Theneo-Westernfilm genre reimagines the themes and ideas of classicWesternmovies for a modern audience. Often, this takes the form of a Western-style movie set in contemporary times, or if it was set in an earlier time period, the film blended genres and presented itself as a more targeted critique of American societal values than what’s normally seen in a typical Western. Neo-Westerns are often much darker stories that tackle existential questions of life, death, and the complexities of determining good from evil.
Many ofthe best modern Western moviesembrace a neo-Western sensibility and include works by some ofthe best directors of all time, such as Paul Thomas Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, and the Coen brothers. While many of these films don’t focus on traditional bandits, cowboys, or outlaws, they often utilize the desolate landscapes and brooding atmospheres of classic Western cinema.The best neo-Westerns ever made often capture the spirit of older films in this genre but include subversive twiststhat force audiences to question the mythos of the American Wild West and its relevance in modern times.
Wind River (2017)
Cast
Set on a remote Native American reservation, Wind River follows Cory Lambert, a wildlife tracker, as he teams up with FBI agent Jane Banner to solve the murder of a young woman. With the community’s cooperation elusive, they confront the harsh environment and buried secrets.
Wind Riverwas a modern, character-driven Western starring Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen in a highly humanistic murder mystery of tragedy and violence. Directed byHell or High WaterandSicariowriter Taylor Sheridan,Wind Riverexplored the very real issue of Indigenous women being sexually assaulted and killed on Indian reservationsand across the United States. By taking the aesthetic of a Western movie and addressing contemporary concerns,Wind Riverhad something urgent and relevant to say.
As a stylish mix of Coen brothers-esque noir and crime procedural stories,Wind Riverwas an intense box office hit full of complex characters and an intellectually rewarding story. With an accomplished style that helped this film rise above its whodunnit premise, Sheridan showcased the malleability of the Western genre and got the best out of his two stars, Renner and Olsen. As one of the fewWestern movies to actually receive a sequel, an upcoming follow-up from director Kari Skogland,Wind River: The Next Chapter, has been announced.
Red Rock West
Red Rock West is a neo-noir thriller directed by John Dahl, featuring Nicolas Cage as Michael Williams, a drifter in need of employment. Mistaken for a hitman, he becomes embroiled in a web of deception, with the town’s inhabitants, including J.T. Walsh’s Wayne and Lara Flynn Boyle’s Suzanne, further complicating matters. The film explores themes of identity and morality, set in the arid landscapes of the American Southwest.
In a career full of outrageous and underrated performances, one of Nicolas Cage’s greatest wasRed Rock West. This stylish neo-Western starred Cage as Michael Williams, a down-on-his-luck drifter who, after being mistaken for an assassin, decided to go along with the charade and take the killer’s fee for himself. However, things started to fall apart when the real assassin (Dennis Hopper) eventually showed up in this story of betrayal, deceit, double-crossing, and romance.
Red Rock Westwas both tense and hilarious as it took influence from Westerns, thrillers, film noirs, and everything in between. With plenty of twists and turns throughout, every cast member ofRed Rock Westwas in top form as this nightmarish story becomes increasingly complex and convoluted as Michael fell ever deeper into hot water. WhileRed Rock Westwas not as well-known as other Cage cult classics, it stood as a hidden neo-Western gem waiting to be discovered.
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie
El Camino wraps up Jesse Pinkman’s story after he escapes from a group of Neo-Nazis at the end of Breaking Bad. Written, directed, and produced by Vince Gilligan and starring Aaron Paul, the 2019 movie revolves around Jesse’s attempt to flee to Alaska and start a new life, leaving behind his past with meth kingpin Walter White.
WhileBreaking Badbegan as a comedic drama about an unfortunate high school chemistry teacher getting in over his head in the meth business, by the time the show ended, it had transformed into one of the most acclaimed neo-Westerns on television. From its meticulously planned train heist to its desert showdowns,Breaking Badowed a lot to classic Western cinema. This influence was even more prominent inEl Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, which acted as an epilogue for the story of Walter White’s former student and meth-cooking partner Jesse Pinkman.
At its core,El Caminowas the story of a man on the run from the law, as Jesse had now earned a reputation as one of the most notorious outlaws in the country. As Jesse tried to pick up the pieces of his life amid the orange hues of the New Mexico landscape, he brought to mind the classic Western trope of the lone anti-hero forced to leave town. With themes of survival, resilience, and self-determination, Jesse’s story inEl Caminotruly embraced the neo-Western stylings of theBreaking Baduniverse.
