The Big Picture
The evolution of Western films has led to the rise of rewatchable neo-Westerns set in modern times, exploring American societal issues.
Films like Logan, Gran Torino, and Sicario blend classic Western elements with contemporary themes, making them complex and entertaining.
These neo-Westerns offer fresh perspectives on traditional Western tropes, inviting viewers to revisit them multiple times for a deeper appreciation.
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The Western is the most American film genre (even if many of its masterpieces were made in Italy). Westerns speak to many of the country’s national myths, like the rugged frontier experience and the lone gunslinging hero. The genre has evolved considerably over time, growing more complex and experimental and examining these ideas from fresh perspectives. Traditional Westerns are not as popular as they once were, but neo-Westerns seem to be doing fairly well.
Neo-Westerns take key Western characteristics—and sometimes, entire plot lines—but relocate them to the late 20th and 21st centuries, commenting on the current state of American society. The best do so while still being wildly entertaining. After all, who doesn’t love a good gunfight? The most rewatchable neo-Westerns are complex and thoughtful, with multiple layers to their narratives that require several viewings to fully appreciate. These are the most rewatchable neo-Westerns, stellar films that both fans and casual audiences will enjoy.
10 ‘Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia’ (1974)
Directed by Sam Peckinpah
“There ain’t nothing sacred about a hole in the ground or the man that’s in it.” Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is a lean, mean film by the king of grit, Sam Peckinpah. Set in Mexico, it centers on Bennie (Warren Oates), a down-and-out bartender who learns about a bounty on the head of Alfredo Garcia, the man who impregnated and betrayed the daughter of a powerful Mexican crime lord. Bennie sees this opportunity as his ticket to a better life and sets out on a journey filled with violence, betrayal, and moral decay.
Indeed, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia is one of Peckinpah’s darkest and most pessimistic works, overflowing with brutality. Perhaps as a result, it bombed at the box office and was dismissed by critics. However, over time, its critical reputation has improved, earning it a cult following. Supporters of the film applaud its performances and daring departure from genre tropes. It’s a demanding but undeniably rewarding viewing experience that asks to be rewatched, even by those who don’t enjoy the grit of many other Westerns.
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9 ‘Logan’ (2017)
Director: James Mangold
Image via 20th Century Studios
“Nature made me a freak. Man made me a weapon. And God made it last too long.” The concluding chapter in the Wolverine trilogy is a Western disguised as a superhero movie. It sees an aging, weary Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) hiding out in a remote desert along the Mexican border. His secluded existence is disrupted when a mysterious young girl named Laura (Dafne Keen) appears, possessing powers eerily similar to his own.
Logan features a classic Western plot, recalling films like Unforgiven. Specifically, James Mangold said he was inspired by the Western archetype of the “aging heroes who kind of are twilight versions of their own legends.” This extends to the visuals, too, with Logan taking considerable cues from 1972’s The Cowboys; even the title seems like a nod to the 1953 Western Shane. The result is one of the most mature, satisfying, and rewatchable superhero movies ever made, a neo-Western that proves comic book adaptations should never be afraid to think outside the sci-fi box.
Logan
Release Date March 3, 2017
Runtime 137 minutes
8 ‘Gran Torino’ (2008)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Image via Warner Bros.
“Ever notice how you come across somebody once in a while you shouldn’t have f—ed with? That’s me.” Clint Eastwood stars here as Walt Kowalski, a grizzled Korean War veteran struggling to keep up with the changing world around him. Walt’s neighborhood has undergone demographic shifts, now predominantly populated by Hmong immigrants. Initially, Walt is prejudiced and resentful towards his new neighbors, but his perspective shifts when he intervenes to protect the teenage Thao (Bee Vang) from a gang initiation.
Gran Torino is a sly movie, at first suggesting that it’ll play out like a bog-standard revenge flick but instead taking surprising turns. Fundamentally, it’s not about seeking violent vengeance; rather, it’s about recognizing the humanity in others. Once again, the plot is distinctly Western—aging gunslinger redeems himself and shows that he’s still capable of growth—even if the trappings are modern. Plus, Eastwood invokes his iconic Western roles, producing an interesting mix of themes and genres that invites a rewatch.
