Mudbound (Dee Rees, 2017)

Another offering from the Netflix juggernaut, this is nevertheless a divergence from their action and comedy norm: an adaptation of a best-selling novel about race and poverty in the Mississippi delta of the 1940s.
There are two farmer's sons, one white and one black, who go off to war in Europe and return both scarred and deeply dissatisfied with where they are again after what they've seen of the rest of the world. This leads to a bond growing between them, and although it's a strictly stock dramatic progression, it's still the film's strongest suit. Also, it spends a good deal of effort on sidestepping our plot expectations. Unfortunately this can't quite last: worn-out genre staples creep in, such as the white family's virulently racist grandpa, the black family's unquestioned ineffable goodness and their son's near-lynching by the Klan. So, amongst the greys and browns and rain, the film does indeed become mudbound.

5/10