Detroit

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1:38

Detroit

R

2017

2h 23m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

300 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

In the summer of 1967, rioting and civil unrest starts to tear apart the city of Detroit. Two days later, a report of gunshots prompts the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Army National Guard to search and seize an annex of the nearby Algiers Motel. Several policemen start to flout procedure by forcefully and viciously interrogating guests to get a confession. By the end of the night, three unarmed men are gunned down while several others are brutally beaten.

Critics Consensus

Detroit delivers a gut-wrenching -- and essential -- dramatization of a tragic chapter from America's past that draws distressing parallels to the present.

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Wenlei Ma

News.com.au

Nov 16, 2017

4/5

Detroit is vivid and it is demanding, designed to shake you out of complacency.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Nov 10, 2017

3.5/5

The motel sequence is so suspenseful that it's a shame that what follows is so perfunctory.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Nov 8, 2017

4/5

It's not an easy film to watch but Bigelow's control over every aspect ensures it's utterly convincing.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Apr 7, 2024

4/5

Detroit is a timely film with a relevancy that cannot and should not be ignored any longer.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Mar 22, 2022

3/4

Detroit suggests that the self-destructive riots only resulted in further despair, but to not act in the face of such widespread racism would be almost inhuman. Indeed, there are no easy or cohesive answers or solutions in the film, nor in the real world.

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Cory Woodroof

Curnblog

Feb 11, 2022

Indeed, Detroit is a jarring ride in a car with no brakes that will leave you rattled and in a haze once its over.

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Tyler P.

@TylerPhoenixMD Feb 22, 2026

Super intense movie. Great acting, shining light on what happened in Detroit at the time.

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kevenquinlan T

@RT75276071 Dec 3, 2025

I simply couldn't mustard enough enthusiasm to care about something that happened 58 years ago nor the mindset of people in those times. It was just a bunch of mixed scenes about the riot era of American history. I got through about 45 minutes of it and couldn't finish.

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Leaburn O

@RT35452347 Aug 20, 2025

This was a crazily tense and nerve shredding experience to watch. The scenes in the house were brilliantly portrayed. Bigelowe’s direction was superb and every actor did a superb job, Poulter in particular had a convincing portrayal of evil that was hard to shake. It’s a really fraught but superb piece of filmmaking. Watched on DVD.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Aug 19, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Ava S

@avast Jun 28, 2025

john boyega and will poulter actually cooked so hard. I always forget how great actors they are until I see them in something. this movie made me wonder why we never learned about this in school. this should be educated to everyone.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 May 30, 2025

Awesome in 2 hours and 23 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Strong Violence and Pervasive Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $16,800,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Kathryn Bigelow

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John Boyega

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Will Poulter

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Synopsis

In the summer of 1967, rioting and civil unrest starts to tear apart the city of Detroit. Two days later, a report of gunshots prompts the Detroit Police Department, the Michigan State Police and the Michigan Army National Guard to search and seize an annex of the nearby Algiers Motel. Several policemen start to flout procedure by forcefully and viciously interrogating guests to get a confession. By the end of the night, three unarmed men are gunned down while several others are brutally beaten.

Director: Kathryn Bigelow
Producer: Megan Ellison, Kathryn Bigelow, Matthew Budman, Mark Boal, Colin Wilson
Screenwriter: Mark Boal
Distributor: Annapurna Pictures
Production Co: First Light Production, Page 1, Annapurna Pictures
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 4, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 28, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $16.8M
Runtime: 2h 23m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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