10 Most Divisive Movies Of 2017

8. Detroit

blade runner 2049
MGM

The release of Kathryn Bigelow's star-studded Detroit was marred by controversy, the mostly positive reaction the film received being drowned out by a small, but ferocious audience backlash.

Detroit is set during the city's 1967 riots and revolves around the Algiers Motel incident, wherein police brutality resulted in the deaths of three black men and the savage beatings of several others.

Many viewers said that this highly sensitive subject matter was only used to shock and disturb, and what the film should have done was explore topics like racism and police brutality in a much more tactful, thoughtful manner.

Additionally, Detroit was called out for being a tale about black suffering that was made by white people, as well as removing black women from the riots, things that didn't sit right with a lot of people.

This whirlwind of controversy cast a huge cloud over Detroit, condemning it to a weak box-office run and all-but ending its awards chances - things that its strong critical reaction could do nothing to fix.

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.