'Motor City' Revenge Thriller Starring Alan Ritchson Scores 75% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

Reacher star Alan Ritchson's new revenge thriller Motor City is generating positive reviews from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Rated R, Motor City begins preview screenings on Thursday before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday. Set in Detroit during the 1970s, the film follows Ritchson as John Miller, a working-class man who is framed by a powerful gangster and sent to prison after falling in love with the criminal's girlfriend. Upon his release, Miller seeks revenge on the man who put him behind bars.

Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, Motor City also stars Ben Foster, Pablo Schreiber, Lionel Boyce, Amar Chadha-Patel, Ben McKenzie, and Shailene Woodley.

As of Wednesday, the film holds a 75% "fresh" critics' score on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, based on 35 reviews. The Critics Consensus, Audience Summary, and Popcornmeter score based on verified user ratings are still pending.

What Are Individual Critics Saying About 'Motor City'?

Owen Gleiberman of Variety — a top critic on RT — gives the film a "fresh" rating, writing: "Motor City, at its best, qualifies as a true immersive cinematic experience. It's a movie almost entirely without words, but it speaks."

Steve Pond of The Wrap also praises the film in his "fresh" review summary: "It shouldn't work but it pretty much does, at least for those who are big enough pulp fans to go along with this wacky thrill ride."

Anzhe Zhang of Slant Magazine commends the film's retro-style approach in his "fresh" review: "Potsy Ponciroli's Motor City feels like a lost B-movie from a bygone era, channeling the spirit of the vigilante films and other exploitation genres of the 1970s."

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter — a top critic on RT — gives Motor City a "rotten" score, writing: "A glowering Alan Ritchson brings gravitas by virtue of his hulking physical presence alone, but Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster and Pablo Schreiber are stuck playing characters too familiar to pack much heat."

Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com also gives the film a "rotten" rating, writing: "Sadly, there's not quite enough movie under the gimmick, and Ponciroli can't maintain the directorial grip of a Woo, vacillating between a broad action style and self-serious blocking that makes it feel as if Bergman made a Jean-Claude Van Damme movie."

Nick Schager of The Daily Beast gives Motor City a "rotten" score, writing: "Aside from a couple of vicious set pieces, however, this genre effort's gimmickry results in derivative cornball melodrama. It would have benefited greatly from speaking louder while carrying a big stick."

Motor City plays in Thursday previews before opening in theaters nationwide on Friday.