This New Alan Ritchson Action Thriller Captures The Spirit Of Reacher In One Key Way [TIFF 2025]

“Motor City,” a violent revenge thriller set in the 1970s, made its North American premiere Thursday night at the Toronto International Film Festival. So far, the movie’s biggest claim to fame is its leading man, Alan Ritchson, who’s best known for his starring role in the Prime Video series “Reacher.” For fans of that series, which is all about watching Ritchson’s character beat up bad guys with the ease and confidence we all wish we could have, this new movie of his will be right up your ally. 

Making it an even stronger fit for “Reacher” fans is that Ritchson’s character here, John Miller, doesn’t just keep Reacher’s toughness and swagger; he keeps Reacher’s penchant for only speaking when necessary. “Motor City” has a runtime of 103 minutes, and during that time, Miller only speaks three words that the audience can hear. For the rest of the film, he’s quietly observing his situation and getting his revenge. Like Reacher, Miller doesn’t need to talk because his actions (and his absurdly large frame) speak for him. 

At least as far as dialogue’s concerned, “Motor City” is arguably a more faithful adaptation of the “Jack Reacher” novels than the recent TV show has ever been. As stoic as Reacher seems in the show, the TV version is a real chatterbox compared to his literary counterpart. Author Lee Child has the advantage of giving the readers Reacher’s direct thoughts through the narration, which means there’s no need for Reacher to say any necessary exposition aloud. Book Reacher is a true quiet king, and it’s only in this unrelated movie that Ritchson has been able to do that aspect of the character justice. 

To say that Miller only speaks three words in “Motor City” isn’t 100% accurate. He is shown talking here and there, but we’re never made privy to those exact words. “Motor City” stays focused on the visuals and the music, with a soundtrack that’s seemingly just a ’70s hits playlist running uninterrupted. That’s not a complaint, to be clear: The film’s commitment to this light-dialogue, music-video feel makes for a smooth, soothing viewing experience. (Trivia: Ritchson wasn’t the first person attached to star in this film.)

The lack of dialogue here works so well because the actual story of “Motor City” is familiar even to casual fans of the genre. We’ve all seen action thrillers about a guy framed for a crime he didn’t commit, who breaks out for revenge. The movie knows its plot is simplistic, so if it’s going to stand out, it’ll have to make a bold stylistic choice and commit to it completely.

The result is a film that is not only visually stunning, but which underlines how little a movie needs dialogue as an exposition crutch. It captures a similar vibe as “A Quiet Place,” the “Hush” episode of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” the season 4 wordless heist episode in “Mr. Robot,” or “The Boy From 6B” in “Only Murders in the Building.” When nobody’s talking, the director’s guaranteeing that the viewers’ eyes are glued to the screen; they can’t look at their phones while dialogue keeps them in the loop. A dialogue-free movie helps ensure an active, engaged audience. It’s a simple gimmick, but “Motor City” shows there’s nothing wrong with a gimmick done well.