The Inspection
6.788%91%6.2
Based on a true story. A young, gay Black man with few options joins the Marines, to prove himself to his estranged mother and triumph in a system that cast him aside, unexpectedly finding strength and camaraderie in this new community.
- Kevin WardJuly 4, 2025I tough but powerful watch. Ellis French (Jeremy Pope) a young gay black man, is not accepted by his mother (Gabrielle Union). With no place to call home and scarce prospects for any kind of future, he joins the marines and endures abuse and torment throughout the literal and metaphorical crucible of his basic training. Pope is really excellent giving a ranged performance that exudes French’s quiet strength and also his deep sadness. Bokeem Woodbine is perfectly cast as French’s drill sergeant. Though French endures hell, he unexpectedly finds support, friendship, and the sense of belonging—things his mother wouldn’t offer him. Being a emi-autobiographical account of director Elegance Bratton, gives the story a incredible poignancy knowing that the situations depicted are first hand accounts. It also means the story doesn’t wrap up with a nice Hollywood bow. There’s not a massive catharsis awaiting at the end of French’s crucible. Sadly, the world isn’t magically accepting of gay black men once they’ve made it through basic training. Impressive debut from Bratton and worth checking out.
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The Inspection was released on December 2, 2022.
The Inspection was directed by Elegance Bratton.
The Inspection has a runtime of 1h 34m.
The Inspection was produced by Effie Brown, Chester Algernal Gordon.
Based on a true story. A young, gay Black man with few options joins the Marines, to prove himself to his estranged mother and triumph in a system that cast him aside, unexpectedly finding strength and camaraderie in this new community.
The key characters in The Inspection are Ellis French (Jeremy Pope), Inez French (Gabrielle Union), Laws (Bokeem Woodbine).
The Inspection is rated R.
The Inspection is a Drama film.
The Inspection has an audience rating of 9.1 out of 10.
The Inspection has made $271K at the box office.