Motherless Brooklyn tells the story of Lionel, whose mentor, Frank Minna (Bruce Willis), is murdered in 1950s New York City. As viewers see in the Motherless Brooklyn trailer, Frank was Lionel’s only friend and the one who helped him become a private eye by working with his Tourette’s syndrome, so Lionel takes it upon himself to figure out what Frank knew and who would want him dead because of it. Signs point to Moses Randolph (Alec Baldwin) , a local city land developer. The plot goes all the way to the top of the New York City power structure, and Lionel has to keep himself safe while avenging Frank’s death.