A neo-noir mystery where the hero is a cover band

Entertainment · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Liam Neeson stars in his 100th film, a gritty 1939 Los Angeles noir that blends period aesthetics with postmodern sensibilities. While it captures the atmosphere of classic detective fiction, critics remain divided on whether it successfully breathes new life into Raymond Chandler's iconic private eye.

Neil Jordan helmed the 2022 production Marlowe, which William Monahan helped write based upon John Banville's (Benjamin Black) 2014 book The Black-Eyed Blonde. The narrative follows Philip Marlowe, the legendary private detective created by Raymond Chandler, as he navigates a labyrinth of deception in 1939. The plot centers on a missing lover, Nico Peterson, whose death leads Marlowe into a web of corruption involving a glamorous heiress, a former film star, and a powerful studio owner. The investigation uncovers a dark underworld of drug smuggling, where cocaine is hidden inside a mermaid statue known as "Serena."

The film's production was a massive logistical undertaking, with principal photography spanning two months starting in November 2021. To recreate the atmosphere of old Los Angeles, the production utilized international locations: exterior scenes were filmed in Barcelona, Spain, while interiors were shot in Dublin, Ireland. Jordan explicitly cited the 1982 film Blade Runner as a visual influence, aiming to create a past-tense Los Angeles that felt like a science-fiction environment. This aesthetic choice contributed to a production style that some critics found visually high-end but narratively inconsistent.

Despite its pedigree, the film received a polarized reception. It debuted at the 70th San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2022 before its February 2023 US release. Critics were largely negative, with a 26% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, often describing the work as "resolutely conservative" in its period framing yet "irksomely postmodern" in its audience pandering. While some praised the vigorous performances of the first-rate cast, others compared the film to a "mediocre cover band" playing a great pop song, suggesting that while it utilizes authentic genre tropes, it lacks the necessary verve to stand on its own.

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