Some thrillers entertain. Others get under your skin. Crescent City is firmly in the second category. Premiering August 15, this atmospheric crime thriller arrives with an Oscar-caliber cast led by Alec Baldwin and Terrence Howard, joined by Esai Morales and Nicky Whelan.
Set in a small Southern town gripped by fear, Crescent City asks a chilling question: what happens when everyone—including the police—becomes a suspect? Directed by RJ Collins, the film blends psychological tension, moral reckoning, and relentless twists into a darkly compelling experience that rewards attention and punishes assumptions.
Today’s conversation with Filmmaker RJ Collins from “Crescent City” has been edited for length and clarity. For the full, un-edited conversation, visit our YouTube channel here.
What Is Crescent City About?
When a serial killer begins terrorizing a tight-knit Southern town, the investigation quickly spirals inward. As the body count rises, secrets surface, alliances fracture, and trust erodes—especially within the police department tasked with stopping the murders.
At the center is Detective Sutter, played by Terrence Howard, a man haunted not just by the case but by his own past. The deeper he digs, the more the line between hunter and hunted blurs. The result is a hypnotic thriller that keeps throwing left hooks until the final moments—no easy answers, no safe guesses.
If you love films packed with twists, turns, shocks, and slow-burn dread, this one’s squarely in your lane.
Building an Oscar-Level Cast on an Indie Timeline
For director RJ Collins, assembling this cast was both strategic and serendipitous. During the SAG strike, Crescent City secured a waiver as an independent production—opening a rare window where top-tier actors and crew were available at the same time.
“We got the cast all in a specific window, and we crammed it in [between] everybody’s schedule,” Collins explains.
Shot in Little Rock, Arkansas, the town’s texture and atmosphere became part of the storytelling. The production moved fast—just over two weeks of prep and a 16-day shoot—but what could have been chaos turned into creative chemistry.
“There was no egos,” Collins says. “Everybody collaborated. Everybody liked each other. And it really showed on screen.”
Performances That Carry the Tension
Watching seasoned actors work at this level is part of the thrill. Alec Baldwin brings authority and gravitas as Captain Howell, anchoring scenes with quiet intensity. Terrence Howard delivers a layered performance, especially in moments where faith, guilt, and doubt collide—most memorably in a chapel scene that lingers long after it ends.
Esai Morales and Nicky Whelan round out the investigative core, and when all four characters collide in a pivotal group scene, the emotional pressure cooker finally explodes. Collins singles out Whelan’s final look in that sequence as a moment he knew he had to hold on just a second longer.
Relatable moment for movie lovers: this is the kind of scene where you stop reaching for popcorn because you don’t want to miss a beat.
Writing and Visuals That Keep You Guessing
The script, written by Rich Ronat, plays fair but ruthless. Ronat famously wrote the screenplay without even deciding who the killer was until late in the process—an approach that pays off in genuine unpredictability.
Visually, the film is elevated by Director of Photography Alex Salahi, whose command of tone, color, and shadow gives Crescent City its moody, Southern-gothic pulse. Collins focused on performances and story, while Salahi translated that tension into images that quietly amplify every emotion.
Why Crescent City Stands Out
This isn’t a paint-by-numbers crime movie. It’s a character-driven thriller that understands suspense isn’t just about violence—it’s about what people hide, what they fear, and what they’re willing to sacrifice. The fun (and frustration) is that you never quite know who to trust, right up to the end.
For fans of smart, adult thrillers—where performances matter as much as plot—Crescent City delivers the goods.
### Mini FAQ
Q: When does Crescent City premiere?
A: August 15.
Q: Is this a typical serial-killer thriller?
A: No. It leans heavily into psychological tension and character, with constant twists and moral ambiguity.
Q: Where was the film shot?
A: Little Rock, Arkansas, which doubles perfectly as the film’s unsettling Southern town.
Where everyone is a suspect
With its Oscar-nominated cast, sharp writing, and immersive atmosphere, Crescent City is the kind of thriller that reminds you why you love the genre. Come for the performances, stay for the twists—and don’t assume you’ve figured it out early.
On August 15, step into a town where everyone is a suspect and nothing is what it seems.
