In the summer of 1967, Detroit’s African American population was at the mercy of a white police force and discrimination in every aspect of their lives. The community was at breaking point, and a routine police raid on an unlicensed bar became the trigger for a city-wide riot. Detroit erupted into one of the largest citizen uprisings in U.S. history.
Reuniting director Kathryn Bigelow and writer Mark Boal, the Oscar-winning team behind 'Zero Dark Thirty' and 'The Hurt Locker', Detroit zeroes in on one pivotal event during the civil unrest – the Algiers Motel Incident – a motel raid which spiralled out of control as police interrogated guests, ending in tragedy.
A brilliant ensemble cast including John Boyega ('Star Wars') and Anthony Mackie ('The Hurt Locker', 'Captain America') deliver heartfelt, dedicated performances portraying the real-life people before, during and after this defining moment in their lives. This gripping, intimate film is essential viewing – an urgent, masterful recreation of history with heartbreaking parallels to the present.