The First "Mudbound" Trailer is a Timely Look Into a Tumultuous Past

Scene from Mudbound

Over the past few years, Netflix has done their best to get into the Oscar race with various high end titles. Following the highly acclaimed Okja from earlier this year, the streaming service has another high profile gig for people to consider. From director Dee Rees comes Mudbound, a tale looking at American history and race relations: both themes prominent to the 2017 cultural conversation. With an even more impressive cast, the film at least has a strong chance of breaking the curse by becoming a film that grabs the audience and throws Netflix into the Best Picture race. If the results are anything like the trailer, it looks like it may be their big break finally.

It has been quite a week for trailers regarding potential Oscar contenders. Yesterday saw Lady Bird premiere on the backs of glowing praise at the Telluride Film Festival. Today also sees the release of a trailer for Palme d'Or winner The Square, and there's a strong potential for more trailers to come since it's only Wednesday. Still,  Mudbound has a promising voice in Rees, who has been making quality work for years now, including the Golden Globe-nominated Bessie, and her breakout movie Pariah. With a resume that impressive, many are rooting for this film to not just be a strong change of pace for Netflix, but possibly does for Rees what Selma did for Ava Duvernay and make her a director to watch.

Check out the trailer below:

Looks pretty good. Here's the plot description according to IMDb:

Two men return home from World War II to work on a farm in rural Mississippi, where they struggle to deal with racism and adjusting to life after war.

It's easy to see why Netflix backed this movie, even if you go beyond Oscar potential. It's upbeat with great cinematography and a compelling story that not only discusses post-World War II America, but possibly the cultural shifts of 2017. While the idea of a Best Picture winner may have shifted with Moonlight's win last year, there's a good chance that this year will have even more of a variety in tow. This isn't just in genre, but in the filmmakers and artists who bring the stories to life. Speaking as Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) was the last woman to be nominated for Best Director in 2010, there is a sense that this category is overdue and Rees could join Sofia Coppola (The Beguiled) in wrecking that boys club. With a cast this good, Mudbound stands a good chance of at least getting attention. One can only hope it's just as good as what we've seen so far.