Netflix’s hugely emotional Oscar hopeful is released this week and is an absolute must-watch

Hankies to the ready.

Netflix have a few potential Oscar hopes this year, between the likes of family drama-comedy The Meyerowitz Stories starring Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman and Ben Stiller, and sci-fi adventure Okja starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton. However, the one that really stands out as the most likely to go home with an award or two is racial drama Mudbound, starring Garrett Hedlund, Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke and Mary J. Blige. The film tells the story of two men who return home to a rural farm in Mississippi after both serving in World War II, to find the only thing waiting for them there is racism and an inability to successfully reintegrate themselves with normal society. To say the film has some very current and topical issues at play, serving up a stark reflection to modern America, is a bit of an understatement. Clip via Netflix Critics have already been tripping over themselves in getting their overwhelming positive (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) reviews out there: "A hundred well-placed plot breadcrumbs lead us to our perfect ending, but apart from scriptwriting craft Rees gets in some bravura scenes of high tension." - The Guardian "What’s perhaps most remarkable about Mudbound is its emotional honesty, Rees rarely sidestepping the inner lives of her characters and never diminishing their own battles to live in an unlivable time, however wrongheaded they might be." - Consequence Of Sound "Mudbound requires a taste for leisurely storytelling generally more focused on building careful nuances and layered characters than on big dramatic cymbal clashes. But patient investment pays off in an epic that creeps up on you, its stealth approach laced with intelligence, elegance and an affecting balance of humanity and moral indignation." - The Hollywood Reporter "While Mudbound is rooted in a precise historical moment, it’s also a sobering commentary on timeless struggles." - Indiewire "Mudbound soars thanks to the impressive performances of the ensemble cast and, notably, Rees’ intent on depicting the harsh reality of this pre-Civil Rights era, warts and all." - The Playlist Mudbound will be available to watch on Netflix from Friday 17 November.