City of Tiny Lights

City of Tiny Lights

Year: 2016

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: English

Director: Pete Travis

ThrillerDramaCrime

In contemporary London, a struggling private investigator takes on a missing person case that unexpectedly pulls him into a shadowy realm of religious extremism and political conspiracies. As he delves deeper, he uncovers unsettling secrets and confronts dangerous forces within the city's diverse communities, forcing him to navigate a complex web of deceit and peril.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline – City of Tiny Lights (2016)

Trace every key event in City of Tiny Lights (2016) with our detailed, chronological timeline. Perfect for unpacking nonlinear stories, spotting hidden connections, and understanding how each scene builds toward the film’s climax. Whether you're revisiting or decoding for the first time, this timeline gives you the full picture.

1

Melody hires Tommy to find Natasha

Melody arrives in London with a desperate request for help locating her missing roommate Natasha. Tommy, a street-level investigator, agrees to take the case and begins moving through the city’s shadows to uncover hidden truths. The partnership sets him on a path that will pull him into a much larger web of secrets.

Evening London
2

Natasha's last known room yields a corpse

Tommy sneaks into Natasha’s last-seen hotel room using a stolen hotel keycard and discovers Usman Rana dead. He pockets the dead man’s mobile phone as evidence and wastes no time arranging a tip to trigger an investigation from a payphone at a bar. The incident marks a violent entry into a murky conspiracy.

Night Natasha's hotel room; Bar (payphone)
3

Avid Elbaz helps crack the phone

Avid Elbaz, a young weed dealer, helps crack the victim’s phone PIN, drawing Tommy deeper into the case. Avid’s mother pleads with Tommy to steer him away from trouble, but the teen’s trouble is already pulling Tommy into danger. The partnership against a larger power grows more complicated.

Night London
4

Calls connect to Hafiz; Tommy pursues a wider plot

Two calls from Natasha’s phone connect to Hafiz 'Lovely' Ansari, who urges Tommy to dig deeper because the murder is scaring off potential investors. Tommy tracks Hafiz to his home and learns the case has wider implications beyond a single homicide. The stakes expand as the circle tightens around him.

Night Hafiz’s home
5

Hotel cleanup and a damning spreadsheet

A police contact reveals the hotel room had been cleaned and SO15 was on scene, signaling a high level of sensitivity. The recovered SIM card reveals a spreadsheet detailing large donations to the Islamic Youth League, pulling Tommy into a controversial orbit. He follows the lead to the League’s center and is photographed by SO15 while moving through their circle.

Day Hotel; Islamic Youth League center
6

A federal agent warns Tommy from the bar

In a London bar, a United States federal agent approaches Tommy, confirming that authorities are watching him. The agent warns him to stay away from the investigation, underscoring how far the case has spiraled. The encounter heightens Tommy’s sense that powerful forces are testing his resolve.

Evening Bar
7

Tunde exposes Melody’s client and Hafiz’s role

Tommy questions Tunde at Natasha’s club, who reveals that Melody’s last client was connected to Hafiz and that Hafiz’s name keeps resurfacing. The new information links Melody to someone with influence and deepens the tension around who is pulling strings. The club becomes a pressure point in the investigation.

Night Natasha’s club
8

A violent interruption and a rattled investigation

Two strangers suddenly shout that the case is closed and assault Tommy, then fade into the city’s noise. The attack makes the danger feel immediate and personal, but Tommy refuses to back off. The incident confirms that rival interests are actively trying to shut down the inquiry.

Night City streets near club
9

Avid is pushed deeper into the League’s orbit

Tommy begins sending Avid into the Islamic Youth League’s orbit to gather information, exposing the boy to greater risk. The move raises the stakes for everyone involved and widens the net around the case. Tommy weighs the impending consequences as the hunt continues.

Night Around the Islamic Youth League
10

Abduction and a jihadist video; Natasha’s body discovered

Tommy is abducted in a black van and taken to a federal agent who shows him a video of Usman calling for jihad. The agent then escorts him to the crime scene where Natasha’s body is found, tying the homicide to a larger extremist network. The line between private investigation and federal intrigue blurs further.

Night Van; Federal agent facility; Crime scene
11

Melody is followed; Hafiz’s manipulation surfaces

Back with Melody, she admits she is being followed and that her last client was Hafiz. As they try to depart, a stranger opens fire in the hotel elevator, forcing a frantic escape. The night exposes how Hafiz’s machinations ripple through everyone’s lives.

Night Hotel
12

Power plays and a brutal crackdown on dissent

Examination of the spreadsheet reveals profits tied to property acquisitions bought at depressed prices and exploited by the League. Al-Dabaran is arrested, triggering protests from followers while Hafiz tries to quiet the unrest. Avid suffers a brutal attack by American federal agents and falls into a coma, drawing blame toward Tommy.

Next day Islamic Youth League center; hospital
13

Father intervenes and Hafiz is finally restrained

In a tense confrontation at Tommy’s father’s house, Hafiz is cornered as Tommy’s father returns and shoots the gunman. Tommy intervenes and persuades his father not to shoot Hafiz, who is eventually arrested. The immediate threat begins to fade, but the city’s politics remain unsettled.

Day Tommy’s father’s house
14

A fragile sense of closure and a shared meal

Tommy returns home and shares a meal with his father, Melody, Avid, Shelley, and Emma. The city murmurs with unresolved tensions, but there is a palpable sense that the truth has surfaced and that a difficult peace has begun to take hold. The case feels closed for now, even as new questions linger.

Evening Tommy’s home

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 06:47

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City of Tiny Lights Summary

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