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City of Lies (2018) movie poster

Timeline

City of Lies (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2018 · 112 mins · English
Echo score 66
JustWatch #3,564 36
Directed by
Brad Furman
Starring
Forest Whitaker, Shamier Anderson, Shea Whigham, Johnny Depp, Toby Huss, Voletta Wallace

When Los Angeles Police detective Russell Poole investigates the murders of Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., he uncovers a disturbing cover-up. Years later, reporter Jack Jackson, seeking to revive his career, joins forces with Poole. Together, they delve into a complex and deeply rooted network of institutional corruption and deceit as they pursue the truth behind the unsolved case.

Drama Thriller Crime Cast, crew & box office
On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch City of Lies (2018)

Where can you watch City of Lies? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on Amazon Prime Video, Hoopla and Amazon Prime Video Free: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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15 events in order · contains spoilers

City of Lies Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of City of Lies (2018) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Jackson meets Poole and takes on Wallace case

    In 2015, Darius 'Jack' Jackson is assigned to cover the Notorious B.I.G. murder and travels to speak with the retired LAPD detective Russell Poole. Poole begins to share his controversial theory that Suge Knight paid corrupt officers to murder Wallace and cover it up. The meeting sets up a decades-spanning investigative thread that blends present-day journalism with past revelations.

    When
    2015
    Where
    Los Angeles

  2. Poole's flashback theory of a cover-up

    During flashbacks, Poole elaborates on his belief that Knight orchestrated the killing with the help of corrupt cops. He argues the case was tainted by politics, media sensationalism, and racial tensions in Los Angeles. These claims frame the entire investigation and fuel Jackson's pursuit of the truth.

    When
    1990s (flashbacks)
    Where
    Los Angeles

  3. 1997: Gaines shooting and media frenzy

    In 1997, Poole investigates the shooting of off-duty Black LAPD officer Kevin Gaines by white detective Frank Lyga. The case unfolds amid a citywide climate shaped by the Rodney King beating and the O.J. Simpson trial. Pressure from upper management to manage the narrative intensifies the stakes for Poole.

    When
    1997
    Where
    Los Angeles

  4. Gaines on Knight payroll; O'Shea blocks inquiry

    Poole discovers Gaines was on Knight's payroll and had Bloods gang ties. His superior, Lieutenant O'Shea, refuses to credit this theory and orders the Gaines-Lyga case closed. The clash highlights the LAPD's resistance to exposing a possible conspiracy within its ranks.

    When
    1997
    Where
    Los Angeles

  5. Transfer to Robbery-Homicide and Wallace case

    Following the Knight-Gaines connection, Poole is transferred to the Robbery-Homicide Division to reopen the Wallace murder inquiry. The Wallace case becomes Poole's new battleground as he challenges the department's official line.

    When
    1997
    Where
    Los Angeles

  6. Suspects named: Mack, Muhammad, Fouse

    Poole and his partner Fred Miller compile suspects linked to Knight's LAPD network, including David Mack, Amir Muhammad, and Wardell Fouse. Mack had security ties to Wallace and was recently linked to a bank robbery, making him a central yet guarded lead.

    When
    1997-1998
    Where
    Los Angeles

  7. Mack arrested; withholds information

    David Mack is arrested but refuses to divulge information about Wallace's death. Poole continues pressing for cooperation while higher authorities grow wary of the investigation. The case becomes increasingly entangled in internal politics.

    When
    1997-1998
    Where
    Los Angeles

  8. Perez's cocaine theft leads to exposure

    Poole begins tracking Rafael Pérez after learning he stole cocaine from the evidence room. He tails Pérez and witnesses him shoot a drug dealer, prompting Poole to intervene by shooting Pérez in self-defense. Pérez's criminal charges implicate himself and other officers in broader misconduct.

    When
    1997-1998
    Where
    Los Angeles

  9. New task force and Lyga trial looming

    After Pérez's exposure, Poole is granted his own task force and prepares to testify in Lyga's civil trial to connect Mack to Wallace's death. He aims to reveal the department's cover-up, but the city settles the Lyga case before any trial. The outcome deprives Poole of formal vindication.

    When
    Late 1990s
    Where
    Los Angeles

  10. Lyga trial ends; Poole shunned

    Lyga is unable to clear his name, and Poole is shunned by the LAPD for his accusations. The department distances itself from his findings, deepening Poole's sense of isolation and betrayal.

    When
    Late 1990s
    Where
    Los Angeles

  11. Wallace wrongful death claim and dropped defendants

    Voletta Wallace files a wrongful death claim against Los Angeles; Mack and Amir Muhammad are named as defendants but are dropped shortly before trial after the LAPD and FBI dismiss them as suspects. The legal process adds another layer of tension to the ongoing pursuit of truth.

