Mudbound
Two veteran friends confront the brutal racial order binding their families to a failing Mississippi farm after World War II.
Overview
In a world torn by racial strife, two families must navigate the muddy waters of their shared existence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- harrowing
- melancholic
- oppressive
- serious movie night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a finely detailed, powerfully acted portrait of rural class struggle, racism, and postwar America.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story moves between the Jackson and McAllan families, with Laura, Florence, Jamie, Ronsel, and others revealing different experiences of the same land and racial order.
Jamie and Ronsel return from world war ii carrying trauma that affects their relationships, behavior, and ability to reintegrate into segregated Mississippi society.
Mud, rain, heat, storms, and fevered Mississippi sunsets repeatedly frame the families' poverty and intensify their emotional and physical struggles.
The Jacksons face segregation, racist intimidation, and Ku Klux Klan violence even as their friendship with the McAllans challenges inherited prejudice.
Films like Mudbound, and why
The Help
shared historical drama, racial injustice, postwar trauma, and emotionally intense ensemble storytelling
Loving
shared American historical setting, systemic racism, family conflict, and acclaimed ensemble performances
The Best Years of Our Lives
shared war aftermath, moral trauma, racism, and devastating period drama
Killer of Sheep
shared rural American poverty, racial violence, and layered intergenerational drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Dee Rees
- Release Date
- 2017-11-16
- Runtime
- 135 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (1342)
Cast
- Carey Mulligan
- Jason Clarke
- Jason Mitchell
- Mary J. Blige
- Garrett Hedlund
- Rob Morgan
- Jonathan Banks
- Kelvin Harrison Jr.
- Kerry Cahill
- Claudio Laniado
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mudbound about?
- Two veteran friends confront the brutal racial order binding their families to a failing Mississippi farm after World War II.
- What is Mudbound like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mudbound as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Mudbound violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Mudbound as brutal.
- What did critics think of Mudbound?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a finely detailed, powerfully acted portrait of rural class struggle, racism, and postwar America.
- Which films are like Mudbound?
- Films with a similar feel include The Help, Loving, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Killer of Sheep.
- How long is Mudbound?
- Mudbound runs 135 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mudbound?
- In United States, Mudbound streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
