Detroit (2017)
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A tense dramatization of the 1967 Algiers Motel incident during the Detroit 12th Street Riot.
The story
On July 23, 1967, the Detroit Police Department stages a raid on an unlicensed club during a celebration for African American veterans returning from the Vietnam War. As a mob forms and the 12th Street Riot begins, local authorities and emergency services struggle to maintain order, leading to the deployment of the National Guard and Army paratroopers. Amidst the chaos, members of an R&B group, The Dramatics, become separated and seek refuge at the nearby Algiers Motel. There, they encounter several others, only to find themselves caught in a rapidly escalating and volatile situation as the police and military forces move in to contain the rioting.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Following the 1967 Detroit 12th Street Riot, members of the R&B group The Dramatics are separated and seek refuge at the Algiers Motel. They join others, including two women and several men, in a detached annex. The situation turns dire when a misunderstanding involving a starter pistol leads the National Guard and police to believe there is a sniper. Officer Krauss begins a brutal interrogation of the occupants, using mock executions to instill terror. During the chaos, several individuals are killed, including Fred and Aubrey. Two years later, the survivors testify in a trial where the prosecution's case falls apart due to the officers' lack of Miranda warnings, leading to the acquittal of the defendants. The film concludes with the survivors' lives altered by the trauma: Larry becomes a choir director, and the officers are not returned to active duty.
- First release year
- 2017
- Runtime (minutes)
- 153
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Kathryn Bigelow
- Writers
- Mark Boal · writer
- Cast and characters
- John Boyega; Will Poulter; Algee Smith; Jason Mitchell; John Krasinski · Auerbach; Anthony Mackie
- Genres
- historical crime drama; historical drama; crime drama
- Themes
- racism; police misconduct; civil unrest; trauma
- Tone and mood
- tense; gut-wrenching; brutal
- Premise and plot tags
- historical drama; based on true events; social thriller
- Source material / true-story basis
- Algiers Motel incident
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics, particularly for its direction, script, and performances, though it was a box office failure.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 82% · scale: percentage · review count: 301; Metacritic · score: 77 · scale: 100 · review count: 49; PostTrak · score: 86% · scale: percentage
- Production trivia
- The film's release commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1967 event.; The film was a box office failure, grossing $26 million against a $34 million budget.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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