A Hudson Valley Resident Directed One Of The Year’s Best Films

The Hudson Valley is home to a whole host of talent in the film and television industry, with more local names becoming big deals every day. It's likely time we add writer/director Dee Rees to that list, whose film Mudbound is getting some serious critical acclaim. Like, "one of the best films of the year" kind of acclaim.

Mudbound - which had its release on Netflix this month, which means it's available wherever there is wi-fi - currently sits at a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes after over a hundred reviews. The film will likely make a lot of top ten lists from different critics and will probably be in the conversation for awards season.

Mudbound stars a terrific cast that includes Carey Mulligan, Jason Clarke, Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell, Jonathan Banks and Mary J. Blige, and it's a period drama that depicts the experience of two veterans returning from World War II. The film was edited in Ulster County. Rees owns a property in the Hudson Valley that she may be turning into a creative retreat called NY F.A.C. (Free Artists of Color).

Dee Rees has been making a name for herself in the film world with films like Pariah and the Emmy-winning HBO movie Bessie. It's great to see a name from the area break out in such a big way, and Mudbound looks to be her biggest work yet.