Hell or High Water
Hell or High Water is a modern Western crime thriller directed by David Mackenzie. Starring Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two brothers who embark on a series of bank robberies to save their family ranch, the film delves into themes of economic hardship and justice. Jeff Bridges plays a Texas Ranger nearing retirement, determined to catch them.
Hell or High Waterwas truly one of the greatest Western movies in recent years, as its solid story and impressive performances helped it stand out as a modern neo-Western classic. From director David Mackenzie and writer Taylor Sheridan,Hell or High Waterwas the second in Sheridan’s impressiveAmerican Frontier Trilogy, includingSicarioandWind River. Starring Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster, this story of two bank-robbing brothers was an engaging mix of heist thriller and Western movie tropes.
With a memorable sense of style that made West Texas almost feel like a character in and of itself within the film,Hell or High Waterwas an emotional and well-paced cinematic experience populated with three-dimensional characters. While the story of the Howard brothers attempting to rob enough banks to save their failing ranch following the death of their mother was captivating, the cunning game of cat-and-mouse at the center of this story made it truly great. For fans of modern Westerns that are packed with style and substance,Hell or High Waterwas a must-watch film.
Badlands
A teenage girl and her greaser boyfriend from a small, dead-end town set off on a deadly crime spree through the South Dakota badlands.
Terrence Malick’s cult classicBadlandstold a modern Bonnie and Clyde story as it outlined the romance between Kit Carruthers, a 25-year-old garbage collector, and the impressionable 15-year-old teenager Holly Sargis. With a unique style that blended Western, noir, crime, and coming-of-age stories,Badlandshighlighted the romanticizing of deviance and criminality in a thoughtful tale on the corruption of youth. As a dark pontification on morality and immorality,Badlandsshone a harsh light on America’s fascination with glorifying violence.
With a story loosely based on the real-life 1958 murder spree of Charles Starkweather and his girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate,Badlandsused the iconic imagery of Americana and Western conventions to explore how these concepts play out in reality. With Martin Sheen as a James Dean-type protagonist and Sissy Spacek as a teenager who was willing to assist in making her murdered father’s death look like suicide,Badlandssaw its characters allow themselves to be whisked away by a neo-Western fantasy that bordered on the absurd.
Paris, Texas
Paris, Texas is a film directed by Wim Wenders, featuring Harry Dean Stanton as Travis Henderson, a man who reappears after being missing for four years. The story follows Travis as he attempts to reconnect with his young son and estranged wife, exploring themes of memory, family, and redemption. The film was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 1984 Cannes Film Festival and remains revered in arthouse cinema.
By taking many of the themes and ideas of classic Western stories and recontextualizing them in a modern context, Wim Wenders’Paris, Texaswas an unconventional neo-Western that embraced surreal and dreamlike imagery. With Harry Dean Stanton in one of his definitive roles, this epic tale of Travis Henderson wandering through the West Texas desert with nothing but an empty gallon water jug was packed with awe-inspiring imagery and picturesque visuals. As the story of a man missing for years reconnecting with society,Paris, Texastook the Western trope of a lone hero to its absolute extreme.
With the openness of its vast landscape,Paris, Texasbecame a striking symbol of Travis’ emotional state in a deeply affecting story thattook home the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. To fully enjoyParis, Texasviewers should embrace it as a cinematic experience rather than a straightforward narrative to be unpacked and understood scene by scene. As a battle between the contradictions of the American Dream, the existential nature of isolation, and the need for meaning in a fractured world,Paris, Texascaptured many of the tenets of Western films without focusing on bandits, cowboys, or outlaws.
Dead Man
Dead Man is a 1995 film directed by Jim Jarmusch, featuring Johnny Depp as William Blake, an accountant who embarks on a transformative journey through the American frontier after a series of violent events. Set in the 19th century, the film explores themes of identity and existentialism, with a supporting cast including Gary Farmer, Robert Mitchum, and Iggy Pop. The film’s atmospheric black-and-white cinematography and score by Neil Young contribute to its contemplative tone.
The American auteur director Jim Jarmusch has been consistently unpacking Americana and United States culture his entire career. While films likeStranger Than Paradise,Down by Law,andGhost Doghave embraced the strange pop culture of American society, his unusual 1995 filmDead Manwas his most overtly Western movie. Featuring Johnny Depp as a man named William Blake,Dead Manexplored themes of Native American spiritualism, the dark side of the American frontier, and the brutal colonialism that modern America was born out of.
