Detroit Review

"I need you to survive the night!"


Dreamteam Reviews is finally back and this time we are reviewing Detroit. Detroit was directed by Kathryn Bigelow and stars the likes of John Boyega, Will Poulter, Anthony Mackie, Algee Smith, Jacob Latimore, Hannah Murray and Katilyn Dever. The film is set amidst the chaos of the Detroit, with a city under curfew and the National Guard are brought in to patrol the streets. The film focuses on the racial tensions in America during the Detroit uprising and the police brutality during the events that took place.

I just wanted to say that this definitely is one of the strongest and stand out films this year, not only is it a powerful and emotional experience but it is an important film that highlights a really difficult moment in history. The film portrays the uprising extremely well and the style of film making links closely to that seen in observational and documentary cinema, this style for the film allowed the audience to feel a part of the film as the action happens all around you captivating the audience in the uprising of Detroit (which is used really effectively!). Credit is also due to the amazing cast, whose performances really capture the intensity of the uprising, and whilst the scenes of police brutality and destruction are horrifying to watch (it really is!) but it is the characters, which brings the events to reality (even more than watching the events unfold!). It is also very important to point out that the entire cast works extremely well together and not one cast member drags any light away from the other, and that credit is not just due to the amazing cast but the directing by Kathryn Bigelow. I also really liked the decision to include real found footage and pictures from the events that took place. For me this not only made the film much more real and intense, as it helps to remind audiences that the events depicted actually took place, but for me also adds a uniqueness to the style of the film, one which I really enjoyed.

Whilst I really enjoyed the film, (and definitely think it is a standout film of the year), there were a couple of elements that I was not too sure of when watching the film. Firstly it has got to be said that this is a long film, and in some places it really feels like it is. Whilst the film is extremely engaging, at times the film certainly feels like it drags in places, this might be down to the films long run time which means sequences seem to be dragged out (a little more than they should be). There are certain scenes that need this such as the hallway scene at the Algiers Motel, but smaller less significant scenes are dragged out to the point that you slightly switch off from that sequence. Another aspect of the film which I was not too certain on was some of the structure of the film. Whilst the overall structure is very good, there are some moments when either too many characters are introduced, that you lose track of who the film is focusing on, and also the film jumps from scene to scene, location to location extremely quickly in places, whilst this does keep audiences on the edge of their seats and feeling apart of the events, but in some situations the structure connects scenes that don't entirely link into much later in the film. Whilst this will not be a probably for others watching the film, it is certainly something to point out.

Overall I would absolutely recommend this film, the film is intense and the performances are captivating and you really feel like you are in the middle of the events that took place in Detroit, without a doubt one of the standout films this year and is a must see!

Verdict:  4 1/2 stars