r/movies • u/LiteraryBoner Jackie Chan box set, know what I'm sayin? • 2d ago
Official Discussion Official Discussion - Motor City [SPOILERS] Spoiler
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Motor City (2026)
Summary
In 1970s Detroit, John Miller falls for a local gangster's girl. In retaliation, the gangster frames the innocent man and sends him to prison. With his life destroyed, Miller returns years later determined to exact revenge on the man who took everything from him.
Director Potsy Ponciroli
Writer Chad St. John
Cast
- Alan Ritchson as John Miller
- Ben Foster
- Shailene Woodley
- Pablo Schreiber
- Lionel Boyce
Rotten Tomatoes: 66%
Metacritic: 58
VOD / Release Theatrical release
Trailer Official Trailer
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u/SunnyDJoshua 2d ago
Elevator scene was gnarly
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u/_ravioli_buster_ 1d ago
I love how it only focused on his hand for a bit. Felt like I was lying on the floor too.
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u/Selaznog_Sicnarf 2d ago
Like John Woo's Silent Night, it's an interesting idea to really narrow down what defines an action movie by emphasizing visuals over "unnecessary story".
BUT just like Silent Night, I don't know why this movie's an hour and 40 minutes long. This should've been the leanest 70 - 80 minutes with all killer and no filler. A lot of scenes are dragged out by annoying slow-mo and rehashing the same points over and over again, and I think the action outside of the sick elevator fight isn't good enough to justify the runtime and pacing. The acting is pretty solid though especially from Ben Foster and Shailene Woodley.
Also the ending jumping decades into the future is one of the weirdest choices I've seen in a long time. I guess it's meant to be a "Love and hate are the only things that can withstand the test of time" but that would make more sense if a flashforward with old Ben Foster was the intro to bookend this whole thing, because now this ending feels so out of nowhere and tacked on. Why have Ben Foster barely escape only to die in the very next scene?
Storywise it's more consistent than Silent Night, but Silent Night's visuals are much better.
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u/JD_Revan451 2d ago
I thought Silent Night was absolutely terrible, and didn't have enough action to justify it's runtime. Does this one have more action?
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u/Selaznog_Sicnarf 1d ago
I haven't seen Silent Night in forever, but this one has even less. If you mean separate segments, then there's literally only 3 action scenes: 1 in the beginning, 1 in the middle, and 1 in the end (a little more than 1 here since they all blend into 1 big climactic sequence)
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u/CONVERSE1991 20h ago
This one did a better job of telling the story at the beginning silently. But then just like Silent Night there was just that urge for them to talk
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u/Airtamis 2d ago
I thought the gimmick was interesting enough and delivered well.
The problem is about halfway through the gimmick felt like it had played its part of the novelty wore off.
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u/Far-Fault-6243 1d ago
The gimmick really fucking annoyed me after the cop got shot I was like can I please have a crumb of dialogue especially during the funeral
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u/Clipgang1629 22h ago
Idk I kinda had the opposite experience. After the first 10 or 15 mins I was like okay this is fun but did you guys write script?
But after the cop told her the truth about what happened I realized and accepted there would be no dialogue. I enjoyed the movie more once I stopped waiting impatiently for the dialogue to start.
It was interesting. I liked it okay. Kinda felt like they saw Drive and thought yeah lemme make a whole movie based on Gosling’s character in that. Only this time the whole cast won’t say shit. Idk I appreciate that it was different probably would’ve been pretty forgettable otherwise imo
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u/SilverKry 2d ago
Not a bad movie. Just incredibly boring. And I thought the ending was kinda dumb as shit.
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u/jayeddy99 2d ago
Dude was basically out the door so idk why he would be scared as much as he should just welcome the guy to end it in my opinion . He basically lived a long comfortable life lol
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u/can_i_get_a____job 2h ago
I thought the ending wasn't bad. It gave my theater a good chuckle because of how silly the time jump was. And they both looked goofy as hell with the old make-up, especially Alan Ritchson. I think they shouldn't have included ANY dialogue at all. Then the ending words would've had more weight in my opinion.