Dead Manwas a highly idiosyncratic neo-Westernthat will surely push lovers of more traditional Western movies out of their comfort zones. From the innate beauty of its poetic script to the issues of cultural displacement that were revealed from Blake’s interaction his the Native American spirit guide Nobody,Dead Manwas a surreal film where ideas around life, death, and identity all dissolve into one another. As one of Jarmusch’s most underrated movies, lovers of unusual cinema should be sure to check outDead Man.
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain is a film set in 1960s Wyoming where two men, portrayed by Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal, navigate a complex emotional and sexual relationship. As they marry and start families, their enduring bond challenges societal norms and profoundly impacts their lives.
Ang Lee’s extraordinary neo-Western romantic dramaBrokeback Mountaincompletely subverted the genreas it deconstructed the very idea of a cowboy. With Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the leading roles, the pair’s secretive same-sex relationship juxtaposed the hyper-masculine stereotypes of rugged heroes, as their romance and emotional struggles acted as a contract to typical depictions of womanizing anti-heroes. While Western movies often starred lone wolves, inBrokeback Mountain, these two cowboys helped soothe one another’s loneliness.
The relationship inBrokeback Mountainexpertly explored a disillusionment with the myth of the American Old West, as Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist broke down inclusivity boundaries that had categorized Westerns since their very inception. As a landmark film for the representation of LGBTQ+ characters in modern cinema,Brokeback Mountainwas a truly trailblazing release.Brokeback Mountainpowerfully reflected American society’s prejudices and biases by using the Western genre to explore social and cultural boundaries.
There Will Be Blood
Loosely based on an Upton Sinclair novel, and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood follows Daniel Plainview, a ruthless entrepreneur and oil man who, in his quest to run a successful oil business, slowly descends into crime and corruption and alienates everyone around him. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Plainview, alongside co-stars Paul Dano, Kevin J. O’Connor, and Ciarán Hinds.
Paul Thomas Anderson’sThere Will Be Bloodtook the Western trope of determined individualism to its absolute extreme to deconstruct and criticize capitalist greed. Daniel Day-Lewis gave one of his most extraordinary performances playing the ruthless oil baron Daniel Plainview, as this film explored his heartless quest for wealth amid the Southern California oil boom of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Based on the novelOil!by Upton Sinclair, this hard-edged story of American ambition showcased the moral decay at the heart of the isolated, individualist Western archetype.
While Western movies often celebrate the pioneering spirit,There Will Be Bloodinstead shines a light on greed and corruption. Plainview’s intense use of violence and sneaky tactics to get landowners to sell their property for a pittance highlighted the underhanded nature of unforgiving capitalists and the moral erosion of those who value wealth over common decency. AlthoughThere Will Be Bloodwasn’t a Western in the traditional sense, the way it explored its themes made it one of the greatest neo-Westerns ever made.
No Country for Old Men
No Country for Old Men is a western crime-thriller based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy and directed by the Cohen Brothers. Following three protagonists, the film centers around a large $2,000,000+ cache of dirty money lost near the Rio Grande. With a veteran who finds it, a hitman who will stop at nothing to get it, and a sheriff trying to investigate the crimes connected to it, all roads lead to death and mayhem as they find themselves in each other’s crosshairs.
No author’s work better captures the harsh realities of the American frontier than the writings of Cormac McCarthy, and no directors better tap into dark humor and existential absurdity than the Coen brothers. This meant thatNo Country for Old Menwas the perfect neo-Western adaptation as it exposed the bleak worldview, harsh landscapes, and violent underbelly of the United States. With Javier Bardem as the cunning hitman Anton Chigurh, the wayNoCountry for Old Menexplored themes of fate and deathmade it stand out as a true neo-Western masterpiece.
No Country for Old Mencan be enjoyed as a straightforward crime thriller, but for those with an interest in digging deep, there was so much more to explore. As a powerful representation of moral decline in the West, withNo Country for Old Men, the Coens' explored the two sides of the American psyche, as depicted through Anton’s fateful coin tosses. As a pessimistic and fatalistic tale of tragedy,No Country for Old Mengot the heart of theneo-Westernsability to reflect America in a way that traditional Western films no longer do.
