YNMS: "Hostiles"
Chris here. The dry desert of the arid Best Actor race is about to get a bit of a transplant into the actual desert. Scott Cooper's Hostiles had one of the quieter debuts on the festival season, landing quiet praise and a tribute for Christian Bale when it went to Telluride. It got even quieter as it waited for a distributor while majors were already fully booked - but now it will be a last-minute arrival from a new mini-distrib with hopes for recognition for Bale. The film will open in limited release on December 22.
The director hasn't had Oscar success since winning Jeff Bridges a long-awaiting prize for Crazy Heart, but the film might just benefit from starring a beloved player in a less competitive year. Does it also help that the film will stand out from the pack by genre alone? Hold onto your spurs, we've got a western in the Oscar race! Take a look at the trailer before we break down the Yes No Maybe So...