Hollywood is weird. Sometimes, a movie with massive stars like Johnny Depp and Forest Whitaker just... disappears. That’s exactly what happened with City of Lies. For years, it sat on a shelf gathering dust while people whispered about legal drama and suppressed truths. It wasn't just another police procedural. It was a direct, uncomfortable look at the LAPD’s failure to solve the murder of Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G.
Why did it take three years to come out? People have theories. Some blame the lawsuit involving a location manager. Others think the subject matter—deep-seated corruption in the Rampart Division—made some powerful people very nervous. Honestly, seeing the finished product, it's easy to see why the film felt "dangerous" to release. It isn't a slick, polished Hollywood thriller. It’s gritty, frustrating, and deeply sad.
What the movie City of Lies actually uncovers
The film is based on the book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan. It follows the real-life detective Russell Poole, played by Depp. Poole was a man obsessed. He wasn't just looking for a killer; he was looking for the rot inside his own department.
Poole’s theory wasn't just some wild conspiracy. He believed that off-duty LAPD officers were working security for Death Row Records and were directly involved in the hit on Biggie Smalls. The movie doesn't sugarcoat this. It shows how Poole was essentially pushed out of the force for refusing to let the case go. Forest Whitaker plays Jack Jackson, a fictionalized journalist based on Sullivan, who helps bridge the gap between the 1997 investigation and the present day.
The chemistry between them is strained. It feels real. Jackson is skeptical, worn out by years of false leads, while Poole is a ghost of a man living in a dark apartment covered in case files. If you're looking for a movie where the hero catches the bad guy and everyone goes home happy, City of Lies will disappoint you. That’s not how the real world works.
The Rampart Scandal connection
You can't talk about this movie without talking about the Rampart Scandal. This was one of the most widespread cases of documented police misconduct in American history. Over 70 officers were implicated in everything from unprovoked shootings to planting evidence and stealing drugs.
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- David Mack: An LAPD officer who was eventually convicted of bank robbery. He was a central figure in Poole's investigation.
- Rafael Pérez: The whistleblower of the Rampart Scandal. His testimony blew the lid off the CRASH unit's activities.
- Suge Knight: The head of Death Row Records, whose ties to the LAPD were the smoking gun Poole was hunting for.
The film meticulously recreates the atmosphere of 90s Los Angeles. It captures that specific tension that lingered after the 1992 riots. The cinematography is muted, almost sickly, reflecting the moral decay Poole is fighting against. It’s a slow burn. Very slow. But that’s intentional. It mirrors the agonizing pace of a cold case that refuses to stay buried.
Why Johnny Depp’s performance matters here
Forget the Pirates of the Caribbean stuff. Forget the caricatures. In City of Lies, Johnny Depp actually acts. He’s subdued. He’s tired. You can see the weight of decades of failure in the way he carries his shoulders. Russell Poole died in 2015 of a heart attack while still discussing the case at the Sheriff's Department. He literally died trying to solve this murder.
Depp captures that frantic, terminal integrity. It’s arguably his most grounded performance in twenty years. He doesn't use prosthetics or weird voices. He just uses his eyes, which look increasingly hollow as the movie progresses. Whitaker provides the perfect foil—a man who wants the truth but is terrified of what it will cost him. Their scenes together are mostly just two men talking in a car or a cramped office, yet they are more intense than any explosion-filled blockbuster.
The delay and the controversy
The movie was originally set for release in 2018. Then, a month before it hit theaters, it was pulled. The official reason was a lawsuit from a crew member who claimed Depp assaulted him on set. While that legal battle dragged on, the movie sat in limbo.
But there’s a persistent "other" theory.
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The theory is that the film's release was suppressed because it names names. It points fingers at specific, real-life figures within the LAPD who were still around. When the film finally trickled out in 2021 via VOD and a limited theatrical run, it felt like a ghost appearing from another era. It didn't get the massive marketing push it deserved. It was just... there.
Sorting fact from fiction in City of Lies
Is every single thing in the movie 100% true? No. It’s a dramatization. But the core of it—the "Poole Theory"—is backed by a massive amount of circumstantial evidence.
- The Chevy Impala: Witnesses at the scene of Biggie’s murder described a black Chevy Impala. One was later found in David Mack’s garage.
- The Gecko: A rare piece of ammunition found at the scene was also found in Mack’s home.
- The Cover-up: Poole’s superiors repeatedly blocked his attempts to interview key witnesses within the department.
The movie handles these details with a journalistic touch. It doesn't need to invent drama because the reality is already insane. How does a world-famous rapper get murdered in front of dozens of witnesses outside a major museum, and nobody gets charged? It's absurd. City of Lies posits that the answer isn't incompetence; it’s complicity.
What users actually ask: Is it worth the watch?
If you’re a fan of true crime, absolutely. If you’re a hip-hop head who wants to understand the context of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry, it’s essential. But you have to be prepared for the frustration. The movie doesn't give you a neat ending because there isn't one in real life. Christopher Wallace’s murder is still technically unsolved. Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mother, appears in the film playing herself, which adds a layer of heartbreak that’s hard to shake. Her presence gives the movie a seal of approval that no critic can provide.
The pacing can be a bit jarring. It jumps between timelines frequently, and if you aren't paying attention, you might lose track of which corrupt cop is which. But that confusion is part of the point. The web of corruption was so thick that even the people investigating it got lost.
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Actionable insights for viewers
If you want to get the most out of City of Lies, don't go in blind.
- Watch the documentary 'Biggie & Tupac' first: Nick Broomfield’s 2002 doc covers much of the same ground and introduces the real Russell Poole. It provides the factual foundation the movie builds on.
- Research the Rampart Scandal: Understanding the "CRASH" unit makes the movie's stakes much clearer. It wasn't just a few bad apples; it was a systemic failure.
- Look for the small details: Pay attention to the background characters and the names mentioned in passing. Many of them are real people who were investigated in connection to the case.
- Lower your expectations for a "reveal": The movie is a character study of a man destroyed by the truth, not a "whodunnit" that ends with handcuffs.
City of Lies is a heavy film. It’s a reminder that sometimes the truth doesn't set you free; it just ruins your life. Russell Poole lost his career, his reputation, and eventually his life chasing a ghost. This movie ensures that his chase wasn't entirely in vain. It keeps the conversation alive, and in a case defined by silence, that's the most important thing a film can do.
Instead of just watching it as a movie, treat it as a jumping-off point. Check out Randall Sullivan’s reporting. Look into the civil lawsuits filed by the Wallace family against the city of Los Angeles. The more you dig, the more you realize that the title isn't an exaggeration. It really was a city built on lies.
For those wanting to follow the thread further, look into the 2006 federal task force that re-examined the case. Their findings—or lack thereof—add another layer of complexity to everything Poole was trying to prove. The rabbit hole goes much deeper than two hours of cinema can show.