Huge Christian Bale Flop Finally Finds Success on Netflix After Unannounced Streaming Drop

by

Christian Bale, renowned for his Oscar-winning performance in The Fighter and iconic roles in franchises like The Dark Knight trilogy and Terminator Salvation, isn’t always a guaranteed box office success. Instead, his career has experienced periods of hit-and-miss performances at the box office. However, he stands out as an actor who’s profited from the enduring popularity of home releases. Movies like American Psycho (2000), Batman Begins, and 3:10 to Yuma, which weren’t blockbusters in theaters, have since become cherished additions to Bale’s filmography. This pattern persists even today, as a previously unsuccessful Christian Bale movie is currently climbing up the Netflix streaming charts.

In natural and easy-to-read language,

“The 2017 film ‘Hostiles’ is one collaboration between Christian Bale and director Scott Cooper. They have previously worked together on Cooper’s second movie, ‘Out of the Furnace’, as well as the recent adaptation of ‘The Pale Blue Eye’ in 2022. Although Cooper has received widespread recognition and praise for movies like Black Mass and the eerie horror story Antlers, Hostiles seems to have been his least recognized work – until now.”

Despite having an estimated production budget of $40-$50 million, the movie “Hostiles” reportedly earned only $35.7 million. However, since its release on Netflix on August 21st, it has climbed up the streaming service’s rankings to the No. 6 spot in the US. This surge seems to be because viewers who stream the film late are discovering that Cooper has made another excellent movie, and more significantly, audiences are surprised to find out that the film boasts an incredibly talented cast beyond Bale.

Hostiles‘ Incredible Cast Deserved Better

In this remake from 1892, Christian Bale plays Capt. Joseph J. Blocker, a stern U.S. Army officer. He’s tasked with transporting an old adversary, the Cheyenne war chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi), and his kin from New Mexico to their home in Montana. During their journey, they come across a heartbroken woman named Rosalee Quaid (Rosamund Pike), whose family has been brutally killed by Comanche raiders. They decide to assist her and continue towards the fort meant for Yellow Hawk’s delivery. The story unfolds into a somber Western tale, where various groups such as the U.S. military, former Confederates, Native American tribes, fur traders, and other cultural elements of that time period clash harshly, providing an uncompromising portrayal of life during this era.

Apart from Christian Bale, Wes Studi, and Rosamund Pike, the film Hostiles boasts an exceptional ensemble cast. This includes Jesse Plemons, known for his roles in Breaking Bad and Fargo, Rory Cochrane from Dazed and Confused and Argo, rising star Jonathan Majors (Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania) and Timothée Chalamet of Dune, who make up Blocker’s army detail tasked with escorting Yellow Hawk home. This supporting cast is composed of talented actors, many of whom have garnered critical acclaim, if not award nominations. Other notable actors in the film include veterans like Peter Mullan (Braveheart, Trainspotting), Bill Camp (Vice, Joker), Stephen Lang (the Avatar films by James Cameron), Q’orianka Kilcher (Yellowstone, The New World), Paul Anderson (Peaky Blinders), and a final performance from Scott Wilson (In the Heat of the Night, Junebug).

Without a doubt, watching “Hostiles” today feels like playing a captivating game of identifying characters in the extensive cast. Moreover, productions like “Yellowstone” and its offshoots (“1883”, “1923”) are resurrecting the epic Western genre with a contemporary toughness and realism. As you reflect on the past, “Hostiles” (2017) was somewhat avant-garde when it was initially released; now, it’s an ideal movie for contemporary Western enthusiasts to revisit. Have you given it a watch yet?

Hostiles is streaming on Netflix.

https://comicbook.com/movies/news/ridley-scott-terminator-3-james-cameron-almost-directed-after/embed/#

Read More

2025-09-01 23:14