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Broken City

Play trailer Poster for Broken City R,  2013,  2h 2m,  Crime/ Drama/ Mystery & Thriller/ Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 26% 152 Reviews Tomatometer 40% 25,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
26% Tomatometer 152 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Former cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) sees a chance at redemption for past sins when New York City's Mayor Nicolas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) calls on him for a special job. Hostetler thinks his wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), is having an affair and that it may hurt his chances for re-election. However, a bigger scandal than expected pulls in Billy right at the start of his investigation. Double-crossed by the mayor, Billy begins a relentless quest for justice.
Broken City

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Broken City's thinly sketched, formulaic script offers meager rewards for all but the least demanding noir aficionados.

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Critics Reviews

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Wesley Morris Grantland Jan 6, 2014
It's a local-government corruption thriller that doesn't care about logic or consistency or the people watching it. Go to Full Review
Donald Clarke Irish Times Mar 1, 2013
3/5
Wahlberg and Crowe. Together at last. So overwhelming. Can't breathe for testosterone. Can't even write complete sentences. Go to Full Review
Robbie Collin Daily Telegraph (UK) Mar 1, 2013
2/5
When it comes to long-form tales of political intrigue, television serials are fast encroaching on cinema's patch, and if this very ordinary thriller is the best Hollywood can do, it might as well cede the whole territory. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Feb 18, 2024
2/5
As it turns out, Broken City is made out of an aluminum chain of recycled Hollywood cookie cutters. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Sep 20, 2022
1.5/4
Not much of anything works in Broken City, making the title more than apt. Go to Full Review
Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies Aug 19, 2022
2/5
For me, the biggest problem with “Broken City” reveals itself early and persists through the entire picture. There is practically no fire or energy shown in any facet of movie. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Luke S Sep 17, 2018 easily be underlined.. Broken City Broken City is a plot driven political thriller about the tricks and cheats between the cops and politicians of the city that is drunk in corruption. Amidst all the ramblings of the current society and political conditions, the essential husky bits somehow can easily be underlined, which takes away the mystery out of this raw dark tale. To manipulate these many characters on screen, is not a piece of cake and the makers in here fails to move them around like puppets and as it grows essential after a while to pull off such a heist as it fails to bind all these incidents together in one act, where the editing too is to be blamed. The hidden cards up the sleeves are neither impressive nor worth the amount of work and time it consumes. Wahlberg's character is too loud to read and isn't performed well enough to make it intriguing enough to keep the viewers invested. Crowe's reserved portrayal backfires and Jones fails to change even a dime. The script is brimmed with cliches with every benign twists and turns and familiar structure that is clearly off putting. The background score is non existent as in it fails to factor in effectively, whilst the camera work and theme doesn't demand attention at all, in fact if anything it even fails to convince the viewers for a second look. Armed with Tucker's narrow minded script, Hughes's hands are tied to visit newer territories on execution. Few tiny notions amongst all the fame and controversies, the practicality of the corrupted city and Wright's decent support are the only high points of this sunken feature. Broken City is a juvenile remake of those 70's political thriller, polished with none whatsoever finesse for it to create a long lasting impression or even a mediocre impact. See more
Anakin P Mar 7, 2018 This fiLm never received the credit It deserved. The plot was good and the acting was Terrific. Don't alwats believe in the rating you see. Definitely worth the watch. See more
Luke S Feb 2, 2017 In this movie, Russell Crowe was my enemy and Mark Wahlberg was my friend, which is so the opposite of how it usually is. I am usually drawn to the strong, stoic supporting actor, but Russel Crowe held the key to this film's plot, and Mark Wahlberg is the one that carried it through. I think all of the relationship subplots (Cathleen, Katy, and Natalie) deserve a movie of their own. They were captivating. See more
Finn S Jan 2, 2017 It's good movie to watch
Ron S Jun 25, 2013 It's a local-government corruption thriller that doesn't care about logic or consistency or the people watching it. - Grantland See more
Harry L Jun 3, 2013 Broken City works best when you watch it as a cop drama, not as a cop noir.
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Broken City

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Former cop Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) sees a chance at redemption for past sins when New York City's Mayor Nicolas Hostetler (Russell Crowe) calls on him for a special job. Hostetler thinks his wife, Cathleen (Catherine Zeta-Jones), is having an affair and that it may hurt his chances for re-election. However, a bigger scandal than expected pulls in Billy right at the start of his investigation. Double-crossed by the mayor, Billy begins a relentless quest for justice.
Director
Allen Hughes
Producer
Randall Emmett, Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Arnon Milchan, Teddy Schwarzman, Allen Hughes, Remington Chase
Screenwriter
Brian Tucker
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Allen Hughes, Emmett/Furla Films, Closest to the Hole, New Regency Pictures, Leverage Communications
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content|Pervasive Language|Violence)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 18, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 30, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$19.7M
Runtime
2h 2m
Sound Mix
Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital
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