountant William Kennedy to be the murderer as he witnessed it and he is arrested.

In the police interrogation room, William is harassed by police officer John, a violent and sadistic person who abuses him as he believes William is the killer.

The police recruit Detective Brian Burns to solve the murder. He interviews William, who still denys killing the woman. After the interview, Brian, John and rookie officer Jenny prepare William's DNA results. They come back to say that William is the killer.

Brian & John prepare William for his day in court the next day and John abuses him once more. William also begins to fall for Jenny.

Brian hires lawyer Michael Murphy to defend William in court and to fight prosecutor Anna Adams in court the next day.

In court, Brian, Jenny & Michael attempt to defend William and to prove to John & Anna that he is innocent.

Everyone in court gets interviewed by the judge Phillip McDonald and tells everyone that the verdict will be held the next day.

The next day, the jury has reached the verdict and William, despite his innocence is found guilty and is sentenced to 10 years in jail.

That night, Brian is working in his office until his partner Ciara O'Connor visits him. Brian tells Ciara that he believes William is innocent and was framed for the murder. They then set out to look for clues together.

Brian & Ciara visit Police Superintendent Martin McCabe and tell him about William's framing. Martin gives them both 72 hours to catch the killer. They then visit assassin Darren Kennedy, William's much older brother and he tells them that the killer could even be one of the police. Ciara reveals to Brian that she used to be married to John, but divorced him when he gave her an STI.

At the office, Brian & Ciara learn that another murder has taken place and they investigate. Brian purposes that William could not have possibly done it since he is in jail. They gather their weapons and prepare to fight.

Brian & Ciara set out to find the killer. Brian spots the killer and pursues him. Ciara visits William in his cell and tells him the killer has been caught. John prepares to rape Jenny, but is stopped by Ciara and they have an intense confrontation. Jenny then visits William and they have sex.

Brian & Ciara catch the killer and unmask him on Live TV. William & Jenny watch in the police cell.

The killer is revealed to be Darren. Darren explains that he framed William because when they were kids, William got all the treatment from they're alcoholic parents, making Darren feel neglected.

Brian & Ciara fight Darren. Darren then holds Ciara hostage and begs Brian to kill him. Brian refuses and Darren shoots Ciara. Brian & Darren have an intense fistfight. Brian then kills Darren and Ciara succumbs to her wounds and dies.

At the station, John confronts William and blames him for Ciara's death. Brian explains that Darren was the killer and that he killed Ciara. William then confronts Brian about his brother's death.

Brian tells William that he blames himself for both Darren & Ciara's deaths. William forgives Brian and explains that he did the right thing and that both deaths was Darren's own fault, not his. Brian lets William go, much to John's dismay and John gets kicked out of the police force.

Over the next few weeks, William has returned to work and is in a relationship with Jenny. When William returns home, he is confronted by John, who blames him for getting kicked out of the police force. William & John have an intense fistfight. John begs William to kill him but William refuses, saying he doesn't want to be like Darren. John prepares to kill William but he is shot and killed by Brian.

While Jenny makes John's death look like a suicide, Brian takes William out for a drink and invites him to be his new partner and he accepts. Later, Brian, William & Jenny visit Darren & Ciara's graves, who have been both buried next to the woman that Darren killed. They place some flowers on the graves and leave.

Cast:

Zac Efron as William Kennedy

Hugh Jackman as Brian Burns

Pedro Pascal as John

Amanda Seyfried as Ciara O'Connor

Aidan Gillen as Darren Kennedy

Emma Watson as Jenny

Reception:

Crime City received mixed reviews from critics, but it was a box office bomb.