Annapurna Pictures has released a new trailer forDetroit, the true-story thriller from Oscar-winningThe Hurt LockerandZero Dark ThirtyfilmmakerKathryn Bigelow, and it is outstanding. The crime thriller is set against the backdrop of the Detroit riots of 1967, which were initiated by a police raid of an unlicensed bar in the city’s Near West Side. The confrontations turned violent, resulting in the deaths of 39 people and leaving hundreds wounded as the riots lasted for five days. Bigelow’s film, which was scripted byMark Boal(The Hurt Locker), looks to zero in on one specific event that took place during the riots—a raid of a motel that blurred the lines between good cops and bad cops.
Detroitis the first film that Annapurna is distributing and marketing itself after producing films likeThe MasterandFoxcatcher, and this new trailer is extraordinary. Its handle of tension is gripping, as it frames the events surroundingJohn Boyega’s cop as something of a horror movie—it looks truly terrifying, and that’s no coincidence given how incredibly talented Bigelow is.
Take a look at the newDetroittrailer below, followed by a featurette in which those who actually witnessed the events share their story. The ensemble cast also includesChris Chalk,Nathan Davis Jr.,Kaitlyn Dever,Austin Hébert,Joseph David-Jones,Malcolm David Kelley,John Krasinski,Jacob Latimore,Anthony Mackie,Jason Mitchell,Hannah Murray,Ben O’Toole,Will Poulter,Jack Reynor,Algee Smith,Peyton Alex Smith,Jeremy Strong,Ephraim Sykes, andLeon Thomas III.Detroitopens in theaters on August 4th.
Here’s the official synopsis forDetroit:
From the Academy Award winning director of THE HURT LOCKER and ZERO DARK THIRTY, DETROIT tells the gripping story of one of the most terrifying moments during the civil unrest that rocked Detroit in the summer of ‘67.
