Writer/director Elegance Bratton has a breakout feature debut like no other with The Inspection. He helms a deeply personal and emotionally charged story of self-worth and identity, full of captivating intensity and genuine heart.
The film, inspired by Bratton’s real-life experiences, follows Ellis French (Jeremy Pope), a gay black homeless man who, after being rejected by his mother (Gabrielle Union), finds himself with limited options and decides to join the Marines. However, the homophobic atmosphere that’s exuded from tough training instructor Leland Laws (Bokeem Woodbine) makes Ellis an easy target for near-lethal abuse. Thus, Ellis is forced into a battle of wills that sees him make new discoveries about himself and change a bit of the culture within his group of recruits.
The Inspection easily has some shared DNA with military films like Full Metal Jacket and Jarhead — particularly with the hyper-masculine atmosphere and sheer intensity that’s shown in the environment dictated by Leland. Woodbine’s casting is pure perfection as his dominating screen presence and intimidating voice make him a fearsome drill sergeant that anyone would be shaking at the sight of. The toxic and abusive environment he creates leaves you on edge throughout as he seems capable of doing just about anything, even putting one of his recruits in the line of fire. That attitude trickles dangerously into the group, who quickly catches on that Ellis is likely gay, and it makes for a constantly tense setting that makes you feel trapped. There are some especially brutal moments that Ellis endures at the hands of fellow recruit Harvey (McCaul Lombardi) and there are obstacles built for him that emphasize the toxic mentality created by Leland.
However, The Inspection is far from being just this basic depiction of a Full Metal Jacket-style boot camp. Bratton does an excellent job fleshing out these characters and this atmosphere. Leland’s mentality gains complexity with his anger and toxicity stemming from both his trauma and failures in prior deployments as well as the systemic homophobia and toxic masculinity built in his training. Other recruits slowly become more than just bodies in the room as their personal stories and personalities are weaved in throughout. One recruit in particular, Ismail (Eman Esfandi), has an especially strong story thread in The Inspection that touches on his own personal obstacles in being Muslim since Leland’s training and the Marine curriculum want to treat him like an enemy and dismantle everything he stands for.
It’s especially compelling how the group starts to stand against Leland’s harsh training atmosphere, and it ultimately brings the group closer together. The moments of the group speaking out against Leland feel incredibly organic and show that humanity isn’t lost amongst this harsh environment. The idea of these characters not being hollow shells or emotionless killing machines is a big reason why they stay so compelling and highlights a big sentiment displayed in the film’s ending. Even the moments of Leland’s subservient training officer, Laurence (Raul Castillo), inspiring Ellis despite Leland’s harsh targeting of him helps break past this stark and obedient view of this setting. It’s major way that The Inspection and Bratton continually subvert expectations and breaks past stereotypes to create an intriguing and captivating experience with strong emotional tethers.
The biggest emotional tether is undoubtedly Ellis’ central arc as it evokes all the inspiration of an underdog story like Rocky and features one of the best performances of the year from Pope. There are certainly some big moments that’ll leave you cheering with glee in how Ellis overcomes obstacles and finds a place for himself within the group as well as a greater understanding of himself. However, like everything else in The Inspection, Bratton doesn’t just go a simple or stereotypical route in telling what’s really his own story. Ellis’ personal journey in The Inspection is equal parts triumphant and heartbreaking in him being able to slowly find his own self-worth within his experience at the training camp. With Bratton holding nothing back in telling this story, you’re able to deeply connect with Ellis’ personal desires to feel like he matters and win his mother’s heart by becoming something important.
Pope elevates all the emotion and engagement with Ellis every step of the way in a breakout performance that’s truly one of the best of the year. It’s a performance that’ll absolutely strike you with how raw and deeply human he can be and works incredibly well with Bratton’s direction as he creates emotions, themes, and moments that have a universal relatability.
Bratton breaks the mold with Ellis as a character in the final moments and goes above and beyond in breaking expectations with the final sequence. The final confrontation between Ellis and his mother, who is played excellently by Union (in a role that’s different than anything she’s done before), features meaningful and impactful moments that not only flesh out the truth behind her disappointment, but display the true mentality of Marines and Ellis’ undying fight for his mother’s love. It’s a final stretch that constantly tugs at your heart in unexpected ways and heavily emphasizes the ideologies and themes built throughout Ellis’ personal journey to create a lasting impact that’s immensely powerful.
Bratton is absolutely masterful in telling The Inspection’s story and creates a grounded epic like no other. Ellis’ story of personal discovery is made endlessly engaging thanks to the captivating and complex atmosphere Bratton builds and Pope’s incredible performance. Bratton holds nothing back in displaying the pain and eventual comfort of his story and it’s what makes The Inspection a cathartic experience with something for everyone.
