I like Mike Colter, he's a capable actor, with a great presence. That said, I simply could not get into Murder City.
I found the story, for the most part, too unrelentingly depressing and grim. What doesn't help either is its all been done before. There's no real originality, that I could see, on offer here. Just crime on the bleak streets of any US city, you care to name.
I'd describe the acting as being on a scale from strong to mediocre. Characterisations are somewhat stereotypical. The "drunken gambler father", for example.
In summary, this genre of film has been done before, so much so, its become a cliche, in its own right. As a consequence, care and a little originality, is needed, to lift any new offering, above the beige and ordinary.