Detroit (2017)

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Stars: John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Will Poulter
Runtime: 143 minutes

Performances: 8/10
Screenplay: 9/10
Special Effects: N.A.
Costumes/Makeup: 7/10
Editing: 7/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: N.A.

Verdict: Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, “Detroit” is the true story of the riots that shook the city back in the late 1960s.

I believe that the less you know about the events that take place in the movie, the more shocking and disturbing the experience is going to be. I went in completely blind, and was on the edge of my seat for the entire runtime of the film, which despite it being scary at first sight (almost two and a half hours long), never bothered me once. This feeling of shock was the result of excellent camera work and direction by Kathryn Bigelow. The entire film is shot with a shaky camera to make it look like a documentary, which constantly reminded me that what I was witnessing really did take place once. The decision to not include a score also paid off, as it similarly heightened the feeling of realism Bigelow was going for. The performances, especially by Will Poulter and John Boyega, were shilling to watch, as they played a big part in making me go through a rollercoaster of emotions, ranging from hatred to pity. The issues I had with the movie are very minor. Some lines and deliveries did not entirely work for me, and the pacing of the movie was a bit problematic. The story is told in a 3 distinct act narrative, and while the second one is pretty much perfect in every aspect, the first one was a bit slow and unnecessarily long, while the third one felt rushed.

Shocking, disturbing, and quite frankly sometimes hard to watch, “Detroit” will effectively open your eyes to a subject that is still relevant today. And I loved it.  

Final Grade: 8/10