‘The Inspection’ reviews: Jeremy Pope gives ‘one of the best performances of the year’; Gabrielle Union is ‘revelatory’
On November 18, A24 released “The Inspection” starring Jeremy Pope as Ellis French, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother (played by Gabriel Union) with few options for his future, who decides to join the Marines. The film is inspired by the life of writer-director Elegance Bratton, who experienced intense homophobia at boot camp and at home. The film currently has a 76% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes due to generally favorable reviews.
The film received three Gotham Awards nominations for Breakthrough Director (Bratton), Best Supporting Actress (Union) and Best Supporting Actor for Raul Castillo, who plays Rosales, a junior drill sergeant who takes an interest in Ellis. The film has been gaining Oscar buzz since premiering at the Toronto Film Festival in September. Pope has nearly cracked the top 10 in our Best Actor Oscar odds and Union is within the top 15 for Best Supporting Actress.
See what critics are saying about the film below.
Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times writes, “For all the intense physicality of his performance, Pope does much of his acting with his eyes, which can signal fear and anxiety one moment and radiate a defiant seductiveness the next.” He continues, “But the most revelatory performance here comes from Union, who as Inez distills half a lifetime’s worth of bitter disappointment into a few extraordinarily chilling scenes. With barely sublimated rage, she toes the perilously thin line between love and hate — and reminds you that while boot camp can pummel you into submission, the cruelest authoritarian mind games begin at home.”
A.O. Scott of the New York Times notes, “The metamorphosis that Bratton explores, and that Pope embodies — the way Ellis both changes and remains ever faithful to himself — is subtle, bittersweet and beautiful.”
Frank J. Avella of Edge Media Network provides a concise one paragraph review: “It works as a valiant queer character study, thanks in large part to Jeremy Pope’s immersive, exploratory performance, but fails to truly address the fucked-up system the central character is struggling against and desperately wanting to be a part of.”
Dwight Brown of DwightBrownInk.com was less impressed. “Most of it is hard to watch and it goes on for way too long before there is a flicker of hope. And that tiny ray of light is so way overshadowed by sadistic acts. It’s as if Bratton is more comfortable sharing his anguish than his success in life.” Brown continues, “Raúl Castillo, as the understanding drill instructor, gives the only nuanced portrayal.”
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com says, “Pope is a clear talent, someone who can take melodramatic material and embed in it his bones and eyes—conveying so much with his incredibly expressive face…It’s one of the best performances of the year—I just wish it was in a stronger work overall.” Tallerico is a fan of the film overall though. “It’s all very well-meaning but Bratton too often favors the drama over the realism. There are tender, beautiful moments of the latter—such as another homeless man saying goodbye to Ellis in an early scene—and I longed for a version of ‘The Inspection’ that trusts its viewer enough to let the film breathe.”
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