Scottish director David Mackenzie has been behind the camera for a number of movies, but none of them received the kind of reception that greeted 2016's Hell or High Water. The Taylor Sheridan-penned neo-Western was a mild hit at Cannes before exploding during its August release, tapping into the zeitgeist with its themes of economic anger and heartland frustrations. The story of two brothers, played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who take revenge on greedy bankers eventually earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, something few expected when the film first hit theaters. Two years later, Mackenzie and Pine are teaming up again for Outlaw King, the tale of Scottish leader Robert the Bruce. Set to open this year's Toronto International Film Festival, Netflix debuted the first trailer today for what promises to be one of their biggest fall offerings. Watch the trailer below!
The similarities to Braveheart here are totally undeniable, to the extent that I fear some will view it as a remake. No, Mackenzie is not telling the story of William Wallace, but how many people will know the difference when it's a Scottish revolution against the oppressive English rule? The filmmakers seem to understand that they'll have to sell people on the differences between these two stories, as it was mentioned during an article in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. But it'll be something of an uphill battle, especially considering how similar they look from the trailer alone.
Still, if you push that Oscar winner aside, there's a lot to be excited about here. I think Mackenzie has earned the benefit of the doubt after Hell or High Water, which was one of my favorite films of 2016. Chris Pine delivered maybe his best performance in that project, playing the quiet mastermind next to Foster's loose cannon. I love that he's taking center stage in Outlaw King, leading a cast that also includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Callan Mulvey.
And beyond the surface level elements, this really does look like a classic medieval epic, made on an impressively large scale. I haven't said this for many films, but it's a little sad that Outlaw King is heading straight to Netflix. This one deserves the IMAX treatment.
On a different note, I caught the trailer for Mary Queen of Scots in front of Mile 22 earlier today, and it's amusing that we're getting two throwback war movies in one Oscar season. The awards race is weird like that sometimes.
Outlaw King will arrive on Netflix and in select theaters on November 9.
The similarities to Braveheart here are totally undeniable, to the extent that I fear some will view it as a remake. No, Mackenzie is not telling the story of William Wallace, but how many people will know the difference when it's a Scottish revolution against the oppressive English rule? The filmmakers seem to understand that they'll have to sell people on the differences between these two stories, as it was mentioned during an article in the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly. But it'll be something of an uphill battle, especially considering how similar they look from the trailer alone.
Still, if you push that Oscar winner aside, there's a lot to be excited about here. I think Mackenzie has earned the benefit of the doubt after Hell or High Water, which was one of my favorite films of 2016. Chris Pine delivered maybe his best performance in that project, playing the quiet mastermind next to Foster's loose cannon. I love that he's taking center stage in Outlaw King, leading a cast that also includes Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Callan Mulvey.
And beyond the surface level elements, this really does look like a classic medieval epic, made on an impressively large scale. I haven't said this for many films, but it's a little sad that Outlaw King is heading straight to Netflix. This one deserves the IMAX treatment.
On a different note, I caught the trailer for Mary Queen of Scots in front of Mile 22 earlier today, and it's amusing that we're getting two throwback war movies in one Oscar season. The awards race is weird like that sometimes.
Outlaw King will arrive on Netflix and in select theaters on November 9.
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