Benedict Cumberbatch gets wicked in the West in eerie Power of the Dog teaser trailer

Benedict Cumberbatch will have you shaking in your cowboy boots in the new teaser trailer for Netflix's upcoming Oscar play, The Power of the Dog.

The unsettling video unveils the first official footage from the only movie that filmmaker Jane Campion (The Piano) has directed in 12 years, and it appears to be a wicked ride through the American West.

Cumberbatch leads the film as Phil, described as a "brutally beguiling" rancher who rules the landscape through intimidation in 1925 Montana alongside his sensitive brother, George (Jesse Plemons). The pair eventually comes across a widowed proprietress, Rose (Kirsten Dunst), and her son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), both of whom are moved to tears at the mercy of Phil's cruel treatment. George, however, takes a liking to them, and later marries Rose and welcomes Peter into the family.

Netflix Benedict Cumberbatch in 'The Power of the Dog.'

Phil then swings into a spiral of fury, taunting Rose and mocking her son as they integrate into life on his land. But, Phil later appears to take the boy under his wing, but leaves those around him questioning: Is the gesture indicative of a softening soul, or is it part of a menacing plot brewing beneath the surface?

Netflix

Based on Thomas Savage's book of the same name, Power of the Dog is expected to be a major Academy Awards push for Netflix, with Cumberbatch's performance already earning the performer the TIFF Tribute Actor award at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, where it is set to screen following its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival in September.

The Power of the Dog — also starring Thomasin McKenzie and Frances Conroy — enters limited theatrical release on Nov. 17, followed by its Netflix streaming debut on Dec. 1. Watch the teaser trailer above.

KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons in Jane Campion's 'The Power of the Dog.'

KIRSTY GRIFFIN/NETFLIX Kirsten Dunst in 'The Power of the Dog.'

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