The Naked City

In 1948, director Jules Dassin brought gritty realism to the crime noir genre with "The Naked City," a documentary-style murder investigation that unfolds against the vibrant backdrop of New York City. A former model is found dead in her bathtub, and detectives James Halloran and Dan Muldoon must navigate a complex web of suspects and clues to uncover the truth. Shot almost entirely on location, the film's stark visuals complement its tight, procedural narrative, which raises more questions than it answers about the dark underbelly of New York City.