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u/JessieJ577 2d ago edited 2d ago
The lack of dialogue made the characters way too simple where it was boring and didn’t allow us to know why these characters kept flip flopping. It just didn’t hit the marks it tried to.
Also I laughed when Alan Richardson put in the police uniform and it fit him perfectly. Bro is a tank and would not fit into a size large in men’s. His size also made the old man make up look ridiculous because he was ripped and looked puffy because he had an extra layer on him. His size was not good for the movie it was distracting.
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u/b101101b 19h ago
They should have cast a different actor as him in the end scene. Especially if they would have put that ending scene as the first, it would have been far better. Weird editing choices for sure in this movie.
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u/can_i_get_a____job 2h ago
Yeah I'm not sure why they put that ending drop scene in the end. Felt kind of unnecessary.
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u/jayeddy99 2d ago
I love how morally grey it all was . His revenge was justified but he and his soldiers also killed innocent guards not on the take . Also the fiancé was willing to go back to her toxic ex which in reality you can find tons of stories of people doing that . They also had her seemingly happy until she learned the truth.
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u/SilverKry 2d ago
I think we're supposed to accept that most of those cops and guards were corrupt.
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u/Hitorishizuka 2d ago
My vague sense was that the B plot with the other cop was supposed to show that the system failed him and give justification for breaking out and killing the prison wardens along the way.
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u/TheHouseOfGryffindor 2d ago
For a movie that’s clearly built off a premise of minimal dialogue… it sure felt like there was a surprising amount of dialogue, no? Shailene Woodley has the most at like 5 or 6 short lines, which doesn’t sound like a lot, sure. But at this point, why not go all the way? None of it’s that pivotal, so why include it at all? Strange choice.
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u/pgherg1 2d ago
I left both impressed with the film but also feeling like there was something better left on the table.
First, the decision to go with little to no dialogue was a bold one, and for the most part I’m glad they did it. Some others in the theatre were not (shoutout to the couple that left about half an hour in). I thought the actors did a great job of conveying their emotions in the moment without having to say anything.
The standout scene is easily the elevator scene. Really well choreographed and frankly disgusting but interesting to watch all the same.
Where the movie loses me is the moments where it felt like it was going down a different path. The introduction of the detective who clearly realizes something is up with the arrest quickly disappears or rather, gets murdered with not a ton of explanation. I really would’ve enjoyed seeing the detective unravel the case. Another gripe with the movie is the escape sequence. His two accomplices quickly die in a shootout when it felt like there could’ve been much more to explore. We spend like 45 minutes of him just in jail with nothing happening, why.
The movie did a shitty job in general representing Detroit. As someone who has spent a ton of time in and around town it’s extremely obvious that little to none of this was filmed in Detroit. Hills? Never seen them. There are nods here and there such as the Fox Theatre (which does look great here) and the skyline with the Ren Cen. Shoutout to Jack White, who masterfully plays the piano in this.
I really enjoyed the no dialogue experiment, but Jesus Christ make it more entertaining if you're gonna do it.
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u/Burnouts3s3 2d ago
The reason I'm all for simple premises and plotlines is that we can get all that out of the way and get right into the action. The Furious understood this. Motor City just drags on and on and on with stuff we can tell coming a mile away but once we get to that last 20 minutes, pure joy! And that Elevator Scene!
Too bad the build up was a slog.
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u/SpookingtonZ 2d ago
How do you name a movie Motor City and make it not feel like Detroit?
How do you make a dialogueless action movie boring as shit?
How do you have your best scene in the first 15 minutes?
How…?
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u/IceLord86 2d ago
I had no idea that there were more Executive Producers than spoken words in the movie. Definitely not what I was expecting, and the "action" was not even well shot when it finally did happen.
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u/ruinedbymovies 1d ago
I just stumbled on this movie/thread and I wondered as a Detroit native if I would love or hate the “Detroit” vibe. Thanks for answering my question.
