‘Motor City’ Stars Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster on Dialogue-Free Film

The press notes for filmmaker Potsy Ponciroli’s Motor City — a selection of both the Venice and Toronto film festivals — describe it as a “boldly original revenge-driven crime thriller” that delivers an “unmatched cinematic experience.” The surprise is how it attempts to do that — by delivering 103 minutes of a movie that is virtually dialogue-free.

The story follows John Miller (Alan Ritchson), a former Army Ranger turned criminal who falls for Sophia (Shailene Woodley), the girlfriend of a powerful local gangster named Reynolds (Foster). Framed by the gangster through corrupt police connections, Miller is sent to prison only to seek brutal revenge upon his release. The day after the film’s Venice world premiere, Woodley and Foster gave The Hollywood Reporter 20 minutes of their time on a sunny afternoon on the Lido to talk about why they signed on for the indie experiment, their fashion strategy of method dressing while promoting the Chad St. John-penned project and why playlists are so crucial to their creative processes.

We’ll get into serious questions, but let’s start with the ensembles. Who came up with the idea to do method dressing while in Venice?

WOODLEY We’re both fans of ‘70s style because it’s sexy, elegant and a bit unpredictable. I would say those are qualities of ours, too, that we admire. I remember when we were filming this movie, we all said that if we go to Venice, which was always the dream, that we would have to turn up.

It fits you both so well. You’re really leaning in, Ben …

FOSTER That’s what we would do on set. One of Potsy’s great attributes is creating a space where you can just be with each other so that’s what we did. Shai and I would say, “Let’s hit that and not over talk the scene. Find the blocking and listen to each other.” It wasn’t a beat-by-beat direction like some directors like to do. I brought in a boombox every day, and played music from a long playlist I made. We figured we would bring the ‘70s party here with us to Venice since that’s what we did on set.

Do you create playlists for every project?

FOSTER Every film.

You too?

WOODLEY Every film.

What is it about that that helps you get into character?

WOODLEY It doesn’t have to be era appropriate or tonally appropriate but when I hear a song, there’s something about the rhythm or the beat that evokes a specific feeling in my body. I just know it will work for a character. I can’t explain it, really, other than to say that there is a frequency that music allows us to tap into that our brains might try and block us from feeling the depths of a certain truth that exists within ourselves. I do believe music can be the door to those truths, for myself at least.

Ben, your playlist actually inspired a song choice that was used in the opening of the film with David Bowie’s “Cat People (Putting Out Fire).” How did that make you feel?

FOSTER It’s nice when one can contribute but film is a collaborative game. Whether it’s Donna Summer, Bill Withers, Nile Rodgers, it’s just about building elements that energize you. Like Shai said so eloquently, music doesn’t necessarily have to be era-specific but as long as it delivers a primitive feeling to get into character. That’s why we like to dance, right? That’s why if you’re in the car on the way to work, which can be a drag, you find yourself in a certain headspace singing along if you hear a great song come on the radio. It lifts you up.

In an interview, Potsy said that you both responded immediately to the Motor City script. Shailene, he said that he called you at 8 a.m. to give you a heads up that he was sending it over. He said you called back within 50 minutes. Ben, he said you shared a meal in Nashville where you both live and you jumped up and started acting out some of the scenes because you were so excited by it. Tell me why you both responded with such enthusiasm?

WOODLEY Potsy and I are friends because we’ve been working on a different project. I remember being very moved by all of his choices and thoughts about that particular project. When he called me, I assumed it was about that other screenplay but he said he had a new thing he wanted to show me. He said that it wouldn’t take long to read it. I had time that morning and I read it quickly. Potsy had already told me that Alan Ritchson was attached to star and that his dream would be for Ben Foster to play Reynolds so I had them both in my head as I read. The script is so poetic and beautifully written.

What I was most exhilarated by was the newness, the experimentation and the why not. I’ve done a film where it was all improvised and that was a leap of faith. This one was a leap of faith as well because you’re so dependent upon the other players. I always get excited by the unknown. That really thrilled me as did the opportunity to work with this guy. Ben’s a one-of-one.

Ben, why did you jump up and start acting out the scenes?

