Cut Throat City

Cut Throat City is a 2020 American action heist film directed by RZA from a screenplay by Paul Cuschieri. It stars Shameik Moore, T.I., Demetrius Shipp Jr., Kat Graham, Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard, Eiza González and Ethan Hawke.

Cut Throat City
Theatrical release poster
Directed byRZA
Produced by
  • William Clevinger
  • Sean Lydiard
  • Elliott Michael Smith
  • Michael Mendelsohn
  • Kyle Tekiela
Written byPaul Cuschieri
Starring
Music byDhani Harrison
Paul Hicks
CinematographyBrandon Cox
Edited by
  • Joe D'Augustine
  • Chris Berkenkamp
Production
companies
  • Rumble Riot Pictures
  • Patriot Pictures
  • XYZ Films
Distributed byWell Go USA Entertainment
Release date
  • August 21, 2020 (2020-08-21) (United States)
Running time
123 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8.9 million[2][3]
Box office$864,928[4][5]

The film was released on August 21, 2020, by Well Go USA Entertainment, receiving mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

In 2005 New Orleans, four friends; Blink, Miracle, Andre, and Junior prepare for Blink's wedding to Demyra. Hurricane Katrina soon decimates the city. Some time later, Blink, an aspiring artist who is working on a graphic novel he calls "Cut Throat City", is denied a chance to publish his work and becomes disgruntled. Residing in the crime stricken Lower Ninth Ward, he and his friends struggle with poverty. Blink and Demyra apply for FEMA aid and are denied. Blink suggests he and his friends meet with Demyra's cousin, Lorenzo Bass, a local drug lord.

Bass offers them a job to rob a casino. During the heist, security arrives and a shootout ensues. The group escapes but is tailed by the police and Andre is killed. The group pays a local Reverend to help them dispose of Andre's body. The trio present themselves to Bass with their $20,000 in earnings who informs them that the news reported they escaped with $150,000 and refuses to negotiate. Bass orders Blink to "walk the plank" by exposing his penis to a caged raccoon, but Junior uses a dog whistle to call his Rottweiler. The dog attacks Bass as the trio fight his henchmen. Bass kills the dog and prepares to shoot Blink but is out of ammunition and the trio escape. Meanwhile, Detective Lucinda Benoit is assigned to investigate the casino robbery.

The trio stay at the home of Blink's hermit father, Lawrence. Blink suggests they ask crime lord, The Saint, for help. Det. Benoit meets with the corrupt Det. Courtney who offers her little assistance but she soon learns that Bass set the group up as he has inside connections to the casino. Meanwhile Demyra is threatened by Bass, and so she meets with Alderman Jackson Symms, whose wife she provided hospice services for, and he agrees to help. He meets with Det. Courtney and asks him to deliver the information and a payment to The Saint. Det. Benoit meets with Blink after finding his bloody clothing and a poker chip. However, she has a change of heart after learning the reality of the situation from Symms.

Blink, Miracle, and Junior rob local businesses in an attempt to make quick cash and attract the attention of The Saint. They are successful but Lawrence finds their money and forces the group to leave. They visit a strip club where they flash their earnings and are taken prisoner by Det. Courtney and his men. They are delivered to The Saint who is impressed with the trio and allows them to live in exchange for cash. They return to the Ninth Ward and Det. Benoit concludes her investigation, urging Blink to pursue his artistic dreams instead of a life of crime. Symms and The Saint meet to discuss the situation. Soon after, Bass presents himself to The Saint who shoots him in the head.

Some time later, the trio continue to find themselves in poverty. Blink proposes they rob a FEMA office but the robbery goes wrong when Miracle kills a security guard. The police swarm the building and all three men are seemingly killed in the ensuing firefight. However, Blink is shown at the publishing of his graphic novel and Det. Benoit congratulates him and he thanks her for the second chance.

In the ending credits, Alderman Symms meets with Det. Courtney at the grave of Andre where he shoots him dead and appoints Miracle as the new overseer of the Lower Ninth.

