Manhattan Night comes from director Brian DeCubellis, who also adapted the screenplay from Colin Harrison’s novel Manhattan Nocturn. The cast includes Adrien Brody, Yvonne Strahovski, Jennifer Beals, Campbell Scott, Linda Lavin, and Steven Berkoff; Joel Douek composed the music, and David Tumblety was in charge of cinematography. A New York journalist gets drawn into a complicated situation involving passion and suspicion when a woman asks him to look into the puzzling death of her film director husband. It’s genuinely pleasing to discover that filmmakers are still willing to highlight neo-noir films today. The challenge, however, lies in understanding the essential elements of what would be considered “pure” noir; some people understandably won't accept color noir. So, if you go into Manhattan Night hoping for a straightforward murder mystery thriller, you might feel let down because it lacks the core qualities of noir and an appreciation for that style could improve your viewing experience. Right away, we’re presented with a classic noir atmosphere as Brody’s journalist Porter Wren begins narrating his story's origins. Not long after, Strahovski appears as a seductive femme fatale. Tumblety establishes, under DeCubellis’ guidance, that the film adheres to neo-noir photographic conventions; the bold colors will be a recurring feature of the NYC locations, which are full of beauty and hidden danger. Douek provides a jazzy blues score that knowingly plays into the seedy atmosphere. DeCubellis populates his story with familiar noir characters: a married man who is a good father but gives in to temptation; a woman with a tragic past whose husband exhibits obsessive behavior; a wealthy, damaged man whose physical condition has diminished his masculinity; and his enthusiastic hired thugs. The plot also includes a murder mystery, incriminating video footage, family troubles, and plenty of eroticism. Welcome to Noirville! However, the film isn’t perfect. DeCubellis allows Berkoff to overact during the initial portion of his character's story arc, but he recovers later in the movie when Berkoff tones it down and delivers a more nuanced performance. The director/writer also provides an ending that doesn’t have the boldness to fully embrace the darkness it had previously established, which is frustrating. Despite these flaws, there’s much to appreciate here, and I hope DeCubellis continues working in this genre with Tumblety by his side. 8/10

Source on TMDB