Hostiles
In 1892 after nearly two decades of fighting the Cheyenne, the Apache, and the Comanche natives, the United States Cavalry Captain and war hero Joseph Blocker is ordered to escort the ailing Cheyenne chief, Yellow Hawk--his most despised enemy--to his ancestral home in Montana's Valley of the Bears. Nauseated with a baleful anger, Joseph's unwelcome final assignment is further complicated when widowed settler Rosalie Quaid is taken in by his band of soldiers. Aggressive packs of marauding Comanches are still on the warpath and thirsty for blood, so can the seasoned Captain do his duty one last time?
The film underperformed commercially against its respectable budget of $55.0M, earning $37.0M globally (-33% loss). While initial box office returns were modest, the film has gained appreciation for its innovative storytelling within the drama genre.
4 wins & 7 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Hostiles (2017) exemplifies deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Scott Cooper's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 13-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 14 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.3, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Captain Joseph Blocker prepares for retirement at Fort Berringer, New Mexico Territory, 1892. A hardened cavalry officer who has spent decades fighting Native Americans, he represents the brutal reality of the Indian Wars and embodies racial hatred toward the Cheyenne.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Rosalie Quaid's entire family is slaughtered by Comanche raiders at their homestead. She survives by hiding, then sits catatonic among the corpses of her husband and three children. This act of violence introduces her into the narrative and demonstrates the brutal stakes of the frontier.. At 12% through the film, this Disruption aligns precisely with traditional story structure. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 33 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This indicates the protagonist's commitment to The escort party departs Fort Winslow with Yellow Hawk's family in chains, beginning the perilous journey to Montana. Blocker makes the active choice to honor his duty despite his hatred, entering a journey that will force him into proximity with his sworn enemy., moving from reaction to action.
At 67 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. The analysis reveals that this crucial beat The party encounters convicted criminal Corporal Charles Wills being transported for execution. They take him along. Then they are ambushed by the Comanche war party. In the brutal firefight, Blocker removes Yellow Hawk's chains and arms the Cheyenne to fight alongside them, a false victory that costs lives including young soldier Kidder., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 101 minutes (76% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Chief Yellow Hawk dies peacefully in the night. The man Blocker was ordered to escort to his homeland perishes before reaching the Valley of the Bears. Blocker is devastated, having come to respect Yellow Hawk as a fellow warrior. The mission has failed, and with it, any hope of redemption through duty., illustrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 108 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 81% of the runtime. The party reaches Montana and buries Yellow Hawk in the Valley of the Bears with Cheyenne rites. They arrive at Fort Winslow where Blocker must surrender Black Hawk to an officer who will imprison him. Blocker defies orders, kills the officer, and frees the Cheyenne family, choosing humanity over the system he served., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Hostiles's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 13 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs systematic plot point analysis that identifies crucial turning points. By mapping Hostiles against these established plot points, we can identify how Scott Cooper utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Hostiles within the drama genre.
Scott Cooper's Structural Approach
Among the 4 Scott Cooper films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, demonstrating varied approaches to story architecture. Hostiles represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Scott Cooper filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional drama films include Eye for an Eye, South Pacific and Kiss of the Spider Woman. For more Scott Cooper analyses, see Black Mass, Crazy Heart and Out of the Furnace.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Captain Joseph Blocker prepares for retirement at Fort Berringer, New Mexico Territory, 1892. A hardened cavalry officer who has spent decades fighting Native Americans, he represents the brutal reality of the Indian Wars and embodies racial hatred toward the Cheyenne.
Theme
Colonel Biggs tells Blocker about the dying Chief Yellow Hawk: "He's a human being, and so are you." This thematic statement challenges Blocker's dehumanization of his enemies and questions whether enemies can find common humanity through shared suffering.
Worldbuilding
Establishment of 1892 New Mexico Territory, the dying days of the Indian Wars. We meet Blocker's loyal squad, see the tension between soldiers and imprisoned Cheyenne, and witness the brutal reality of frontier violence through Rosalie Quaid's family being massacred by Comanches.
Disruption
Rosalie Quaid's entire family is slaughtered by Comanche raiders at their homestead. She survives by hiding, then sits catatonic among the corpses of her husband and three children. This act of violence introduces her into the narrative and demonstrates the brutal stakes of the frontier.
Resistance
Blocker resists the order to escort Yellow Hawk to Montana, risking court-martial and loss of pension. He assembles his team, including the traumatized Rosalie they find at the Quaid homestead. The journey begins with maximum hostility between Blocker and the Cheyenne prisoners.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
The escort party departs Fort Winslow with Yellow Hawk's family in chains, beginning the perilous journey to Montana. Blocker makes the active choice to honor his duty despite his hatred, entering a journey that will force him into proximity with his sworn enemy.
Mirror World
Yellow Hawk and his son Black Hawk become the thematic mirror to Blocker. Both are warriors defined by decades of violence against each other. Yellow Hawk's dignity in dying and his devotion to family begin to reflect what Blocker has lost in his own soul.
Premise
The journey through hostile territory. The party survives encounters with fur trappers who have murdered a family, and growing tension within the group. Blocker begins to see the Cheyenne as human beings, particularly through Yellow Hawk's care for his family and Rosalie's slow emergence from trauma.
Midpoint
The party encounters convicted criminal Corporal Charles Wills being transported for execution. They take him along. Then they are ambushed by the Comanche war party. In the brutal firefight, Blocker removes Yellow Hawk's chains and arms the Cheyenne to fight alongside them, a false victory that costs lives including young soldier Kidder.
Opposition
The depleted party continues north with mounting losses. Sergeant Metz is killed by Wills, who escapes. Yellow Hawk's health deteriorates rapidly. The group fractures under grief and exhaustion. Blocker and Yellow Hawk share a quiet moment of mutual respect, while Rosalie begins caring for the Cheyenne children.
Collapse
Chief Yellow Hawk dies peacefully in the night. The man Blocker was ordered to escort to his homeland perishes before reaching the Valley of the Bears. Blocker is devastated, having come to respect Yellow Hawk as a fellow warrior. The mission has failed, and with it, any hope of redemption through duty.
Crisis
The group mourns Yellow Hawk and prepares his body. Blocker sits in darkness with the enormity of decades of killing weighing on him. He must decide whether to honor Yellow Hawk's final wish or abandon the family now that his orders are technically complete.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
The party reaches Montana and buries Yellow Hawk in the Valley of the Bears with Cheyenne rites. They arrive at Fort Winslow where Blocker must surrender Black Hawk to an officer who will imprison him. Blocker defies orders, kills the officer, and frees the Cheyenne family, choosing humanity over the system he served.