Every Kathryn Bigelow Film Ranked From Worst To Best

Bigelow’s latest feels distinctively different from the rest of her filmography, certainly it holds the recent fascination with real world events that her last few have similarly invoked, not to mention the un-sugarcoated approach to them. Yet in this case there's no protagonist that leads us through it, with the event itself - the Detroit Riots of 1967 - being our lead character.

The subject was a horrifying occurrence in a not too distant part of American history; an instance of near full-blown warfare between the Police force and black rioters in Detroit's slum community. It’s an ugly history lesson in a forgotten period that’s told with a passionate anger from the usually objective storyteller.

Bigelow’s handle on creating period streets of despair - intercut flawlessly with archive news footage - feel genuine and immersive. What's less precise is its story content; the film has a lot to say, yet somehow manages to feel confused by how to convey those points. At times taking a cold look at what pushed both sides of this ‘war’ to breaking point, while at other times implementing a simple-minded ‘evil authority vs poor people’ pathos. It’s a strange mix of swaying tonality that could’ve used a stronger throughline linking it.

Regardless theres no denying it makes for powerful, and at times, chilling cinema, with strong performances all around and an assured directorial command.