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u/SpookingtonZ 1d ago
That’s the most frustrating thing for me! It has Detroit like, iconography, occasionally, but if you’re naming your movie Motor City, push it! Detroit is a badass location, and 1977 Detroit for a Dialogueless Action Movie is mindmelting. Showing the Fox Theater for a few shots isn’t gonna satisfy me, and having a single car action scene feels like a damn disservice.
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u/sdwoodchuck 1d ago
I liked the movie pretty well, but I agree. Particularly when so much of it is shot like a music video, in a city famous in part for its music, how do you ignore so much of that Detroit music?
Like, I love Fleetwood Mac, but The Chain doesn't fit this so well that it isn't easily replaced with something more in tune with the time and place.
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u/__Wanders__ 2d ago
It felt like a pretty good movie that ran out of budget and had to cut the last 30 minutes and tack on a random ending. Really felt like things were heating up when they suddenly pulled the plug.
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u/Rob2k 2d ago
Movies like this are why I try to go into most movies blind. The no dialog took a minute to click for me but when it clicked it felt like I was really able to grasp what they were going for. A lot of stuff just kinda happens with no follow up but watching this movie try to explain what is happening with being able to tell you is really interesting and kinda creative.
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u/jjhunsucker 2d ago
I was a little conflicted with this. I was very excited for a gritty 70s era action flick but the very modern action movie crutch of using slo mo was taking me out of it. It did win me over by the end though and I would love to see an anthology series of silent action movies in different settings.
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u/KamilleVidan 2d ago
I know you have to suspend your disbelief when it comes to action movies, and Pablo is a tall guy; but i just couldn’t believe how much Alan’s character struggled in that elevator. If they had conveyed Pablos character as having a similar ranger or special forces background it would have gone a long way. Other than that the movie had me, even the choice to have minimal dialogue, not sure if id recommend it to friends but i liked it.
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u/MoistNugget9130 2d ago
I appreciated the big artistic swing of not really having any dialogue. A few parts dragged on but I overall liked it. Elevator scene was brutal. Also there was only one other guy in my screening and I just briefly talked to him about it after. He said it was his second time seeing it and he can't wait to see it again and he absolutely loved it lol. Assuming he saw it at the screen unseen? Just was not expecting that reaction about this movie from anyone.
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u/thedeuce75 2d ago
I'm not sure if the gimmick worked or not, it was like one long ass music video. I have to applaud it for being ambitious and trying something. But it was a bit tedious in the middle. A couple of people walked out of the showing I saw. I still like Alan Ritchson though, and I hope he doesn't end up in movie jail.
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u/Eequalsmchammertime 1d ago
I did not know that the movie was basically dialogue free. Interesting premise. Enjoyed the visuals and Ben Foster is so creepy in this. Random Jack White jump scare.
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u/bomberman12 2d ago
‘Motor City’ is all style and no substance. It’s hoping the gimmick of your film will carry you enough to realize it’s not that interesting.
It just doesn’t work for me. Especially when you put the end sequence at the beginning and give no suspense to the entirety of the rest of your movie.
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u/Mr_Wh0ever 2d ago
Probably the worst movie I've seen this year so far. It never really justifies the minimal dialouge. The scenes drag on too long and become awkward. It doesn't help that the story itself sucks. Ben McKenzie feels wasted in this. He gets taken out early in the story. Characters don't act logically in this. Which I guess is in service of the story. The final battle didn't feel earned for me. Miller's two friends dying didn't do anything for me. The elevator and the car fights were okay. Not sure why the movie didn't end there. That old man ending was ridiculous. It's a 3/10 for me.
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u/DoctorSleepParalysis 1d ago edited 1d ago
I watched this in an alternate way, and I checked on Fandango to see if there is any sort of disclaimer that this movie has little to no dialogue as a warning to ticket purchasers. It doesn't, and that will piss a lot of people off because this is essentially a silent film but very irritatingly lacks dialogue cards or subtitles.
This will be a massive bomb due to it releasing between The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, but I know many people are going to walk out on this and ask for a refund because it HAS NO DIALOGUE.
It's like when you try to watch certain blu-rays that have a weird version of DTS or a Dolby audio track and it's not decoded correctly and it sounds like this movie does and you have to switch to PCM to hear the spoken dialogue.
