Motor City’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Just Settled the Debate on Alan Ritchson’s Silent Action Gamble

Alan Ritchson has spent the last few years cementing himself as one of Hollywood’s most reliable action leads, thanks largely to his work as Jack Reacher on Prime Video. Fans have watched him bulk up, brawl, and brood his way through episode after episode, but a starring vehicle on the big screen has remained just out of reach. That changes with ‘Motor City,’ a stripped down crime thriller that finally gives him the leading man spotlight.

Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, the film is set in 1970s Detroit and follows John Miller, a working class romantic played by Ritchson, who gets framed by a ruthless gangster after falling for the criminal’s girlfriend. Miller spends years behind bars before returning to exact his revenge, and the story is built around a gimmick that has become the film’s biggest talking point, since the movie plays out with almost no audible dialogue.

That gamble has now produced a verdict from critics, and the numbers are still shifting. As of the latest tally shared online, ‘Motor City’ sits at 65% on the Tomatometer from 54 reviews, a noticeably cooler reading than the film earned during its festival run last year.

The movie actually premiered to warmer reception, debuting with scores in the high 70s after playing the Venice Spotlight section and later screening at the Toronto International Film Festival, when only a handful of reviews were in. As more critics weighed in ahead of its theatrical run, that number began sliding, dipping into the mid 70s and then further as the review pool expanded closer to release.

Part of the divide seems to come down to how critics feel about the near silent approach. Some reviewers have embraced it as a bold stylistic swing, with one outlet praising the film as a throwback that delivers exactly the blood soaked spectacle promised. Others have pushed back, arguing the lack of dialogue occasionally undercuts the emotional beats the story is trying to land.

‘Motor City’ also leans on a stacked supporting cast to carry its Detroit set revenge story, including Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, Ben McKenzie, and Shailene Woodley as the woman at the center of Miller’s fall from grace. The soundtrack, curated by Jack White, has become another frequently praised element, giving the nearly wordless film a rock and roll pulse that critics say helps carry its tone.

With the Tomatometer still moving as review counts grow, ‘Motor City’ looks like it will land somewhere in the solidly mixed to positive range rather than a runaway critical hit. Whether that cools off general audience interest or simply sets up a passionate cult following remains to be seen once the film reaches wider theaters.

Does a nearly silent Alan Ritchson performance sound like a bold swing worth catching in theaters, or does ‘Motor City’ need more than a killer soundtrack to win you over?