    When
    Late 1990s
    Where
    Los Angeles

  12. Poole resigns; personal cost

    Poole resigns from the LAPD one month before he would have reached pension eligibility, a decision that costs him his family and his standing within the department. The resignation marks a personal downfall despite his persistent efforts.

    When
    Late 1990s
    Where
    Los Angeles

  13. Decades later: Jackson and Voletta meet Poole

    Years after Wallace's murder, Jackson and Voletta Wallace meet Poole and form a growing friendship. Jackson apologizes for writing an earlier Tupac-related article implicating Wallace, and Voletta thanks Poole for his sacrifices.

    When
    2015
    Where
    Los Angeles

  14. Earning potential and civil suit warning

    Poole informs Jackson that Wallace's earning potential could be about $1 billion and that a civil suit could bankrupt the city. The remark underscores the enormous stakes tied to Wallace's legacy and the LAPD's exposure.

    When
    2015
    Where
    Los Angeles

  15. Poole dies; Jackson writes tribute and resigns

    Poole suffers a heart attack while attempting to reopen his Wallace inquiry and dies soon after. Using the information he gathered, Jackson writes a memorial article praising Poole as a forgotten hero; the piece is acclaimed, but Jackson soon resigns from his job.

    When
    Post-2015
    Where
    L.A. Sheriff's Department

Last updated: October 01, 2025 at 13:06

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Timeline questions answered

City of Lies Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of City of Lies (2018): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why did Russell Poole believe Suge Knight ordered The Notorious B.I.G.'s murder?

Poole discovered that Kevin Gaines, the off-duty Black LAPD officer killed by Frank Lyga, was on Knight's payroll and had Bloods gang affiliations. Through an undercover FBI source, Poole corroborated a connection between Knight and Gaines, leading him to theorize that Knight orchestrated Wallace's murder using corrupt officers within the LAPD to silence Wallace before he could testify in a civil case.

  • suge knight
  • russell poole
  • notorious b.i.g.
  • cover-up
  • lapd corruption
Q2

Why did LAPD superiors block Poole's investigation into the Wallace murder?

Lieutenant O'Shea refused to credit Poole's theory about Knight's involvement and ordered the Gaines-Lyga case closed. Poole's findings threatened to expose deep institutional corruption connecting the LAPD to Death Row Records, and higher-ups were more concerned with managing the narrative amid citywide racial tensions following the Rodney King beating and O.J. Simpson trial than with pursuing the truth.

  • lapd
  • russell poole
  • cover-up
  • institutional corruption
  • o'shea
Q3

Why did Russell Poole resign from the LAPD when he was about to lose his pension?

Poole chose to resign rather than stay silent about what he had discovered. He was granted his own task force to pursue the Wallace case and planned to testify in Lyga's civil trial about the LAPD cover-up, but the city settled before the trial. Facing isolation from colleagues, professional destruction, and moral impossibility of staying in a department that protected corrupt officers, Poole resigned in disgrace one month before pension eligibility, losing both his career and family.

  • russell poole
  • resignation
  • pension
  • lapd
  • cover-up
Q4

Why did the city settle the Frank Lyga civil case before trial?

The city settled to prevent Poole's testimony from becoming public. Had the case gone to trial, Poole would have revealed that David Mack was involved in Wallace's murder and that the LAPD had been covering it up. The settlement avoided exposing the depth of institutional corruption and prevented a potentially embarrassing revelation about the department's connections to Death Row Records.

  • frank lyga
  • civil case
  • settlement
  • lapd cover-up
  • david mack
Q5

Why were David Mack and Amir Muhammad dropped from the Wallace wrongful death case?

Both Mack and Muhammad were named as defendants in Voletta Wallace's wrongful death claim, but they were dropped shortly before trial after the LAPD and FBI dismissed them as suspects. This effectively killed any chance of establishing criminal or civil liability for Wallace's murder, despite Poole's evidence linking Mack to the killing.

  • david mack
  • amir muhammad
  • wrongful death
  • voletta wallace
  • lapd
  • fbi
Q6

Why did Jack Jackson apologize to Voletta Wallace?

Jackson had previously written an article that implied Wallace was involved in Tupac Shakur's murder, which was false and hurtful to Wallace's legacy. When he reconnected with Poole and Voletta in 2015, Jackson apologized for that earlier article. Voletta accepted the apology, acknowledging Poole's sacrifice in pursuit of truth.

  • jack jackson
  • voletta wallace
  • apology
  • tupac shakur
  • notorious b.i.g.
Q7

Why was Kevin Gaines on Suge Knight's payroll?

Kevin Gaines was an off-duty Black LAPD officer with ties to the Bloods gang. Poole discovered during his investigation that Gaines was receiving payments from Suge Knight, suggesting Knight had recruited corrupt officers within the LAPD as part of his network. This connection became central to Poole's theory that Knight orchestrated Wallace's murder using corrupt police officers.

