Broken City is a 2013 American neo-noir crime thriller film directed by Allen Hughes and written by Brian Tucker. Mark Wahlberg stars as a police officer turned private investigator and Russell Crowe as the mayor of New York City who hires the private detective to investigate his wife. This is Hughes' first solo feature film directing effort; in previous productions he collaborated with his twin brother Albert. Under a partnership between Emmett/Furla Films and Regency Enterprises, Hughes began production in 2011 in New York City and Louisiana. The film was released in theaters on , 2013. It received negative reviews from critics and grossed $19 million against its $35 million production budget. Plot NYPD police officer Billy Taggart is arrested for the murder of Mikey Tavarez, who was believed to have raped and murdered 16-year-old Yesenia Barea but avoided a conviction due to a technicality. Chief Carl Fairbanks goes to Mayor of New York City Nicholas Hostetler with a witness and evidence incriminating Taggart, but Hostetler buries the evidence. A judge clears Taggart as having shot Tavarez in self-defense. In a private meeting with Taggart, the mayor calls him "a hero" but still forces him to leave the police department. Seven years later, Taggart is living with his girlfriend Natalie Barrow, an aspiring actress. His private detective business is on the verge of bankruptcy when Mayor Hostetler hires him to investigate his wife, Cathleen Hostetler, whom he suspects is having an affair. With his assistant Katy Bradshaw, Taggart learns that Cathleen is visiting Paul Andrews, who is the campaign manager of Jack Valliant, Hostetler's rival in the upcoming elections. At a fundraiser for Hostetler's campaign, Cathleen reveals to Taggart that she knows he has been following her and advises him not to trust her husband. Taggart gives the mayor photos of Cathleen meeting with Andrews. At the debut screening of Natalie's film, she reveals that her real name is Natalia Barea and that Yesenia was her sister. Taggart is shocked at Natalie's sex scene and strongly disapproves. Consumed with guilt over working for Hostetler, Taggart drinks excessively and argues with Natalie, and she breaks off the relationship. He receives a phone call from Katy and rushes to a crime scene to learn that Andrews has been found murdered. Taggart tells Fairbanks, now the commissioner, of his work for the mayor. They learn that Valliant was in Andrews' apartment. Valliant reveals