Sin City: A Dame to Kill For

Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller shared the direction of this 2014 American crime anthology film, a sequel to 2005's "Sin City." Miller also wrote the screenplay, adapting his own graphic novel "A Dame to Kill For." Several storylines interweave through Basin City, a place both dark and corrupt. In one narrative, Dwight McCarthy (Josh Brolin) attempts to leave his violent past behind by working as a private investigator. However, his former lover, the manipulative Ava Lord (Eva Green), draws him into a deadly game, claiming that her husband, Damien Lord (Marton Csokas), and bodyguard Manute (Dennis Haysbert) are abusing her. Dwight seeks assistance from Gail (Rosario Dawson) and her band of prostitutes to confront Ava and her accomplices. In another story, young gambler Johnny (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) arrives in town aiming to defeat the powerful Senator Roark (Powers Boothe) in poker but faces brutal consequences for his audacity. Meanwhile, stripper Nancy Callahan (Jessica Alba) struggles with depression following the death of Detective Hartigan (Bruce Willis) and plans to avenge Senator Roark for his role in the tragedy. The film is styled in noir with a distinctive black-and-white visual aesthetic, highlighted by selective color accents. Despite its star-studded cast and visual effects, the film received mixed reviews from critics and underperformed at the box office, grossing approximately $39.4 million against a budget of $65 million.