Alan Ritchson’s fans probably aren’t clamoring for him to do Shakespeare. They want to see the Reacher star take those gigantic muscles and barrel chest and beat dudes to pulp. That said, Ritchson says practically nothing at all in the action flick Motor City, a stylish 1970s revenge thriller that has only a few lines of dialogue. Pfft! Who needs all of that pesky talkin’, anyway?
Written and directed by Potsy Ponciroli (Greedy People, Old Henry), Motor City is set in 1970s Detroit, and centers on Ritchson’s ex-con, John Miller, who loses everything when he is thrown in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Having lost the love of his life, John sets out on a bloody path of vengeance against the criminals who set him up.
Having seen Motor City at TIFF last year, I can attest that it has only a handful of lines of dialogue. Co-star Ben Foster says it has five in total, and that sounds about right.
Also in the cast are Shailene Woodley, Pablo Schreiber, Ben McKenzie, Amar Chadha-Patel , and The Bear‘s Lionel Boyce.
So if there’s no dialogue, what fills in those spaces between Ritchson punching things? Music. Detroit native Jack White served as the music director, providing a propulsive score.
SYNOPSIS: In 1970s Detroit a working-class romantic is framed by a ruthless gangster after falling for his girlfriend. After years in prison, he returns with only one mission: revenge. With operatic scale, MOTOR CITY unleashes a barrage of brutal action, magnetic performances, and striking imagery, fueled by a thunderous rock score, precision-crafted action, and immersive sound design to create a visceral, propulsive spectacle built to electrify audiences this summer.
Motor City hits theaters on July 24th courtesy of IFC. You can check out my full review here.
