15 Average Oscar Bait Films Elevated By Amazing Performances

Detroit is what one could call a filmed Wikipedia article. It tells us what happened in the shocking 1967 Algiers Motel Incident, in which police killed three African-Americans at the height of the 1967 Detroit Riots, but it doesn't go into why it happened or treat anything with the slightest bit of depth or insight. Thanks to flat directing and emotionless writing, it's left to the film's fantastic ensemble cast to save the film and they do this with ease.

The standout is Will Poulter, who gives a hateful but brilliant performance as a racist cop, but the rest of the cast, including Anthony Mackie, John Boyega and Jason Mitchell, are great too and keep the film at the three-star level.

It was a slight relief when this film, which had been divisive among audiences, received no nominations at the Oscars but if some of the actors had received nods that would've been hard to argue with.