Anna Daniels
In 2018’s Hostiles, Captain Joseph Blocker (Christian Bale) is given the last assignment he could possibly want. While still seething with hatred after years of conflict with Native Americans, Blocker is ordered to escort the dying Cheyenne chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) to Montana. He agrees only because the alternative is getting booted out of the army. Later, they’re joined by Rosalie Quaid (Rosamund Pike), whose family has been slaughtered by Comanche warriors.
Directed and co-written by Scott Cooper — best known for directing 2009’s award-magnet Crazy Heart — Hostiles is a powerful drama. Far more than a shoot-em-up, Hostiles is more about a nation and a people in a painful transition. Set in the 1890’s, the film features characters who have fueled themselves with fury and loathing for years, only to find themselves with the choice to either continue their cycle of hate and violence in defiance of a changing world, or to make the more difficult choice of learning to see old enemies through new eyes.
Along with top-tier acting (particularly from Pike’s portrayal of the grief-stricken Rosalie), Hostiles features gorgeous cinematography and a sweeping soundtrack, including Ryan Bingham’s “How Shall a Sparrow Fly.”
Written by: Looper
