Detroit premiere: A chat with Will Poulter, Jack Reynor and Hannah Murray

17^th August 2017

Sarah Bradbury

Shot by Filippo L'Astorina

Sarah Bradbury Shot by Filippo L'Astorina

17 August 2017

Detroit is the gripping new American period drama from Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow, uncovering a true story of injustice, racial violence and police brutality against the backdrop of the 1967 Detroit riots. We were there for the European premiere of the film at the Curzon Mayfair to catch up with the stars on the red carpet to hear what drew them to take part in the retelling of this real-life story, what is was like working with the trailblazing director and the expected impact of the provocative film.

London-born Will Poulter, who plays the unashamedly racist junior cop Philip Krauss, spoke of the discomfort yet necessity of representing such a reprehensible character, how working with genius Kathryn Bigelow is “a dream come true”, and his view of the film as a call to all artists to have a hand in drawing attention to cases of social injustice.

The blue eyed American-Irish actor Jack Reynor, who takes on the role of Krauss’s dim but obliging sidekick, Demens, told us the intense conditions the cast worked under and the danger of individuals such as his character who sit on the fence on issues of racism and injustice.

And Hannah Murray, of Skins and Game of Thrones fame, who plays young Julie Ann caught up in the events at the Algiers hotel, explained how honoured she felt to depict real life events and relayed the importance of trust between the cast to reach the dark places of violent racism the film delves into.