Hostiles

Name: Hostiles
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Western
Released: December 22, 2017
Duration: 134 min
Rating: 65
Cast: Ava Cooper, Ben Foster, Christian Bale, David Midthunder, Gray Wolf Herrera

2017

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 41 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 200 Ratings

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7.2

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7.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 200 Ratings

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Hostiles

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Movie Details & Credits

Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures | Release Date: December 22, 2017 | R

Starring: Ava Cooper, Ben Foster, Christian Bale, David Midthunder, Gray Wolf Herrera, Jesse Plemons, John Benjamin Hickey, Jonathan Majors, Paul Anderson, Peter Mullan, Q'orianka Kilcher, Rory Cochrane, Rosamund Pike, Scott Shepherd, Scott Wilson, Stella Cooper, Stephen Lang, Timothée Chalamet, Wes Studi

Summary: Set in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of a legendary Army Captain (Christian Bale) who, after stern resistance, reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief (Wes Studi) and his family back home to tribal lands. Making the harrowing and perilous journey from New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, the former rivals encounter aSet in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of a legendary Army Captain (Christian Bale) who, after stern resistance, reluctantly agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne war chief (Wes Studi) and his family back home to tribal lands. Making the harrowing and perilous journey from New Mexico to the grasslands of Montana, the former rivals encounter a young widow (Rosamund Pike) whose family was murdered on the plains. Together, they must join forces to overcome the punishing landscape, hostile Comanche, and vicious outliers they encounter along the way.… Expand

Director: Scott Cooper

Genre(s): Adventure, Drama, Western

Rating: R

Runtime: 134 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Chris Nashawaty

Dec 20, 2017

Westerns can be a tough nut to crack, but Hostiles may be the finest example of the genre since "Unforgiven." Read full review

James Berardinelli

Dec 19, 2017

The movie, written for the screen and directed by Scott Cooper (who helmed Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning performance in "Crazy Heart"), is careful not to demonize anyone and make the path to redemption both slow and methodical. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Dec 21, 2017

Hostiles itself wants to be both a throwback and an advance, not so much a new kind of western as every possible kind — vintage, revisionist, elegiac, feminist. What makes the movie interesting is the sincerity and intelligence with which it pursues that ambition, heroically unaware that the mission is doomed from the start. Read full review

IndieWire David Ehrlich

This is a proudly traditional oater that travels down old trails with new sadism, as though the Western genre only died off because the movies weren’t cruel enough. Read full review

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

A flawed, but interesting drama. Read full review

Gary Thompson

Jan 4, 2018

What is Cooper after here? He seems to want us to gasp at the naturalistic horror of it all, drawn from history and accompanied with the sober denunciation of actual frontier massacres (Blocker is a veteran of Wounded Knee), but the parade of grotesque violence (murders, rapes, suicides) suggests something more surreal, less literal. Read full review

Mick LaSalle

Dec 29, 2017

This makes Hostiles something of a slog, but a movie-literate slog containing some impressive scenes. Read full review

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User Reviews

ledaumas

Jan 8, 2018

My boyfriend wanted to see this movie and told me it starred Josh Brolin. I don't like westerns or civil war films (except for "Gone With The Wind"), and the trailer didn't make this film appealing to me. I like films that entertain. However, I gave in and quickly realized it was ChristianMy boyfriend wanted to see this movie and told me it starred Josh Brolin. I don't like westerns or civil war films (except for "Gone With The Wind"), and the trailer didn't make this film appealing to me. I like films that entertain. However, I gave in and quickly realized it was Christian Bale (I don't know why my boyfriend confuses Bale with Brolin), who was very unlikable at first. After a slow beginning, the story becomes very compelling and it doesn't matter that it's a western or whatever this movie is. The story is about human dignity and what it takes to get along with people who don't look like you, or think like you. As the story progresses, both sides gain respect for the other as they endure the same horrible situations. Wish more people were really like that during trying times and still able to show empathy and caring. The end of the film was a bit of a tease on what was going to happen next, and we're glad the film ended the way it did. On top of a compelling story (at least the story was compelling for us), it has great acting, and wonderful scenery. I wish I knew where they filmed. The cinematography was gorgeous!… Expand

8 of 17 users found this helpful89

GodzillaAvenger

Feb 26, 2019

I think this movie offers some great insight into true hatred on both sides of a conflict. But it is about understanding out hatred so we can move on and reconcile in the future. I like how neither Christian Bale's character or the Native characters are good or evil. They are simply people,I think this movie offers some great insight into true hatred on both sides of a conflict. But it is about understanding out hatred so we can move on and reconcile in the future. I like how neither Christian Bale's character or the Native characters are good or evil. They are simply people, one just doing his job and the other who is caught in a horrific conflict. Great performances also by almost everyone and the cinematography is gorgeous. This movie makes me think and I believe it does a tremendous job.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

Dalek

Jan 6, 2018

What an incredible film. Definitely worth watching. The atmosphere is solid from start to finish, with a nice soundtrack and superb acting from a well picked cast.

4 of 9 users found this helpful45

frannorthstar

Jan 9, 2019

Excellent true as it was of the time depicting Native Americans not as the scourge, rather those having imprisoned their way of life thus producing the downfall of the West before it even had a chance.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

michaelmansun

Feb 14, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Liked the film. Opening scene not very realistic. Anybody living in a cabin, with walls as thick as trees and with six riders coming slowly at you in a broad open clearing, knows to stay in the cabin and pick them off one by one as they approach. The scene was not well written, and likely left all audience members wondering just exactly how someone could survive long enough to build a cabin and have three children and behave as stupidly as this man did.… Expand

1 of 4 users found this helpful13

meydianarizki21

Nov 10, 2022

2 stories in 1
Fancied a horror so after reading the synopsis of this 2017 film which I'd never heard of, thought why not.
Basically the film is set it to time lines, before and after and you know at some point they will converge but your never entirety sure until........ then it all falls2 stories in 1
Fancied a horror so after reading the synopsis of this 2017 film which I'd never heard of, thought why not.

Basically the film is set it to time lines, before and after and you know at some point they will converge but your never entirety sure until........ then it all falls into place.

Strange film because of the 2 time lines, one a love story and the other a fight for survival, but the love story story for me was far from realistic but in the context of the underlying message carried by both story lines both acted as a way to get this message across.

In out lives we may have to face our own monsters, real or events which we may not want to face but we know we have to do so, this film with the 2 story lines uses both real monsters and the monsters we may have to face in real life and joins then up in a way which made for a rather enjoyable watch. Rating 6 out of 10.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Faced8821

Aug 26, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Movie can be described in one word. Disappointing. Largely uneventful outside of a few small skirmishes. It has a strange twist as a western that dabbles in a social justice/ post modernist theory. It doesn’t work. Would not pay to watch.… Expand

2 of 7 users found this helpful25

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68	#68 Most Discussed Movie of 2017
88	#88 Most Shared Movie of 2017