Netflix adds crime thriller movie about two infamous real-life murders

The film stars an Oscar-winner and an Oscar-nominee.

Directed by Brad Furman (The Infiltrator, The Lincoln Lawyer), the film is based on the non-fiction book LAbyrinth by Randall Sullivan and sees Oscar-nominee Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean) play LAPD detective Russell Poole.

Poole investigated the murder of the Notorious B.I.G and spent nearly 20 years trying to solve the case up until his death in 2015.

Depp stars alongside Oscar-winner Forest Whitaker (The Last King of Scotland) as Jack Jackson, a journalist who teams up with Poole in search of the elusive truth.

"Together they explore why the case remains cold - and why a secret division of the LAPD is seemingly set on keeping it that way," the plot synopsis reads for the movie reads.

Initially set for cinemas in 2019, City of Lies was pulled from the release schedule amid financial issues with its distributor Global Road Entertainment.

It eventually earned a digital release in 2021 but is now finally available to stream on Netflix where it is sure to find a much bigger audience.

While the film earned mixed reviews from critics, it has been more favourably received by the general public - currently holding an 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Here is a sample of some of the positive write-ups for the crime thriller:

Chicago Sun-Times: "Depp and Forest Whitaker go for authenticity in the gritty drama reminiscent of '70s procedurals."

Deadline: "In some ways, you might think this is the kind of material that would have ignited a director like Sidney Lumet's passion, and Furman is no Lumet, but it is still well worth telling and well worth -- finally -- watching."

France24: "A complex tale about a still-unsolved homicide."

City of Lies is streaming on Netflix in Ireland and the UK right now. It is also available to watch on Hulu in the States.

Read more: