Could Netflix score an Oscar with Mudbound? Very possibly (Watch)

Netflix released a full-length trailer for its original film Mudbound today, and it’s clear the streaming giant wants a horse in the Oscar race this year.

Admittedly, the trailer for Mudbound is pretty darn stunning. If you’re into the rise of rural noir in pop culture, à la True Detective and Lawless, it may just give you chills.

Of course, the trailer suggests the movie is not simply about good ol’ country grit, but is a story powerfully underscored by the economic and social effects of race relations in the post-WWII South.

An on-screen quote from a review by the Chicago Tribune describes the film as “densely packed,” and the same could be said of the trailer. We are briefly introduced to the two families the narrative centers around, which leads to a fairly large cast of characters.

Over the course of 2 minutes and 13 seconds, we get a sneak peak at a budding friendship, a forbidden romance, and a crumbling marriage, along with profound prejudice, veterans coping with the return home, and some other dramatic stuff that is too vague to decipher but will undoubtedly be important later.

Adding to our high hopes is the fact that Mudbound is directed by Dee Rees, whose previous works include Pariah; thus, she is no stranger to bringing heavy-hitting emotional stories to the big screen.

As awards show season rapidly approaches, the Oscar buzz has already begun.

Last month, as many outlets like Uproxx pointed out in breakdowns of this trailer,The Handmaid’s Tale won the Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, Hulu became the first streaming service to win an Emmy — and many assumed Netflix executives must be smarting at the news. After all, Netflix spends more than double what Hulu does on original content.

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Well, we’re calling it now: Mudbound definitely has the potential to even the score.