Hard to believe this stuff went on, and still goes on in America.Brilliant acting and very engaging movie.

Detroit is a dramatisation of a tragic chapter from America's past, a provocative period piece. More than 40 people died during the so-called "Detroit rebellion", most of them African Americans, many shot by the police or national guardsmen. The writers aimed to convey underlying truth. Any viewer aware that the film takes poetic licence will have some doubt what is true and what isn't. It's an immersive experience which places the viewer at the heart of the unfolding chaos. The cinematography is brilliant. Vintage lenses are used to capture multi-angle digital footage interweaving seamlessly with archive material. However, there isn't an authenticity of dialogue, a charge that the screenwriter accepted. John Boyega gives a careful performance as the security guard who is caught between his race and his uniform. Will Poulter succeeds in characterising a corrupt, racist cop, 'Officer Krauss', a fictional character said to be a combination of a number of different officers from the Detroit Police Department who were present at the Algiers Motel that night. Detroit isn't immune from its critics. It is told in a mode disengaged from the cultural and systemic forces in America that led to that kind of police brutality in 1967. Leaving the viewer feeling angry was the director's intention, and it succeeded.

I was a child during the hell on earth Detroit summer of 1967. I don't remember it. Acclaimed Director Kathryn Bigelow has done one helluva job recreating the powder keg that exploded over a half century ago in the based-on-actual-events drama "Detroit". It is profoundly difficult to process that a human being could be as recklessly racist as these rogue cops are. Will Poulter is particularly chilling as the brazen ring leader. That these white officers of the law could treat mostly black suspects as lives that scarcely matter is sickening. Yet, as the disturbing courtroom scenes reveal toward the end of the film, how do we know?

I'm starting to fall in love with her. Zero Dark Thirty is one of the best films of this century and does not get enough credit. Detroit, although not in that league, is still absolutely powerful in every aspect. A film that both informs and thrills the audience of the 1967 Algiers Motel raid in Detroit. An event that is not talked about much, documents and footage of the raid have been scarce and so consequently there are scenarios that are dramatised. This added drama is what prevents Detroit from being a documentary reenactment. It's a clear three act narrative. The first act plays out like a documentary, educating viewers about the riots of Detroit. The second act is the genre shift to a thriller, the motel raid. The third act is the courtroom drama that deals with the legal aftermath. Sure, it's mechanical...but Bigelow directs the heck out of this which is why it feels so raw and powerful. Her directing style is frantic. Constant shakiness and zooming, it involves the viewer...draws them in. An event like this cannot be handled with care and fluffiness. No, it needed to be brutal and Bigelow was the perfect choice. If a film dealing with racism and/or segregation makes me angry inside, it's done its job. If the film does that and engages me throughout its run time...well we have ourselves a home run. Aside from Bigelow being a standout, Will Poulter deserves a lot of recognition. He's come a long way in recent years and believe this is his best performance. John Boyega also gives an understated performance. The violence is savage, but it needed to be. Someone gets hit, you are also going to feel it. My only one criticism is that the ending dragged. When your second act is a thriller, your third act consequently will slow down in pace and unfortunately it slowed down too much. Still compelling, just more at ease. I suspect Detroit will be overlooked during Awards season. It's a shame because this is a powerful important film that has outstanding direction and some strong performances.