--- title: "Motor City: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/motor-city/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/motor-city" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Motor City (2026): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics come out of Motor City having enjoyed themselves, and the praise gathers around the same few things. The decision to strip out all but a handful of lines is read as a confident throwback to action films that trusted the picture to do the work, and the 1970s needle drops are credited with carrying whole scenes. The set pieces are singled out repeatedly, an elevator fight and a prison escape in particular, and the reviews are warm about Alan Ritchson’s lead and Ben Foster alongside him. The reservations cluster at the end. Variety finds the final act abandons the songs for a bland score and misjudges its epilogue, and Collider calls the ending silly; plot holes and thin characters are noted more than once. The spread is wide, from an A- at The Playlist to a low mark from Paste, where Jim Vorel finds the wordless conceit pretentious and the female lead regressive, and Screen Daily judges it more style than substance. ## RogerEbert.com — Matt Zoller Seitz Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 24 July 2026. The critic praises the film's commitment to its dialogue-free visual language and stylized emotional extremes, comparing it favorably to John Woo's 'Silent Night' as an 'inverted opera' that rewards engagement with its imagery and performances despite some wobbly moments and overfamiliar needle drops. They single out the strong ensemble acting (especially Ben Foster, Lionel Boyce, and Amar Chadha-Patel) and the intense, stylized action and revenge sequences for praise, while noting the film's non-historical 1970s Detroit aesthetic works well. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/motor-city-action-movie-review-2026) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 15 July 2026. The critic calls it an audacious, high-wire stylized crime thriller with an operatic temperament, highlighting visionary hypnotic needle drops (like Fleetwood Mac's 'The Chain' and others) that elevate scenes into pure opera and Ponciroli's talent for expressive actors and audacious choices. They single out the prison-escape sequence set to the Moody Blues and the overall immersive experience for praise, while complaining that the final act drops the needle-drop approach for a bland score and that the epilogue feels like a miscalculation. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/motor-city-review-shailene-woodley-ben-foster-1236810506/) ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 59/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2025. Festival review. The critic finds the 1970s Detroit-set revenge thriller more style than substance, calling it a schlocky, dialogue-light B-movie that is deliberately pulpy and not to be taken seriously. They single out the impressively gnarly stunt work and action set pieces, plus Ben Foster's performance, for praise, while noting music does much of the heavy lifting. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/motor-city-review-seventies-detroit-revenge-thriller-proves-more-style-than-substance/5208369.article) ## The Playlist — Ankit Jhunjhunwala Rating A-. 6 September 2025. Festival review. The critic praises the film as an honest, throwback 1970s-style actioner that succeeds with its wordless conceit, delivering bloody, brutal action and big performances without relying on inane dialogue. They single out the intense, prolonged elevator fight sequence and Alan Ritchson's hulking, charismatic lead performance as standout elements that make it a crowd-pleasing showcase. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/motor-city-review-alan-ritchson-brings-the-testosterone-the-kills-and-the-thrills-in-wordless-actioner-tiff-20250906/) ## Polygon — Terry Terrones Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2026. The critic praises the film's confidence in stripping dialogue to a minimum and trusting the audience to follow visual storytelling, production design, and a '70s soundtrack, calling it a refreshing throwback that reminds viewers of how the best action films have always worked without over-explaining. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/motor-city-review/) ## Deadline — Stephanie Bunbury Fi1m's normalised score 78/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2025. Festival review. The critic finds the dialogue-free thriller a dazzling demonstration of genre-movie pyrotechnics and pastiche, praising its slick pace, music cues, and retro charm while noting some plot holes and thin characterization as part of its fun, knowing style. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2025/08/motor-city-review-potsy-poncirolis-ben-foster-shailene-woodley-venice-1236502263/) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 77/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2025. Festival review. The critic describes it as a hyper-adrenalized revenge thriller that works for pulp fans as a loud, dialogue-free action ride, commending its inventive set pieces, music, and commitment to the gimmick while acknowledging it may not suit everyone. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/motor-city-review-shut-up-weve-got-an-action-flick-goin-on-here/) ## Collider — Aidan Kelley Rating 7/10. 22 July 2026. The critic finds it a thrill ride with a unique no-dialogue approach that makes it feel like a throwback to visual storytelling, praising Ritchson's performance and the soundtrack while noting some plot holes, overly long slow-mo/music sequences, and a silly ending. [Read the review](https://collider.com/alan-ritchson-motor-city-review-john-wick/) ## Paste — Jim Vorel Rating 4.8/10. 1 September 2025. Festival review. The critic views the no-dialogue gimmick as pretentious and self-satisfied, arguing it doesn't meaningfully evolve the familiar revenge story or characters (especially the regressive female lead) and relies on artifice rather than genuine visual communication, though the third-act action provides some entertaining brutality. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/action-movies/motor-city-review-2025-alan-ritchson-movie-shailene-woodley-dialogue-style-detroit) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/motor-city.md