The Inspection

Name: The Inspection
Genre: Drama
Released: November 18, 2022
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 73
Cast: Aaron Dominguez, Andrew Kai, Aubrey Joseph, Bokeem Woodbine, Eman Esfandi

2022

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 30 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

No score yet

tbd

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

tbd	Your Score
tbd	User Score No score yet

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

The Inspection

Now Playing: The Inspection

Movie Details & Credits

A24 | Release Date: November 18, 2022 | Not Rated

Starring: Aaron Dominguez, Andrew Kai, Aubrey Joseph, Bokeem Woodbine, Eman Esfandi, Gabrielle Union, Jeremy Pope, McCaul Lombardi, Nicholas Logan, Raúl Castillo

Summary: In Elegance Bratton's deeply moving film inspired by his own story, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basicIn Elegance Bratton's deeply moving film inspired by his own story, a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life.… Expand

Director: Elegance Bratton

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 100 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Phil Pirrello

Nov 18, 2022

The Inspection isn’t a perfect movie, but there are times when it feels like it’s tantalizingly close. Read full review

David Rooney

Sep 9, 2022

There’s brutality but also an understated hint of poetry in the way Bratton tells his story from deep inside it, making beautiful use of Baltimore experimental pop group Animal Collective’s richly varied electronic score, which often plays in gentle counterpoint to the harshness of what’s unfolding. Read full review

Alison Willmore

Nov 23, 2022

Bratton, who has an eye for compelling framing and unexpected beauty, has made something more complicated than a treatise against the power structures enshrined in the military, though he’s very aware of them. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Matt Zoller Seitz

Nov 18, 2022

Some experiences are so profound (and/or scarring) that they elude explication. The Inspection is about that sort of experience, which translates far beyond boot camp and resonates through our lives, until the final trumpet fades. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Nov 21, 2022

The Inspection is best appreciated as a showcase for Woodbine and Union, each taking her or his best big screen dramatic role in years and bringing it home in scene after scene. Read full review

K. Austin Collins

Nov 21, 2022

This is not a tale of a young man who can “pass” and, knowing that it may matter to his survival, toughens up, puts on a masculine drag. It’s a movie intent on showing us that this is all drag — it’s all put-on, all available to the play of identity. Read full review

The Playlist Robert Daniels

Sep 9, 2022

The Inspection isn’t a bad movie. Rather it’s a disappointing slog because the arduous journey it sets up should have offered greater returns. Read full review

SEE ALL 30 REVIEWS

Write a Review

Negative:

User Reviews

TVJerry

Dec 10, 2022

This is the first feature from Elegance Bratton, based on his own experience. When his mother kicked him out for being gay at 16, he spent 10 years homeless before joining the Marines. Most of the movie takes place at the boot camp, where he's continually harassed by other recruits and theThis is the first feature from Elegance Bratton, based on his own experience. When his mother kicked him out for being gay at 16, he spent 10 years homeless before joining the Marines. Most of the movie takes place at the boot camp, where he's continually harassed by other recruits and the officers. This is a small indie that's focused on the people instead of big production values, which is fortunate because the performances are outstanding. Jeremy Pope as the recruit, Gabrielle Union as his mother and Bokeem Woodbine as the drill sergeant are all overflowing with a range of emotions and deep feelings. Additional supporting roles expand the diverse experiences in several directions. There have certainly been other stories of gay men overcoming obstacles, but the fact that this one is true and he's Black adds additional resonance.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

moviemitch96

Dec 1, 2022

A young gay African-American man (Jeremy Pope) who has been all but cast aside by his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union) hopes to prove his worth to her by enlisting in the Marine Corp and enduring several weeks of boot camp in a system that threatens to break someone like him. Written andA young gay African-American man (Jeremy Pope) who has been all but cast aside by his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union) hopes to prove his worth to her by enlisting in the Marine Corp and enduring several weeks of boot camp in a system that threatens to break someone like him. Written and directed by Elegance Bratton, this film serves as a semi-autobiographical recounting of his time spent in the Marine Corp circa 2005, a time when homophobia was arguably at one of its highest peak moments. I could clearly feel his own personal struggles whilst watching this film and the experiences he must have went through. And although it's meaningfully told, it still can't help but feel a little cliched at times, especially with the drill instructors (Bokeem Woodbine in particular) feeling like cardboard cutout insert antagonists with several of their scenes and dialogue, along with a rather anticlimatic-feeling final act that left me wanting a little more. On the flipside however, Pope's incredible lead performance is, more often than not, enough to carry the film quite nicely, and Union as his cold, distant mother even turns in a raw supporting performance. Overall, while it's well made and well intended, storywise it comes up a little short due to falling for a couple of narrative cliche traps here and there, along with a handful of stereotypical characters to boot.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

j1train

Nov 30, 2022

Fine performances from Gabrielle Union and Jeremy Pope, but it otherwise feels clunky and clichéd.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 3 REVIEWS