Overview
A gripping tale of survival and duty amidst the chaos of war and cultural conflict.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- austere
- brooding
- serious movie night
- historical drama evening
What critics said
Critics generally found the film visually majestic and anchored by Christian Bale's performance, while considering its solemn story uneven and sometimes overly obvious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Captain Joseph Blocker must escort Chief Yellow Hawk, the Cheyenne leader he despises, while gradually confronting the humanity behind their history of violence.
The journey through New Mexico and Montana is framed by majestic, rugged landscapes that contrast with massacres, grief, and human hostility.
Blocker's identity as a celebrated cavalry captain is inseparable from nearly two decades of fighting Indigenous peoples and his accumulated anger.
The central escort mission gathers soldiers, a Cheyenne family, and a grieving settler into one dangerous overland convoy.
Films like Hostiles, and why
The Revenant
shares a revisionist western setting, morally conflicted soldiers, stark frontier violence, and themes of reconciliation
Dances with Wolves
shares an austere western atmosphere, cultural conflict, grief, and visually expansive frontier travel
The Proposition
shares a revisionist western mode, harsh violence, racial tension, and a redemptive relationship formed under pressure
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
shares a bleak historical frontier journey, damaged protagonists, and an emphasis on landscape and moral exhaustion
Movie Details
- Director
- Scott Cooper
- Release Date
- 2017-12-22
- Runtime
- 134 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (2595)
Cast
- Christian Bale
- Rosamund Pike
- Wes Studi
- Jesse Plemons
- Adam Beach
- Rory Cochrane
- Peter Mullan
- Scott Wilson
- Paul Anderson
- Timothée Chalamet
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hostiles about?
- A battle-hardened cavalry captain escorts his hated Cheyenne adversary across a violent frontier, where grief and forced companionship challenge his inherited hatred.
- What is Hostiles like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hostiles as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hostiles violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Hostiles as graphic.
- What did critics think of Hostiles?
- Critics generally found the film visually majestic and anchored by Christian Bale's performance, while considering its solemn story uneven and sometimes overly obvious.
- Which films are like Hostiles?
- Films with a similar feel include The Revenant, Dances with Wolves, The Proposition, and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford.
- How long is Hostiles?
- Hostiles runs 134 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hostiles?
- In United States, Hostiles streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
