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Though there are a few quick scenes of shocking violence, The Black Dahlia is only a little more graphic than CSI, more similar to crime noir like L.A. Confidential than a slasher thriller like Seven. Elizabeth Short's autopsy is explained in graphic detail, but her body is generally shown from a distance, and most of her murder happens off-screen. The film revels more in its sexual content, which includes some brief nudity, a lurid stag video depicting lesbian pornography, various couples before and after being intimate, and several women dressed down to their skivvies. There's also lots of R-rated language, including the f-bomb.

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The Black Dahlia just won't stay buried. Since remakes are almost as frequent as original films these days, it was probably inevitable that this famous unsolved murder case from 1940s Hollywood would be revised for the big screen. And sure enough, audiences are venturing back into this dark, troubling piece of film noir, which is brought to life this time by an all-star cast, including Josh Hartnett, Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, and Aaron Eckhart.

This time, Brian DePalma, a veteran director of sinister crime stories and sleazy mysteries, calls the shots. And, true to form, he delivers two hours of gloss, glamour, and grisly violence. It's enough to make some critics argue that the film is exploiting is subject matter, inviting us to revel in the portrayals of wicked behavior.

The film follows the young, gorgeous Elizabeth Short in her attempt to fulfill her dreams of big screen stardom. But when she is brutally murdered, the investigation of her death reveals a maddening puzzle.

"The Black Dahlia is indeed tragic, but not because of the murder depicted," says Russ Breimeier (Christianity Today Movies). "It's unusual to see a movie start off so strongly (De Palma's best work in a decade), only to collapse so badly by the finale. It begins like L.A. Confidential, but ends like a bad direct-to-video release. The real mystery in this movie is not who killed Elizabeth Short, but why the storytelling and filmmaking couldn't be consistently strong."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) writes, "DePalma's film-noir homage looks terrific in terms of production design, but is uneven as drama (with an overly complex script). So, too, there are many stylish flourishes and generally good performances … " But he finds the film "morally offensive" due to "the pileup of sordid revelations" and "sundry other lurid plot elements."

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) notes that the director's "ability to capture and maintain a stylistic tone—as well as his technical achievements with the camera—are simply undeniable. … Again, however, the famed director puts all that skill into the service of a gruesome, ugly, ultimately unredeemed story that leaves you feeling the need for a shower."

Here comes the obligatory movie play-on-words: Mainstream critics, often enthusiastic about DePalma's thrillers, aren't so thrilled this time around.

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