10 Criminally Underrated Westerns You Must See Before You Die
1. Hostiles
Scott Cooper's Hostiles released in 2017 to relative acclaim and a moderate box office, but a year on, it feels as though the film has already been forgotten.
Centred around a veteran U.S. Army Cavalrymen (Christian Bale) who must escort an old Cheyenne War Chief (Wes Studi) back to his home in Montana, Hostiles finds real success in depicting the devastating reality of American expansion, the consequences of Manifest Destiny, and the legacy of the American Indian Wars. It moves along at a slow pace, but the film is a brilliant slow burner, showcasing stunning cinematography, and several performances worthy of recognition - particularly Rosamund Pike's, who plays the widow of a family murdered by a Comanche war party in the opening act.
Upon release, Cooper's film was criticised for its length and pace, as well as for its ostensibly familiar narrative. Even though it's true that his isn't the first film to spotlight the dying moments of America's westward expansion, or even the persecution of Native Americans for that matter, its execution is flawless, and the performances of Bale, Studi and Pike are all equally formidable.
Come awards season, however, and the only nominations the film received came during the Saturn Awards and the San Diego Film Critics Society - a response that fell way short of what it undoubtedly deserved.