Review of Detroit (2017) by Wayne K — 01 Feb 2018

At first glance, one might be forgiven for thinking Detroit is yet another movie made to ride the wave of white guilt passing through Hollywood, but it is genuinely deserving of the praise it's received.

Kathryn Bigelow brings the gritty realism, and frequently overabundant shaky cam, that she brought to her Oscar winner The Hurt Locker. She is once again putting volatile circumstances under the microscope, this time racist police brutality.

The film focuses on an incident of shocking abuse with minute detail and relentless tension. As I mentioned before, Bigelow loves her wobbly cam so much that she uses it in situations that don't even call for it, such as calm conversations between people in a small room.

But she gets in close when things get heavy, never letting us go until she's finished with us. It has an overextended runtime, as the final act fails to understand when to call it quits, but the cast make it work with their dedication and sheer talent.

Will Poulter has never been more sinister, and John Boyega has never been more sympathetic. If you have the time, Detroit is more than worth the watch.