Review of Detroit (2017) by Dan A — 11 Mar 2018

From director Kathryn Bigelow comes the provocative historical drama Detroit. While it purports to be about the 1967 Detroit riots, its real focus is on the Algiers Motel shooting in which three racist police officers interrogated a group of motel occupants and killed three black men after tracing sniper fire back to the motel.

Starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, and John Krasinski, the film has a solid cast that delivers some strong performances. The storytelling, however, is a little weak as it jumps around a lot without explaining much about the riots.

It also takes a decidedly one-sided view, thought there is some effort given to show how frightening and confusing it was for the officers who were thrust into the situation. The costumes and sets are exceptionally well-done, and give a real feel for the time period.

Remarkably engaging and controversial, Detroit is an extraordinarily evocative look at police brutality and race relations in the 1960s.