  • kevin gaines
  • suge knight
  • bloods
  • lapd corruption
  • death row
Q8

Why did Russell Poole shoot Rafael Pérez?

Poole was tracking Pérez after learning he had been stealing cocaine from the LAPD evidence room. While surveilling Pérez, Poole witnessed him shoot a drug dealer. Poole intervened and shot Pérez in self-defense during the confrontation. Pérez was subsequently charged and implicated himself and other officers in various misconducts, providing valuable information about LAPD corruption.

  • rafael perez
  • russell poole
  • self-defense
  • evidence room
  • cocaine theft
Q9

What was the significance of Wallace's $1 billion earning potential?

Poole told Jackson that Wallace's earning potential could have reached approximately $1 billion. This figure meant that if Voletta Wallace's wrongful death claim had proceeded to trial and proven the LAPD's complicity in Wallace's murder, the city faced a civil suit that could have bankrupted Los Angeles. This high stakes motivated the city's aggressive efforts to suppress Poole's findings and settle cases quietly.

  • notorious b.i.g.
  • earnings
  • civil suit
  • voletta wallace
  • city bankruptcy
Q10

Why did the murders of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur remain unsolved?

The murders remained officially unsolved because the LAPD and FBI dismissed key suspects like David Mack and Amir Muhammad, the city settled civil cases to prevent testimony from becoming public, and institutional corruption prevented any prosecution. Poole's investigation was blocked, his evidence suppressed, and he was driven from the force. Despite decades of investigation, the cover-up protected the guilty parties.

  • unsolved murders
  • notorious b.i.g.
  • tupac shakur
  • cover-up
  • lapd

Movie threads

More Movies Like City of Lies, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes City of Lies tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about uncovering corruption like City of Lies

Stories where individuals risk everything to uncover a rigged system. If you liked the obsessive quest for truth in City of Lies, you'll find similar gripping stories here. This collection features investigative thrillers and dramas about journalists and law enforcement exposing systemic cover-ups and institutional decay, all sharing a dark, tense, and morally complex vibe.

  • gritty
  • paranoid
  • frustrating
  • obsessive
  • unsettling
  • somber
  • Tone: dark, tense, morally ambiguous
  • Pacing: steady, procedural
Why these movies?

The story pattern: These narratives follow a procedural structure where each uncovered clue reveals a deeper, more disturbing layer of conspiracy. The protagonist's obsession becomes their defining trait, often at great personal cost, leading to a climax that typically underscores the immensity and resilience of the corrupt system rather than a clean victory.

Why they belong together: Movies in this thread share a core focus on the Sisyphean struggle against powerful, corrupt institutions. They are united by a dark tone, high emotional weight, and a bleak or bittersweet ending that emphasizes the cost of the pursuit over its success, creating a similarly sobering and thought-provoking experience.

City of Lies movie poster

City of Lies

2018
Squad 36 movie poster

Squad 36

2025
Slow Burn movie poster

Slow Burn

2007
Shield for Murder movie poster

Shield for Murder

1954
Gang Related movie poster

Gang Related

1997
The Unjust movie poster

The Unjust

2010
Dangerous to Know movie poster

Dangerous to Know

2020
The Prowler movie poster

The Prowler

1951

Bleak unsolved mystery movies like City of Lies

Gripping investigations that lead to dead ends and moral exhaustion. Fans of City of Lies who appreciate its unresolved, frustrating conclusion will find a home in this thread. These films are tense, character-driven procedurals where the investigation's journey and its emotional impact are more important than a tidy resolution, often exploring themes of institutional failure.

  • somber
  • frustrating
  • unsettling
  • resigned
  • gritty
  • thought-provoking
  • Tone: somber, unsettling, resigned
  • Pacing: steady, deliberate
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves a detailed, often complex investigation that meticulously follows clues, only to hit insurmountable walls. The central mystery serves as a vehicle to explore broader themes of corruption, moral compromise, and human fallibility, with the ending reinforcing the idea that some truths are buried too deep to ever fully uncover.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their shared commitment to a bleak, realist conclusion and a heavy, somber mood. They prioritize the emotional and thematic weight of the investigative process over narrative closure, resulting in a similarly powerful and haunting viewing experience defined by frustration and resignation.

The Pale Blue Eye movie poster

The Pale Blue Eye

2022
Baishe Srabon movie poster

Baishe Srabon

2011
The Untold Story movie poster

The Untold Story

2019
City of Lies movie poster

City of Lies

2018
Dawshom Awbotaar movie poster

Dawshom Awbotaar

2023
Dead Reckoning movie poster

Dead Reckoning

1946
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt movie poster

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

1956
The Black Dahlia movie poster

The Black Dahlia

2006

Every angle

City of Lies (2018) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

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