Oscars 2017: 20 Predicted Best Film Nominees Ranked Worst To Best
5. Hell Or High Water
It will be an utter travesty if Hell Or High Water ends up following predictions and gaining no Oscar nominations, because it is one of the year's most enjoyable, impressively written films. It's based on a brilliant central pair of performances from Chris Pine and the always underrated Ben Foster as two brothers robbing banks to save their home from disclosure.
The script is genius, the chemistry between the two brothers utterly irresistible and it's as funny and as cool as a Coen Brothers film, which it unashamedly looks to follow. It's all fairly familiar, but those performances (plus Jeff Bridges' fantastically eccentric sheriff) earn enough freshness to make it feel new and welcome.
This was an impressive sophomore effort from Starred Up's David Mackenzie, which benefits hugely from a brilliantly witty script that is as acidic as it is confident. Long live the modern, revivalist Western, if this is what it means.