Broken City

Name: Broken City
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: January 18, 2013
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 49
Cast: Barry Pepper, Catherine Zeta Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Kyle Chandler, Mark Wahlberg

2013

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 38 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 106 Ratings

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5.4

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5.4	Your Score
5.4	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 106 Ratings

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Broken City

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Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: January 18, 2013 | R

Starring: Barry Pepper, Catherine Zeta Jones, Jeffrey Wright, Kyle Chandler, Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe

Summary: A neo-noir about a New York City private eye who gets pulled into a shady mayoral election.

Director: Allen Hughes

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 109 min

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Critic Reviews

Film.com Stephanie Zacharek

Feb 26, 2013

If Broken City – the first film to be directed solo by Allen Hughes, one-half of the Hughes Brothers directing team – is a little flawed and cracked itself, it still squeaks by as a reasonably thoughtful piece of big-screen entertainment. Read full review

Manohla Dargis

Jan 17, 2013

Hughes visual choices can feel borrowed and clichéd, but his regard for beauty often compensates for his blunders, as does the sturdy, reliable appeal of another story of good and evil, men and women, light and dark, glass and steel, sex and power. As it turns out, there are eight million and one stories in the naked city. Read full review

Stephanie Merry

Jan 17, 2013

Overall, this is an entertaining diversion. Read full review

Justin Chang

Jan 16, 2013

Competent but juiceless New York melodrama, an unpersuasive marriage of head-slamming action and middling civic intrigue that treats issues like gay rights and public housing as red herrings rather than actual talking points. Read full review

Claudia Puig

Jan 17, 2013

It tries to be a moody thriller, but cliched dialogue and too many coincidences make for a predictable and hackneyed film. Read full review

M. E. Russell

Jan 17, 2013

Quality-wise, the crime drama Broken City lives in a frustrating mid-range area: It's too complex and competently crafted to dismiss as junk -- but it's also nowhere near sharp enough to work as the serious grown-up detective movie it clearly wants to be. Read full review

Randy Cordova

Jan 17, 2013

There are plot twists galore, but they unfold in ham-fisted fashion, as if the screenwriter (newbie Brian Tucker) didn't know how to layer the mystery. Instead, the movie simply drops these secrets out of nowhere, in clunky fashion. Read full review

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User Reviews

danny_dan

Jan 23, 2013

Do not miss out on this movie! I thought Marky Mark would just be OK, but this movie will leave you breathless and Speachless at the same time. Should have been nominated for the Oscars.

3 of 7 users found this helpful34

JohnnyStephens

Aug 31, 2013

Great thriller but not for everyone. It seems that some critics want to get surprised from something in a film, and that's why they always say bad things about them. Watch it!! That's my opinion.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Bruce722

May 19, 2013

Broken City is a very good movie but it's not the type of movie I thought it would be. That's not to say the trailers misrepresented the film in any way, only that Mark Wahlberg isn't known for his political thrillers. That being said, this was a very good political thriller with solidBroken City is a very good movie but it's not the type of movie I thought it would be. That's not to say the trailers misrepresented the film in any way, only that Mark Wahlberg isn't known for his political thrillers. That being said, this was a very good political thriller with solid acting across the board, especially from Russell Crowe. The characters all developed well and the plot was great. The twists came about in a nice fashion, not out of left field where nobody could possibly see them coming, which has unfortunately become a trend in the increasingly uncreative Hollywood climate. The film did drag quite a bit and the ending felt a bit rushed when it happened but I'd say all-in-all this was a solid film that most people would enjoy.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

dharma

May 25, 2013

Disappointing modern 'noir' has a great cast (Crowe, Wahlberg and Zeta Jones), but absolutely predictable plot that you can see from a mile off. Sure the basic concept was great, but they just needed a better screenplay. This film shows that some of the best film makers have left this genreDisappointing modern 'noir' has a great cast (Crowe, Wahlberg and Zeta Jones), but absolutely predictable plot that you can see from a mile off. Sure the basic concept was great, but they just needed a better screenplay. This film shows that some of the best film makers have left this genre and moved on to blockbuster territory (i.e. Nolan, Bryan Singer and David Fincher). The end result: films of such ho-hum quality as this one. A rental at best.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Mazmorrero47

Jan 25, 2013

Just your average run of the mill January release. Broken City has good ideas, but they are badly executed, resulting in a dull experience. The actors are ok, but don't expect Oscar-worthy performances. Aside from the already messy story, there are some sub-plots that are less interestingJust your average run of the mill January release. Broken City has good ideas, but they are badly executed, resulting in a dull experience. The actors are ok, but don't expect Oscar-worthy performances. Aside from the already messy story, there are some sub-plots that are less interesting than watching paint dry. Dialogue is cringe-worthy at times since it seems taken from a Ben Stiller comedy. It's the kind of film that you remember you saw, but after a couple of hours you can't tell anything about the plot because of how forgettable it is.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Cyberghost

Apr 30, 2013

Your standard action/drama............well actually somewhat below standard.......the plot line is obvious......ex-cop gets hired by corrupt politician to do something.....cops finds out more than he should and starts asking questions.........the dialog is painfully dry and obvious and evenYour standard action/drama............well actually somewhat below standard.......the plot line is obvious......ex-cop gets hired by corrupt politician to do something.....cops finds out more than he should and starts asking questions.........the dialog is painfully dry and obvious and even the mock political debates are just ripoffs of last year's newspaper headlines...........the acting....directing is okay.....but nothing out of the ordinary......I'm quite shocked that actors like Russel Crowe and Barry Pepper would agree to do mediocre stuff like this...........to sum up.....it's not good....it's not interesting....it's barely even entertaining.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

WhySoSerious54

Jun 19, 2013

Predictable and strangly poorly acted as well. I expected a lot more from these two. Maybe an aspect of a terrible script, screenplay, direction, I can go on and on.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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