FOSTER It’s not something that I tend to do but it’s like what we were talking about with music; it’s what happens when the song calls you. I wasn’t doing line readings because there aren’t a lot of lines here but I was more responding to the space. I’m a physical person, I can’t help but be in this skin suit that we all negotiate with every day. I think I just felt like moving with him and talking about scenes. I got turned on. Also, I knew that Shai was attached and I have been a fan of hers for years. As an actor, sometimes you lean in and other times, you lean back and let others do their thing. Shai is always unpredictable and true.

Were you aware of Alan Ritchson and the success of Reacher?

WOODLEY I was very aware of Reacher, and of Alan. I didn’t know him as a person, I had never met him. Before you meet someone, there’s always this persona from a magazine or a persona from the characters they’ve played. When you play a character as iconic as Reacher, there’s sort of an identity that’s been crafted around you that sometimes you don’t always know what to expect. I loved playing with the dynamic between our characters, and I love the energy exchange that Alan and I have as well as with Ben and I because they’re so different. You really do feel that in the film. I think he’s so brilliant and beautiful in this film.

FOSTER Similar to Shai, I had read and heard about Alan. Initially, he makes me think of shapes. It was like, wow, he can barely get through a doorway. It’s pretty remarkable. But he has a great sensitivity within his physicality that was attractive to me to go entangle with. I know my stature, which I like to think of as tall, but getting to tangle with that sensitivity and that brute force was great. It’s a turn on to be like, how do we make this a fair fight? Or at least close?

Ben, going back quickly to the Nashville meeting. I know a lot of people have moved there over these past couple of years as it’s become more of a hub for actors and artists like it’s long been for musicians. Why did you move and what is your life like there?

FOSTER To keep it brief, I lived in L.A. for, we’ll call it 12 years. I lived in New York for about the same. [My ex-wife and I] had two children and my parents are very close with my children. They’ve moved close to Nashville. After the pandemic, I had a cognition that I didn’t need to live on either coast, quite frankly. I love horses and I ride. I love live music. I dig country music. There’s been a shift from both coasts and I’ve found that it’s gentler for me, at least, to hub there. Nashville is just a different way. I’m enjoying it. When Potsy emailed me about this movie, he said, “OK, we can Zoom at 12. What coast are you on?” I told him that I was in Nashville and he said, “Get out! Me too!” We decided to meet in person and have lunch, all on the same day, right after I had read the script. I have to be intuitive. I don’t want to be too thoughtful about things. It’s got to move me immediately.

Motor City is available for distribution. How do you feel about coming to the market with a movie like this right now? How are you feeling about the state of the business?

WOODLEY Things are always changing. Change is the only constant in life we can rely on. It does in some ways feel like this industry is in the midst of a major shift. It’s the wild, wild west, a new frontier. Who knows what will be discovered on this new frontier that we are now exploring. I’m excited by it. Anytime you set off into a new space, there are always challenges. There is always tragedy. But there’s excitement and opportunity, too. The fact that here we are in 2025, and we made a sexy, action with maybe three sentences of dialogue, and It moves your heart and your emotions says a lot about what people are interested in and how they want to spend their time.

There’s a lot of emphasis and narrative around shortened attention spans because of TikTok and social media. But I actually think people are really hungry for presence. People are starting to disillusion themselves from this black box we constantly have in front of our faces. I think people aren’t very happy. Movies have always been a form of escape and a form of inspiration to say you’re not alone in the world. I think our movie reminds people that they are not alone and that there’s a connection and freedom to be had. The response that we got here in Venice was very positive. More than anything, it’s pretty badass that Potsy made this film that our producers and our financiers put their energy and resources into making something unique in this moment.

What’s your relationship to that black box?

WOODLEY We both have pretty healthy relationships with it.

FOSTER I’m not on social media at all. I used to be a news junkie, but every three months I delete the apps and go on whatever [platform] to check world news. Then I put it back on silent. I like to actively practice the best I can to be here now in the present. It’s all we got.

He said without breaking eye contact.

FOSTER People are addicted to their phones because there’s a new cultural demand for constant communication and check-ins, but you’re not actually, in my opinion, really connecting. Unless someone sends me an SOS that says, “I need you,” I’m going to be with who I’m with in that moment.