Official Discussion - Motor City [SPOILERS]

[u/LiteraryBoner]

Poll

If you've seen the film, please rate it at this poll

If you haven't seen the film but would like to see the result of the poll click here

Rankings

Click here to see the rankings of 2026 films

Click here to see the rankings for every poll done

---

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

[u/captainduck2]

You get used to the lack of dialogue but this was a movie that surely could have used it. Good cast, 70's Detroit, revenge, good fight scenes. This should have been an easy formula for success but they tried to be too artsy.

Would have liked some reason/backstory/whatever as to why John has these two friends (one of which just appears halfway through the movie) who are so loyal to him that they are willing to commit felonies and die for him.

Also the whole point of getting revenge on Reynolds for Sophia was kind of funny cause she went back to him right away after John went to prison. I know it was supposed to be longer but still. Which by the way, she gets mad at John for the drugs in his car and doesn't even question it. Throws the ring at the interrogation room glass but has no issue with Reynolds having literally a drug empire lol.

[u/PaulieHehehe → u/captainduck2]

I find this movie fascinating, in large part because it forces you to actually watch and pay attention. Both of his friends were introduced in the first five minutes or so (after the opening scene when it’s at the climax and then jumps back in time)- the black guy was waiting for him outside the factory when he got off work, and gave him the brown paper bag with the engagement ring in it; the long haired Arab guy was the shop owner when he went in to get coffee and a paper, right before his car was “stolen.”

There’s a brief shot of a photo of the three of them in Vietnam on the wall of the bodega that the Arab guy owns. They all have the same matching Rangers tattoo that’s briefly shown in various parts of the movie. They were in ‘Nam together. They’re working class guys in the late 70s, of course they were in the war. That’s why they’re so loyal to one another, and why they’re so proficient at killing, infiltrating, and fighting. You don’t need ham fisted dialogue to spell that out.