Short of taking on a stint on Hell’s Kitchen, a guaranteed way to get yelled at is to face down a drill sergeant in training – where yelling, screaming, and belittlement often seems to be the path to obedience and regiment. The story of cinema is littered with bad boot camps, from the dehumanisation of Full Metal Jacket, to the satirical jingoism of Starship Troopers, to the futuristic fight training in Edge Of Tomorrow. Now, The Inspection comes with its own spin on the bruising military drama, starring Jeremy Pope as Ellis French – a Marine who enters the forces after being rejected by his mother for being gay. Suffice to say, his time in the gruelling environment of military training doesn’t bring easy comfort. Watch an exclusive clip here:
In the don’t-cross-him drill sergeant role here is Bokeem Woodbine, whose Leland Laws pushes French to the brink as the training continues. The Inspection is written and directed by Elegance Bratton in his narrative feature debut – drawing from his own experiences of being kicked out of the house in his teens due to his sexuality, and his time joining the Marines. Here’s the official synopsis: “A young, gay Black man (Jeremy Pope), 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 gruelling 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.”
The film was released by A24 in the US, and now it’s getting a UK release from Signature Entertainment – hitting cinemas here on 17 February. Bring a bag of squashed flies to snack on at your own discretion.