Motor City (2026) is directed by Potsy Ponciroli and written by Chad St. John. It stars Alan Ritchson, Ben Foster, Shailene Woodley, Lionel Boyce, Amar Chadha-Patel, Pablo Schreiber, Dominic Bogart, Mister Fitzgerald, Rafael Cebrian, Ben McKenzie, Elliott Mayer, Frank Rivers, and Jack White. The film follows John Miller (Ritchson), a Vietnam vet turned Detroit drug pusher who chooses to leave his life of crime behind after meeting the love of his life, Sophia (Woodley). He’s soon sent to prison after being framed by Sophia’s shady ex-boyfriend, Reynolds (Foster), who uses John’s supposed dishonesty as a means to win back his girl. After years in the slammer, John leaves prison with a plan to set the record straight, but when tragedy strikes, his pursuit of love quickly turns into a bloody quest for revenge. 

Considering the film’s gimmick of featuring almost zero spoken dialogue, Alan Ritchson is near-perfectly cast. If you’ve seen any of his previous work, you’ll know he’s one of the most physically imposing action stars working today. It’s no surprise that he nails the various action sequences, but his face is expressive in ways that most of his genre peers often fail to achieve. This likewise plays into the skills of co-star Shailene Woodley, who clearly communicates her character’s various emotions. For Ben Foster, however, the lack of dialogue handcuffs his performance. The filmmakers make the perplexing creative choice to cover the actor’s face behind large tinted glasses and a big, burly mustache. His 2 main tools of expressing himself are taken away, leaving him with little ability to define the character. This ultimately makes him a forgettable villain, especially considering the number of far more memorable creeps he’s played in the past. 

Despite my hesitation about the no-dialogue gimmick, I think it’s used to better effect here than most films in recent years that have tried something similar. Although this kind of simple story has been told countless times before, the lack of dialogue forces you to focus and engage with it on a level you otherwise wouldn’t. This makes it fresh enough to avoid being tedious, but also simple enough that nothing is confusing or lacking proper nuance. Without this, the film would be a pretty formulaic period-set action thriller, which is both a compliment and a criticism. The gimmick makes this an interesting watch if you like action movies, but it’s also not something I’d recommend on the strength of it alone. In all honesty, I forgot no one was talking at a ceratin point. I’m not sure if this means it’s just well-implamented/seemless, or proves that’s completely unnecessary.  

Its pulpy recreation of 70s Detroit is easily one of the standout elements. All the classic American cars and Vietnam-era weaponry make this an easy win for all the stereotypical dads out there, but there’s also a sense of gung-ho camaraderie that will no doubt appeal to males of any age. In other words, if you just want to see cool guns, classic cars, and people getting killed, this is for you. If you are, or have, a girl(s) in your life with more traditional female film tastes, you might want to avoid subjecting them to this one. 

Overall, this is a pulpy, action-heavy revenge film with a gimmick that sets it apart, but doesn’t make it a must-watch. The setting and action slightly redeem the lack of an original story, but it’s no home run. If this looks cool to you, it’ll satisfy you even if you don’t love it. If you don’t enjoy action, however, there’s nothing I can really sell you on. B-