Michael Peña and Alexander Skarsgard Declare ‘War on Everyone’ In Raucous New Trailer

A bruise-black crime comedy about a pair of tough-guy partners working in a dark-grey moral area to unravel a larger crime syndicate, executed with a ’70s flair. It sure looks like 2017 will find its The Nice Guys in John Michael McDonagh’s upcoming feature War on Everyone, the trailer for which debuted today in advance of its February 3 debut. The new Gosling/Crowe power couple is none other than Michael Peña (poised to rebound from the career cyanide of Collateral Beauty) and Alexander Skarsgård (also in need of a rebound, from this summer’s dud Tarzan), as a pair of police officers who make typical cop-on-the-edge types look like they’re not even on the edge, they’re a safe distance from the cliff.

Terry Monroe and Bob Bolaño have a pretty good racket going: As New Mexico's premier law enforcers, they make a pretty penny framing and blackmailing each and every criminal that crosses their eyeline. But all criminal enterprises must implode eventually, and these two paragons of corruption are no exception. When they cross paths with the so-called "Lord" James Mangan (the late Divergent franchise’s Theo James) they find an adversary who might just be too much to handle. Also, though the trailer doesn’t make how completely clear, Creed’s Tessa Thompson figures into the plot in some way. She wears a marching band uniform, so she’s definitely got something going on.

There's plenty of cause to look forward to this one in the early months: for one, McDonagh's got a strong batting average, and his drama Calvary remains severely underrated even in his home of the U.K. There’s that cast, an unlikely mix of serviceable character actors. There are the positive reviews that have trickled out from festival screenings, with crowds at South by Southwest delighted by the film’s nearly nihilistic glee for violence. And then there’s the all-out barrage of gonzo imagery that the trailer piles on in its last minute, promising a raucous good time. Walter White’s suddenly got some competition for the title of "Worst Man in New Mexico."