Hostiles (2017)
Solid ultra violent western with absolute gorgeous cinematography. That about sums it up really, as it is a fairly straight forward narrative going from A to B with plenty of death along the way. We see how cynicism and brutality have taken over after years of war between natives and Americans, how it destroys everything in its path and remove almost all hope of peaceful co-existence. I feel like it does fall a bit short in really getting to grips with its deeper historical theme of colonization and its consequences. Yes, there is growth for the characters that do reflect on their past actions towards each other, but that message also got a little lost in all the violence that didn’t leave much room for seeing the natives as much more than brutal savages, despite the movie actually tries to convey a broader perspective. Worth seeing though, it is incredible intense from start to finish and makes full use of the landscape.
Rating: 3.5