Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sex, cursing, blood in violent, generic serial killer story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Crescent City
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In CRESCENT CITY, Little Rock, Arkansas, police detective and family man Brian (Terrence Howard) is haunted by a young man's accidental death and has been having panic attacks. His partner, Luke (Esai Morales), is fond of picking up women in bars and having meaningless sex. They're assigned an additional partner, Jaclyn Waters (Nicky Whelan), and, following up on a tip, the trio find the latest victim of a serial killer who appears to be luring users of a sex website to their doom. Jaclyn poses as a potential victim to trap the killer, but he gets away. Things get more complicated when Brian and Luke learn that Jaclyn is actually with Internal Affairs, and it's revealed that Jaclyn and Brian have been having an affair. Then a new clue points to Brian as the killer. Can he clear his name and solve the puzzle?
Is It Any Good?
This thriller ranks a couple of notches above other B movies of its ilk, thanks to the cast putting in a little extra effort, but its pacing and plotting are nonsensical and monotonous. Even Alec Baldwin—who probably only worked on the movie for a day or two to pick up a paycheck—is formidable as the police captain in Crescent City, summoning underlings to his office to bark at them and assign them a new partner. ("See? She's a f--kin' genius. She already agrees with me.") Oscar nominee Howard (Hustle & Flow) taps into his innate vulnerability to play the suffering Brian, who's dealing with too many things coming at him at once. Morales (perhaps best known for his powerful performance as Ritchie Valens' older brother in La Bamba) proves he can use his steely eyes to command a room. Together, the two conjure up a shared history as longtime friends and partners. And Whelan steps up to match her co-stars.
Thanks to all of this, for a long time, it looks as if the movie might work. But then things start to fall apart. Essential plot reveals become clogged with wrongheaded choices, then increasingly glaring logic holes. Finally, there's a ridiculous, lazy denouement plucked from literally dozens of other movies. The cast showed up to Crescent City ready to work, but the movie apparently wasn't quite ready for them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Crescent City's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Why do you think the media (and many viewers) is so fascinated by serial killers? Does this movie glorify the killer? Do others?
How is sex depicted here? What values are suggested? Is there trust? Consent? Honesty? Why are these things important?
How are drinking and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why is that important?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 16, 2024
- On DVD or streaming : August 16, 2024
- Cast : Terrence Howard , Esai Morales , Nicky Whelan
- Director : RJ Collins
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 103 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violence, grisly images, language throughout and sexual content
- Last updated : August 25, 2024
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