You remember the trailer. It had all the ingredients. Russell Crowe as a slick, power-hungry mayor. Mark Wahlberg as the gritty ex-cop seeking redemption. Catherine Zeta-Jones looking mysterious in expensive coats. On paper, Broken City (2013) looked like the kind of heavy-hitting neo-noir that earns Oscar nods or, at the very least, dominates the box office for a month.
It didn't.
Instead, it kind of just... happened. It’s one of those movies you see while scrolling through a streaming service on a rainy Tuesday and think, "Wait, how did I forget these three were in a movie together?"
Honestly, looking back at it now, the film is a fascinating case study in how a "Black List" script—Hollywood's internal list of the best unproduced screenplays—can lose its way once the cameras actually start rolling.
The Mayor of a Broken City: Russell Crowe’s Performance
Crowe plays Mayor Nicholas Hostetler. He’s the kind of guy who thinks he owns the sidewalk you’re standing on. Crowe leans hard into the role, sporting a weirdly orange tan and a hairstyle that looks like it was modeled after a 1980s real estate mogul.
Some critics at the time thought he was chewing the scenery. Maybe he was. But compared to Wahlberg’s more stoic (okay, somewhat wooden) Billy Taggart, Crowe actually looks like he’s having a bit of fun. He’s playing a villain, and he knows it.
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The plot kicks off when Hostetler hires Taggart to follow his wife, Cathleen (Zeta-Jones), because he suspects she’s cheating. But this isn't a simple domestic dispute. This is New York politics. Everything is a layer of a much nastier onion.
Why the Movie Struggled at the Box Office
Money talks. In this case, it whispered.
Broken City had a production budget somewhere between $35 million and $56 million, depending on who you ask. It only pulled in about $34.7 million globally. That’s what we call a "box office bomb."
Why did people stay away?
- The Timing: It was released in mid-January. That’s usually the "dumping ground" for movies studios don't quite know what to do with.
- The Tone: It wanted to be Chinatown but felt more like a very expensive episode of a CBS police procedural.
- The Script: While the original script by Brian Tucker was highly praised, the final product felt a bit muddled. Subplots regarding Taggart’s girlfriend (played by Natalie Martinez) felt like they belonged in a completely different movie.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Plot
A lot of viewers think the movie is just about a private eye getting double-crossed. It’s actually more about gentrification and corporate greed.
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The real "villainy" isn't the affair. It’s a massive real estate deal involving a place called Bolton Village. Hostetler wants to sell off public housing to developers to make a fortune, leaving hundreds of people homeless. It’s a plot point that feels surprisingly relevant today, even if the movie didn't quite know how to make us care about the paperwork involved.
A Cast That Deserved Better?
Look at this lineup:
- Russell Crowe (The Villain)
- Mark Wahlberg (The Hero)
- Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Femme Fatale-ish)
- Jeffrey Wright (The Commissioner)
- Barry Pepper (The Rival Candidate)
- Kyle Chandler (The Campaign Manager)
That is a ridiculous amount of talent for a movie that currently sits at a 26% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Jeffrey Wright, in particular, is doing great work here as Commissioner Fairbanks. He and Crowe have a few scenes that actually crackle with the tension the rest of the movie is missing. And Barry Pepper? He’s basically playing a JFK-style idealist who gets put through the wringer.
Is it Worth a Rewatch?
Look, it's not a "bad" movie. It’s a "fine" movie.
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If you like watching Russell Crowe be a charming jerk, you’ll probably enjoy it. The cinematography by Ben Seresin is actually quite beautiful—New York looks cold, gray, and suitably "broken."
But the movie suffers from what I call "The January Slump." It’s competent, but it lacks that soul or "spark" that turns a crime thriller into a classic. It’s a movie of moments rather than a cohesive whole.
Practical Takeaways for Movie Buffs
If you’re planning to dive into Broken City this weekend, here’s how to handle it:
- Manage your expectations: Don't go in expecting L.A. Confidential. Go in expecting a solid, B-grade political thriller.
- Watch the background: The film does a decent job showing the "two New Yorks"—the glittering penthouses of the mayors and the crumbling streets of the people they’re trying to displace.
- Pay attention to the ending: Unlike many modern thrillers that leave things open for a sequel, this one actually wraps up. It’s a complete story, which is rare these days.
If you really want to see Russell Crowe and Mark Wahlberg at their best, you might be better off watching The Nice Guys or The Departed. But if you've seen those a dozen times and want something "new-to-you," Broken City is a perfectly decent way to spend two hours on the couch.
Just don't expect to remember much of it by Wednesday.
Next Steps for Your Movie Night: To get the most out of this genre, try pairing Broken City with a "triple feature" of better-received political thrillers like State of Play (another great Crowe performance) or The Ides of March. This helps you see where Broken City missed the mark on pacing and character motivation. Check your local streaming listings, as the film frequently rotates through platforms like Max or Hulu.