A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest and most intense riots in United States history, leading to the federalization of the Michigan National Guard and the involvement of two Airborne Divisons of the United States Army.
After The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, you’d think director Kathryn Bigelow would want to make a comedy or a film about ducks, but instead it looks like she’s shining a light on another controversial subject. That’s not a criticism. Hollywood doesn’t take risks with films that might offend or challenge people very often. After tackling the Second Gulf War and the hunt for Osama bin-Laden, Bigelow now highlights a forgotten chapter from one of America’s darkest periods. The phrase “we live in racially charged times” could be applied to literally any decade of American history, but the 1960s were probably the most frightening and volatile. Bigelow highlights the 1967 race riots in Detroit, and the film will vie with The Dark Tower for primacy during the first weekend in August. Starring John Boyega, Anthony Mackie, Will Poulter, and Algee Smith, Detroit opens in theaters August 4, 2017.
Sorry to be the one to say it, but that first weekend in August is going to be slow.
That does not mean this won’t be incredible though. I would watch this director make a film about paint peeling, secure in the knowledge that she would really make me think about, and possibly reconsider, my preconceived notions on peeling paint. Plus I want to see Boyega in something other than SW, and I haven’t yet.
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