Brad Furman's City of Lies, a police procedural asking who killed Christopher "Notorious B.I.G." Wallace, is set nearly two decades after that famous murder was given up by most as unsolvable.
Given its lost-cause vibe, there's something appropriate about the film's difficulties getting to the screen: Originally slated for 2018 release, it was shelved amid co-star Johnny Depp's nascent scandals —and, some hint, pressure from the LAPD.
Depp's troubles only grew in the interim, to the point where many moviegoers will now dismiss the film out of hand. But this is a compelling drama with real-world concerns that shouldn't be ignored, and it deserves better than to be the victim of an actor's offscreen sins.
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