Review of Hostiles (2017) by Grantd243 — 24 Apr 2018

Hostiles is not one of those movies that you walk into expecting a happy, fun time. It was very clear from the trailers that this was going to be a hardcore Western, and it is just that. It is about a Union solider (who specializes in killing Indians) transporting an Indian Chief back to his home, after all. The tone is set in the very first scene and it stays for the entirety of the runtime. It's a film about brutality and the cost of it. It gives a realistic portrayal of how hard and unpredictable a journey could be back in the western days. It also shows how even the most dedicated adversaries can become trusting companions under the right circumstances. This is a long film, and I could feel how long it was due to the slower pace, but that's not entirely surprising considering it's a Western. Plus, I think that the slower pace worked for this film. It helped make me feel like I was actually on a long journey with the characters, and the extended amount of time with them made me truly care for them by the end. I also have to give major props to Christian Bale for his performance in this film. I truly think it's worthy of an Oscar nomination, but he didn't get one. The rest of the cast was great as well.

In the end, I think that Hostiles is a fantastic Western. Unfortunately, the longer run time and the brutal story makes it hard for it to appeal to a huge audience, but there's no doubt in my mind that Western fans will find that this film will satisfy their need for a solid, new Western.