Film Preview: Detroit (2017)

Page Revisions:

(April 16, 2017) Original
(June 18, 2017) New Trailer (#2)
(July 30, 2017) New Trailer (#3) / New Poster (#2)
(October 5, 2017) Added Image Gallery

Release Date:

August 4, 2017

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizen uprisings in the United States’ history.”

Poster Rating: C+ / C-

SEE ALL POSTERS BELOW
Review: (#1) Putting your portrait into landscape is an interesting stylistic decision, but that’s where the distinctiveness and creativity ends.

(#2) The publicity department seems intent on putting Detroit in big letters on a vertical plane. That the accompanying images for this design aren’t as dynamic as they likely believed they were when it was created showcases the lack of desire to employ interesting detail.

Trailer Rating: B / B+ / B

SEE ALL TRAILERS BELOW
Review: (#1) The trailer seems intent on presenting the entire film’s plot in one sitting, which doesn’t help build suspense or create a long-lasting impression.

(#2) While the first trailer did well establishing the environment of the film, this trailer goes deep into a dark place where race is a clear motivator for the trust issues between the characters in the film. It sets race and prejudice most firmly as a driving factor of the narrative and that makes it seem more compelling.

(#3) Playing up just a bit more of the terror aspect rather than the racism aspect, this trailer doesn’t do as much to create emotional investment as the prior incarnation.

Oscar Prospects:

The Hurt Locker was a major Oscar contender for Kathryn Bigelow and earned her the first Best Director award ever presented to a woman. For her next feature, Zero Dark Thirty, she was again a major contender and while the film scored several nods, Bigelow was absent. This time around, she has the same opportunities. Since the Academy will now have recriminations about her not getting a nod the last time, I suspect she’ll be nominated again as will the film in several categories.