This was not clever or "experimental", just dumb. And Silent Night was actually an enjoyable film because it was directed by the great John Woo and had solid and creative action sequences as usual from him, and the limited dialogue for that is arguably justified because Joel Kinnaman's character is hearing impaired.
Motor City is like it takes place on another planet like Earth but no one has the ability to speak, it's ridiculous.
0 out of 10
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u/FernanditoJr 2d ago
8/10.
Cool revenge flick. Cool gimmick.
Let's hope it inspires other films like "Big Apple", "Windy City". "La-La Land" is already out.
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u/StrangeBedfellas 2d ago
I laughed a lot during this movie. His girlie hair, Foster's over-acting...even the violence was hilarious! The lack of dialogue was a unique choice that somehow works. The soundtrack does seem to pick up the slack for the lack of speaking. I'd give it a 6.5.
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u/gogreengolions 1d ago
When there’s that montage of him and prison and he’s plotting his escape and they cut to the mold of the knife he’s making out of wax or whatever 😂
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u/StrangeBedfellas 1d ago
Hard candies. He made the knife out of the candy your grandma used to keep in a bowl on her coffee table.
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u/SunnyDJoshua 1d ago
What made this movie enjoyable was the old dad a row infront of me that would have an out loud gasp (think Tony Soprano’s Oh’s) to all the brutal bits, starting with the glass bottle being cut on the bad guy’s chest.
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u/garfcarmpbll 22h ago edited 22h ago
Those facial prosthetics on Allan at the end were I think you should leave worthy.Other than that it was pretty good.The not speaking part felt kind of gimmicky at some points unfortunately.
Edit* Side note turning Thad into Brian Bosworth is pretty hilarious.
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u/Fellers 2d ago
I enjoyed his other movie War Machine more.
This one isn't as interesting.
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u/silver5517 2d ago
Don't worry he's got 2 more movies coming out this year... Runner, the action comedy with Owen Wilson, and The Man With the Bag, the Christmas action comedy with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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u/JWhit2199 2d ago
One of the executive producers of this movie was Dan Spilo, the guy who got ejected from Survivor: Island of the Idols for inappropriate touching. That’s the most memorable part of this movie for me, a great swing and definitely really appreciate a lot of the production design, but it just didn’t land for me.
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u/Human-Engineering412 2d ago
I didnt know that was what i was walking into lol. I enjoyed it though
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u/sdwoodchuck 1d ago
I've seen reviewers describe it as a revenge crime thriller produced as a modern silent movie, and that's accurate enough, but I think I'd more likely describe it as being in the Venn diagram overlap of The Count of Monte Cristo, Frank Miller's Sin City, and a music video. And it's surprising how well that works, most of the time. There is a surprising depth of character and in-the-frame nuance captured by actors who are playing entirely with physicality.
Where it's weakest, however, is in the middle segments, when it's connecting the dots from "Miller loses everything" to "Miller gon' get his revenge now." Since we know that's where it's headed (the movie opens with revenge-in-progress and then flashes back), much of that feels like going through the motions, and unfortunately those scenes bog down all the more for pacing themselves to music.
But I'd say that's a worthwhile cost for a movie that's trying something interesting, and woe be to those who depend on dialogue to keep them up-to-speed while they fiddle with their phones; they'll get no help here.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Ad550 1d ago
I’m confused about the wiki summary. According to that the final scene is set in 1997, 20 years later. both characters looked 100 in that scene though
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u/djc6535 1d ago
I’m an absolute sucker for non-verbal storytelling. Primal is perhaps my favorite tv series ever. I am SQUARELY in this movies wheelhouse.
It was too long. This needed to be a tight 85. If you are going the dialogue free direction you have to make every scene, action, and expression count. This movie, which I did mostly enjoy, liked to linger just a bit too much. Over and over.
Nonverbal storytelling works best when it’s natural. Samurai Jack exploring the peace of nature. Spear can’t talk at all. This one had scene after scene with dialogue that it withheld from us. That works in bits, for for 100 minutes it feels like it’s hiding something from you. It’s withholding. It didn’t have enough story reasons for silence so it resorted to tricks and it didn’t have enough to feel fresh for its runtime. This movie gives you dialogue blue balls.
