Jeremy Pope stars as a closeted marine in The Inspection trailer
Elegance Bratton's narrative debut is set to premiere at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
Words: Emily Maskell; pictures: A24
A24’s latest offering is The Inspection, a heartbreaking story inspired by true events about a closeted gay man’s journey of survival through intense military training.
The Inspection is Elegance Bratton’s narrative debut which stars Tony and Emmy-nominated actor Jeremy Pope, from One Night In Miami and Pose, as a young, gay, Black homeless man who joins the Marine Corps after his mother (Gabrielle Union) disowns him for being gay.
As he battles deep-seated prejudice and the gruelling routines of basic training, his life takes a turn when “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.”
View this post on Instagram
From the first moment in the trailer, where the latest recruits are yelled at the second they exit the bus, the harrowing reality of military life is evident.
Drawing from his own military experience, filmmaker Bratton’s somewhat autobiographical portrait of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ era is set to be a moving tale told through the perspective of a young gay man facing harsh homophobic prejudice.
Sharing the trailer on Twitter, Pope, who describes himself as sexually fluid, wrote: “my heart is still processing all of this”.
my heart is still processing all of this…🤍 https://t.co/dgsuL2f6h3
— Jeremy Pope (@jrmypope) August 23, 2022
“My mom, she won’t even talk to me,” Pope narrates during a dramatic sequence of the trailer. “Most of my friends are in jail. If I die in this uniform, I’m a hero.”
Jeremy Pope and Gabrielle Union are joined by Raúl Castillo and Bokeem Woodbine.
Behind the camera, Chester Algernal Gordon, who made history as the first gender non-binary African American costume designer to compete in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, is a producer on the project.
The film will be closing the 60th New York Film Festival this year after its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival at the beginning of September.
The Inspection has a US theatrical release on 18 November, the UK date is yet to be announced.
Check out the trailer below:
The Attitude September/October issue is out now.
