After years of anticipation,Alan Ritchsonis finally getting bloody, brutal, and almost entirely silent inMotor City, his ambitious 1970s-era action film set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ambitious might be an understatement — the movie reportedly contains justfive lines of dialogueacross its entire runtime, leaving the action to do all the talking, and TIFF has just released an image of a long-haired and nearly unrecognizable Ritchson looking imposing and brutal.
Directed byPotsy Ponciroli(Old Henry,Super Zeroes),Motor Citystars Ritchson as John Miller — “a Detroit man released from prison, who unleashes a rampage of brutal vengeance on those who framed him,” according to TIFF’s official description. The Detroit-set thriller promises immersive visual storytelling and “stunningly choreographed and stylized action sequences” in a grimy, crime-ridden 1970s landscape.
The cast is stacked, withShailene Woodley,Ben Foster, andPablo Schreiberjoining Ritchson, alongsideBen McKenziein a role that is still being kept under wraps. The screenplay comes fromChad St. John— all four or five lines of it, depending on who you ask.
What’s ‘Motor City’ About?
Foster, speaking to Collider’sPerri Nemiroffat TIFF 2024, revealed just how unconventional the film is: “The film itself,Motor City— we just wrapped — is virtually a silent film.Jack Whiteis helping with the music, so it’s like a rock disco revenge film. It’s like a graphic novel, so it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out.”
McKenzie recently toldCollider’sMaggie Lovittthere was a “major surprise” musician involved — now confirmed to be White — adding to the project’s Motor City authenticity. Foster also praised Ritchson’s physicality and ambition: “He’s very tall and very muscular, and he’s very handsome. He’s terrific as a mover. I think he wants to do some deeper work or rather different kinds of work than he’s been doing, and that’s a joy.”
Jon Berg, president of production at Stampede Ventures, described the film as “somewhere between anopera, a music video, and an action movie.” He added: “Emotion conveys without language being essential; the actors’ performances are front and center. Potsy has a killer vision for the film: dynamic camera, brilliant music, muscle cars, and an immersive sound design surrounding badass action sequences.”
With its stripped-down dialogue, stylized cinematography, and rock-fueled soundtrack,Motor Citycould redefine what a modern action movie looks and sounds like. The film roars into TIFF before hitting the festival circuit — and if the buzz is right, audiences can expect a high-octane, blood-soaked ride that speaks volumes without saying much at all.
