Welcome to New York in 1981, where capitalism and criminality go hand in hand. Statistically, this year is the most violent year in the city’s history. Amidst the violence and corruption the ambitious Abel Morales, rookie businessman, will fight to protect his integrity, his family and his business.

An ambitious self-made immigrant, Morales (Isaac) marries into a heating-oil empire that is under attack from rivals. The film’s drama rests on Morales’s moral conflict—whether to submit and become the gangster he could be, or to rise above it at the risk of endangering his family.

Oscar Isaac puts in a superb performance as Morales – channelling a raw blend of Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. Jessica Chastain is spectacular as Anna Morales – ballsy, brilliant and the manifestation of power dressing.

Directed by J.C. Chandor, who previously gave us the brilliant Margin Call and All is Lost, he again offers us epic cinematography and a moody, textured screenplay which is deliberately slow paced to build intensity. This film is gritty and tough, reflecting the city itself, at the height of urban decay and rampant crime.