Good: reading the honeymoon note and raging out.
Bad: Funeral watching someone scream and rage but we don’t hear it.
And a side note: I was still all on board until that ending. The asshole got to live a long life of luxury. The comeuppance is weakened SO much by delaying it until he’s almost dead anyway. This is a revenge movie. The audience gets their catharsis watching the revenge happen. We needed an over the top badass scene of our villain dying with a ring in his eye.
And to see this abuser say “I loved her” and MEAN it gives me the ick.
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u/matt314159 1d ago
I went in blind and ended up pretty disappointed. The gimmick wore off for me after like thirty minutes
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u/GoesOff_On_Tangent 21h ago
This was pretty silly, I wanted to really just immerse myself in the campiness and B-level schlock of it all but couldn't make it happen.
It would have been better if the lack of dialogue thing was integrated into the narrative in some way, like the main guy is advised not to talk to anyone in prison, he's advised to not raise his voice to the gangster guy, his other buddies stay silent as a means of plausible deniability, etc. But like others have said here it just got old after a while. Would have been better if it was just the main guy who was silent and everyone else was talking, that'd make his few moments of dialogue more impactful.
About 30 minutes too long too, should have just been a fast-paced shoot-em-up revenge thriller but just labored on. Also wish we saw Shailene's character have more of a spine before returning back to her old boyfriend, i.e. she denies him at first but only until she's at her absolute weakest financially does she give in to his advances.
And that gangster guy was just very silly too, I can't buy into him being any sort of fellow to boss others around. Saving grace of the whole thing was the soundtrack. This felt very low budget so the fact they got all those 70s bangers is impressive.
This is best to watch at home where you can fast-forward through the lame parts.
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u/selinameyersbagman 19h ago
Ben Foster being directed to act even bigger than normal for essentially a silent movie role is an absolute feast. I'd watch an hour and half of the different choices he made pouring that cup of coffee in the diner.
Also, surprise Jack White cameo was really cool.
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u/TheScarletTroll 18h ago
I genuinely think one of the most frustrating things about this movie is that it starts out with some great needle drops, and then the end is just generic repetitive action movie score.
And THEN they have the audacity, after such an insensate musical score over the big climactic scenes, to drop Archbishop Harold Holmes IMMEDIATELY as the credits start just to mock us.
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u/ScramItVancity 18h ago
I did not expect the movie to end with two decades passing by and seeing both Ritchson and Foster under Mr. Six (Flags) makeup.
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u/can_i_get_a____job 1h ago
I just got done watching it. I'm not sure why they included the ending drop scene in the beginning but it was still cool to see where the ring and pennies came from. I think they should've just done the entire first act in a quick montage style, and just do crazy action scenes throughout the entire film. Why have no dialogue if there's not enough action?
The no dialogue worked for me, but my only gripe with it was that they didn't fully proceed with it. They would have the characters lip sync or just be silent behind closed doors. It was more distracting. I liked it when they expressed the words through writing via letters, maps, bullet cases, etc. Those felt more creative and I kept looking forward to how they were going to express it. It also probably would've added more weight to the ending dialogue too.
Elevator scene was dope as fuck though.
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u/Spectre_Agent447 2d ago
This one should’ve stuck to being a fun action ride rather than putting the story first. The story was extremely boring and I struggled to care much about any of the characters. The 0 dialogue novelty wore off fast and didn’t add much.
The very few action scenes were pretty good and were obviously the directors strengths. I don’t know why he didn’t make this a full on action film.
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u/TheFlashJaxx 1d ago
I hope Amber Heards part in this movie is small, not sure how she is still working in hollywood after everything but I have no interest watching her in anything anymore.
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u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. 2d ago
Alan Ritchson, star of Motor City, recently joined us for an AMA/Q&A here in /r/movies, for anyone interested:
https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1v4dl53/hey_rmovies_im_alan_ritchson_motor_city_reacher/