Cast

Production

In December 2017, it was announced Terrence Howard, Wesley Snipes, T.I., Eiza González, Demetrius Shipp Jr. Shameik Moore, Joel David Moore, Kat Graham, Rob Morgan, Keean Johnson, Denzel Whitaker, Isaiah Washington and Sam Daly had joined the cast of the film, with RZA directing from a screenplay by Paul Cuschieri, with Elliott Michael Smith p.g.a., William Clevinger p.g.a., Sean Lydiard p.g.a., Michael Mendelson, Kyle Tekiela serving as producers; (Rumble Riot Pictures, Patriot Pictures and XYZ Films banners, respectively).[7][8] In December 2018, Ethan Hawke joined the cast of the film.[9]

Principal photography began in December 2017, in New Orleans, Louisiana.[10]

Release

In June 2018, Well Go USA Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[11] It was scheduled to have its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 14, 2020.[12] However, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] It was then rescheduled to be released on April 10, 2020.[14] However, it was pulled from the schedule due to the pandemic.[15][16] It was then rescheduled for July 17,[17] later delayed to July 31, 2020,[18] and delayed once more to August 21, 2020.[19]

Reception

Box office

The film made $240,000 from 407 theaters in its opening weekend.[20]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Cut Throat City holds an approval rating of 70% based on 40 reviews with a weighted average of 6.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An evolution for director RZA, Cut Throat City overcomes occasionally muddled storytelling on the strength of its raw, infectious energy."[21] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[22]

References
  1. "Cut Throat City". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  2. "Initial Certification Search" (Type "Cut Throat City" in the search box). Fastlane NextGen. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  3. "Cut Throat City - St. Louis Times". Riverfront Times. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
  4. "Cut Throat City (2020)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  5. "Cut Throat City (2020)". The Numbers. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  6. "Eiza González: Lucinda Benoit". imdb.com. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  7. N'Duka, Amanda (December 14, 2017). "Terrence Howard, Wesley Snipes, Eiza González, T.I. To Star In Heist Film 'Cut Throat City' With RZA Directing". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  8. N'Duka, Amanda (December 15, 2017). "Sam Daly Cast In 'Cut Throat City'; Grant Bowler Has A 'Bad Impulse'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  9. N'Duka, Amanda (December 4, 2018). "Ethan Hawke Joins Terrence Howard, Wesley Snipes In The RZA-Directed Heist Thriller 'Cut Throat City'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  10. Szabo, Sarah (December 15, 2017). "RZA nabs Wesley Snipes, Terrence Howard for New Orleans heist movie". Looper.com. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  11. N'Duka, Amanda (June 25, 2018). "Terrence Howard, Wesley Snipes Starring Heist Drama 'Cut Throat City' Lands At Well Go USA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  12. Ray-Ramos, Dino (January 15, 2020). "SXSW Sets Judd Apatow's 'The King Of Staten Island' As Opening-Night Film, Unveils Features And Episodics Lineups". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
  13. "City of Austin Cancels SXSW March Events". South by Southwest. March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  14. "Cut Throat City". The Hollywood Reporter. February 13, 2020. Retrieved February 13, 2020.
  15. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/the-rza-has-made-some-of-your-favorite-music-now-he-wants-to-help-you-find-enlightenment/2020/04/16/314e18a4-7e4f-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html
  16. Day-Ramos, Dino (March 17, 2020). "Rza's Crime Drama 'Cut Throat City' Delays Release Due To Coronavirus". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  17. N’Duka, Amanda (June 24, 2020). "Well Go USA Sets New Release Date For RZA's 'Cut Throat City'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  18. "Cut Throat City Lands New Theatrical Release Date". Broadway World. July 7, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  19. Hannett, Michelle (August 5, 2020). "Shameik Moore, Wesley Snipes And Terrence Howard Featured In CUT THROAT CITY Poster And Trailer, Directed By RZA - In Theaters August 21". We Are Movie Geeks. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  20. Anthony D'Alessandro (August 22, 2020). "'Unhinged' Sees Increased Business On Saturday For $4M Opening As Exhibition Turns Lights Back On". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 23, 2020.
  21. "Cut Throat City". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  22. "Cut Throat City Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved August 21, 2020.
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