Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) on Netflix
Sean Casey joins the District Attorney's office in New York. He is handed the prosecution of Jordan Washington, a drug dealer accused of shooting his father, an NYPD detective, during a raid.
- Netflix3.5/5
- IMDb6.7/109,613 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes72%
Trailer
Plot summary
Sean Casey, a former NYPD officer, is the newest assistant district attorney in New York. His father Liam, a detective in the 74th Precinct, and his partner Joey Allegretto have been watching drug dealer Jordan Washington. A tip sends them into an apartment block, where Liam is badly wounded by gunfire through a door; Washington escapes and two policemen are killed. District Attorney Morgenstern gives Sean the prosecution of Washington, passing over the experienced Elihu Harrison, who plans to run against him in an election. Washington's lawyer, Sam Vigoda, argues that the police came to kill his client and that Washington paid officers for protection.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Night Falls on Manhattan (1996)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Director Sidney Lumet said a secondary inspiration for the plot was the real case of Larry Davis, who escaped from the scene of a drug raid after shooting six NYPD officers and eluded capture for 17 days.
- The character Vigoda, played by Richard Dreyfuss, was patterned after attorney William Kunstler, who defended the real Larry Davis. The escape in an NYPD patrol car was staged for dramatic effect, as Davis fled the scene without one.
- The film's original soundtrack was never officially released to the public, though it features songs composed by jazz musician Wynton Marsalis.
