'Destroyer' Trailer Teases Nicole Kidman in Her Grittiest Role Yet and We Smell an Oscar

Critical acclaim is in the air in the first trailer for Nicole Kidman's upcoming cop drama "Destroyer," which looks like it could score the actress her next Oscar.

Kidman plays an LAPD detective facing her past when a gang leader she went undercover to bust early on in her career reemerges, sending her on a journey to confront remaining members of the gang and her own demons.

Her performance is being hailed as one of her best ever, and is made even more believable thanks to incredible makeup that makes her look, well, nothing like the Nicole Kidman we've been fawning over for decades now.

Sebastian Stan ("Captain America: Winter Soldier") stars as the chief antagonist alongside Kidman and the rest of the top-notch cast, including Tatiana Maslany ("Orphan Black"), Toby Kebbell ("Kong: Skull Island"), Scoot McNairy ("Argo") and Bradley Whitford ("Get Out").

The movie screened earlier this year at festivals, including the Toronto International Film Festival, and has racked up mostly positive reviews from critics who attended. So far, it's got an impressive 84 percent "fresh" approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences loves actors who transform themselves for roles so we will not be surprised if Kidman scores her fifth Oscar nomination next year. She won her first in 2003 for her leading role in "The Hours."

We're looking forward to catching "Destroyer" in theaters when it arrives on Dec. 25, even though it doesn't look like very holiday-friendly material.