Movie Breakdown: Devotion

Pre-Screening Stance:

The trailer for Devotion didn’t do a lot for me, but I sure do like Jonathan Majors and Glen Powell. Also, I had a pretty good time with director J.D. Dillard’s previous film, Sweetheart, when I saw it at Fantastic Fest back in 2019.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Devotion is fairly paint-by-numbers but I still found it to be watchable. The film, which is based on a true story, is centered around two pilots, Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors) and Tom Hudner (Glen Powell), during the Korean War. And that’s about it, really. This isn’t to say there’s not enough going on to keep you interested, there is, but the core of this film is built on the challenges that Brown faced as the Navy’s first black aviator, and the friendship he shared with Hudner. So, while it’s a war film, don’t expect a ton of action pieces or some big climactic battle that everyone spends their time working towards. You can, however, look forward to noteworthy performances. Majors is a force as the gentle-but-fiercely-determined Brown, and Powell very much holds his own as the legitimately-good-but-often-misguided Hudner. Also, I really enjoyed Thomas Sadoski as the two pilots’ very relatable commander, Dick Cevoli.

Overall, the best way to describe Devotion is compelling but flat. Director J.D. Dillard clearly put a lot of effort into handling the film’s subject matter with care, but that same move to play things so close to chest also inadvertently holds it back. You could easily do worse at the theater, but either way, keep those expectations in check and note that its less of an epic war film and more of a character-driven drama. The movie opens this Wednesday, November 23.

One Last Thought:

After watching Glen Powell be such an asshole hot shot pilot in Top Gun: Maverick, it was definitely a little difficult to buy into him as a nice boy hot shot pilot in Devotion.