The line between right and wrong is buried under concrete.
Broken City (2013) unfolds like a classic noir dipped in modern corruption, where loyalty is currency, and justice is never clean. Directed by Allen Hughes, this gritty political thriller plunges deep into the rotting heart of urban power plays, anchored by a tormented ex-cop, a ruthless mayor, and a city that’s already lost its soul.
Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg), once a rising NYPD officer, is now a down-and-out private investigator trying to outrun his past. Haunted by a controversial shooting and fueled by a thirst for redemption, he gets a lifeline from Mayor Nicholas Hostetler (Russell Crowe)—a man as magnetic as he is manipulative. The job? Follow the mayor’s wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), and uncover whether she’s having an affair.
But nothing in Broken City is what it seems. What begins as a case of infidelity spirals into something darker: a web of political blackmail, land deals soaked in blood, and a re-election campaign built on deceit. As Billy digs deeper, he discovers he’s not the hunter—but the bait. And the closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous it becomes to know it.
What makes the film tick isn't just its plot, but its tone. The city itself is a character—cynical, shadowy, and hungry for compromise. The cinematography drenches Manhattan in steely grays and golden lies, while the score hums with unease. Wahlberg brings the weary energy of a man past salvation, while Crowe simmers with charm and venom.
In the end, Broken City reminds us that justice doesn’t live in courtrooms—it’s clawed out in alleys, whispered in threats, and buried beneath campaign speeches. Because in a broken city, everyone’s guilty. The only question is: how much will it cost to confess?
