Motor City: Hush Over the Room
Monday’s “Screen Unseen” at AMC Theaters opened with Motor City, directed by Ponsi Ponciroli and written by Chad St. John. The film feels simultaneously like a film from the past and a tribute to them, and for good reason. The film was originally listed in 2009’s Black List, taking until 2025 to have its first cut screened following years of recasts, restructuring, and rescheduling. Starring Alan Ritchson in the lead role of John Miller, the character is framed and has his life stolen from him following the revenge of Reynolds (Ben Foster), a gangster from his past. The glow of 1970s Detroit night life takes center stage as Miller runs through the city he calls home to fight for his life, in more ways than one.
The most distinct quality of the film is its lack of dialogue throughout the majority of its runtime. The writing expenses words where applicable, but the story is by and large told through the body language and facial expressions of its characters. The extent to which this is utilized is one of the strongest parts of the movie for me, and I love how it in turn allowed for the sound design to shine in every sequence.
The film does feel stuck in the past in a few ways that don’t necessarily help add to its nature as a period piece or one a long time in the making. A few plot beats between the first and second acts didn’t necessarily make sense to me from a pacing or narrative perspective. I didn’t understand much of what the police detective’s significance was in the film, and his plotline didn’t affect any of what happened in the film’s third act or its resolution.
I wasn’t immediately hooked by the energy of the film—I would argue its first act was my least favorite—but the good news there is that I only found myself getting more invested as the film continued. Even still, I was torn between loving its points of inspiration and waiting for some elements to develop in a more interesting way, and some just never did. The protagonist’s girlfriend Sophia (Shailene Woodley) was beginning to gain a fascinating dynamic in the film’s narrative, but her character ended up in the exact predictable plot trap I was really hoping she wouldn’t.
Overall, I thought Motor City was a worthwhile action thriller with lots of fun throwback elements of the genre, loving tributes, and some spots worth improving upon in the pacing and beats.
Motor City is available in theaters this Friday, July 24th. In the mood for more action thrillers until then? Check out Better Criminal on our sister site, Galxy!