The Wasteland Reviewer

Motor City (2026) Written Review

What can you accomplish with a film made in 2026 with next to no dialogue? Silent films were certainly standard for the first few decades of cinematic history, but most modern audiences are not queued into this approach to storytelling. Director Potsy Ponciroli takes this approach to the streets of Detroit for an action/crime/thriller called Motor City. Jack Reacher himself Alan Ritchson takes the lead as a man wrongfully sent to prison but a crime lord before making his way back to freedom and seeks vengeance. But freedom is not good enough as he wants the woman of his dreams back from the crime lord who set him up. Single digit lines of dialogue, killer needle drops, and plenty of action, Motor City roars onto the silver screen. 

How does Ponciroli bring this high concept idea to life? When you do not rely on dialogue, you need visual storytelling to work wonders. There are certainly moments in the film that could have benefited from some fleshing out with context but generally Ponciroli makes this film come to life so effectively. Ponciroli’s mission with this film is to bring the B-movie vibes of exploitation films of the 1970s to life once again. Watching the film, you can feel the film-like grain and cinematographer John Matysiak delivers this visual experience with plenty of texture. Tonally, the film leans into its melodramatic elements as the actors go big with emotion to overcome the lack of dialogue. Ponciroli leans into slow-motion to draw out the big emotional moments and some of the thrills as well. The action is big, bold, and in-your-face. There is plenty of personality throughout the film and that drives it forward. Due to the basic plot and lack of dialogue, the film can feel a bit long-in-the-tooth. 

How does Chad St. John’s script come to life with this unique approach? Since there is a lack of dialogue, the screenplay must work deeply on a story and narrative level. The few lines of dialogue in the film do hit in a powerful way even if there could honestly be a little bit more without losing the approach. Overall, the narrative is quite basic with a crime lord and a dirty cop framing a man in love that leads to his imprisonment. Once he can escape prison, he sets his sights on taking down the bad guys and getting her lady back. That is the whole film in broad strokes which is quite basic. The characters don’t have a tone of depth as they are more specific archetypes. You have the burly and strong quiet protagonist who does more work with his hands than his mouth. He loves a woman who used to be involved in the criminal underworld but wants to escape to a “normal” life. The antagonists are one-note for sure. There are some underdeveloped subplots like the good cop who is trying to find the truth, but Motor City is much more concerned about vibes, action, and thrills. 

Does the cast capture the vibes that Ponciroli is going for? Ritchson is called upon to show plenty of presence, physicality, and emotion in his performance as John Miller. He succeeds as he sells sadness, regret, and anger through his intensity while selling all the physical expectations for the action. Shailene Woodley is an underappreciated actor who brings plenty of emotion and vulnerability to Sophia who is pulled in different directions by John and the dastardly Reynolds. Speaking of…Ben Foster brings his perfect villainous energy to the film. He is big in his performance (and maybe a few times a little too big) but he makes for such a detestable villain. There are a few other familiar faces like Pablo Schreiber (“bad cop”) and Ben McKenzie (“good cop”) but they honestly don’t get enough to work with to make a truly impactful experience. 

Is Motor City a worthwhile cinematic experiment? The minimal dialogue idea was an inspired one and Ponciroli makes it work quite well. Music and action help alleviate the challenges with such minimal dialogue. There is plenty of entertainment value in Motor City and some inspired moments (queue the seductive-turn-nightmarish visions John has in prison) that give the film a little bit more of an abstract and creative feel. This might not work for everyone but anyone looking to get lost in a modern interpretation of B-movie action movies of the 70s can sit back and take it all in.