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7 ‘El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie’ (2019)
Directed by Vince Gilligan
Image via Netflix/Sony Pictures Releasing
“I’ve gone where the universe takes me my whole life. It’s better to make those decisions for yourself.” Vince Gilligan expanded the beloved Breaking Bad mythology with his swan song for Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul). El Camino picks up immediately after the events of the series finale, following Jesse as he escapes from captivity and goes on the run from law enforcement and the remnants of the criminal underworld. Along the way, he revisits familiar faces from his past, confronts his demons, and grapples with the consequences of his actions.
Breaking Bad was always deeply Western-inspired. Many scenes and shots reference famous Westerns, and Gilligan has said that Sergio Leone’s work was the show’s primary visual reference point. The Western influence can be seen in El Camino’s narrative of a lone survivor, as well as its sweeping landscape photography and climactic final stand-off. The film had big shoes to fill, given the fantastic way Breaking Bad ended, but it more than holds its own, acting as a suitable conclusion to one of modern TV’s most iconic shows.
6 ‘Wind River’ (2017)
Directed by Taylor Sheridan
Image via The Weinstein Company
“Wolves don’t kill unlucky deer. They kill the weak ones.” Wind River follows US Fish and Wildlife Service tracker (Jeremy Renner) and FBI agent Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) as they investigate the mysterious death of a young Native American woman named Natalie Hanson (Kelsey Asbille). In the process, they wade into a violent saga that plays out against the wintry mountains of Wyoming.
The themes are just as harsh and unrelenting as the landscape, resulting in a tense thriller that doubles as a mature drama. Moreover, Wind River is a brilliant revisionist Western, with writer-director Taylor Sheridan looking at the genre’s tropes from new angles. In particular, he examines the foundational character archetypes: the “cowboy” and the “Indian.” “I am trying to demolish the stereotype behind those particular images,” Sheridan said. Indeed, Wind Rivers engages with the history and contemporary reality of the Native Americans who call the Wind River Reservation home.
Wind River
Release Date August 18, 2017
Runtime 107 minutes
Rent on Amazon
5 ‘Crazy Heart’ (2009)
Directed by Scott Cooper
Image via Fox Searchlight Pictures
“Ain’t rememberin’ wonderful?” On the more feel-good end of the spectrum is this soulful drama starring Jeff Bridges. He plays Bad Blake, a once-successful country music singer now struggling with alcoholism. While touring small venues across the Southwest, he meets Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal), a young journalist who reignites his passion for music and offers him a chance at redemption.
Blake is a Western protagonist to the core, even if he carries a guitar rather than a gun. The story isn’t especially original (Robert Duvall’s Tender Mercies explored similar ideas more than two decades earlier), but amazing and raw performances elevate it. Still, the film belongs to Bridge, who comes across as amazingly real, even in his most drunk and awful moments. Crazy Heart easily ranks among Bridges’ best work, and he rightly won the Oscar for his efforts. The soundtrack, featuring the likes of Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett, ties the whole affair together.
Crazy Heart
Release Date December 16, 2009
Cast Jeff Bridges , James Keane , Anna Felix , Paul Herman , Tom Bower , Ryan Bingham
Runtime 112 minutes
4 ‘Sicario’ (2015)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Image via Lionsgate
“Nothing will make sense to your American ears, and you will doubt everything that we do, but in the end, you will understand.” Sicario represents the potent fusion of Taylor Sheridan’s writing with Denis Villeneuve’s vision. Emily Blunt leads the cast as FBI agent Kate Macer, who is enlisted by a mysterious government task force led by Matt Graver (Josh Brolin) for shadowy government operations along the US-Mexico border. There, she endures the brutal realities of the war on drugs and the thin line between justice and vengeance.
Sheridan has described the film as a tale of “the modern-day American frontier,” which is accurate. Sicario blends characteristics of the neo-Western, spy movie, and political thriller with a healthy dose of social commentary. Many of the scenes are inspired, like one where Graver whistles “The Star-Spangled Banner” as he prepares to torture a suspect. Like many other neo-Westerns, Sicario is a challenging watch that is no less rewarding, and while it might not be everyone’s idea of a great time, Western fans will find themselves revisiting it often.
Sicario
Release Date October 2, 2015
Runtime 121 Minutes
3 ‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)
Directed by David Mackenzie
Image via Lionsgate
“I’ve been poor my whole life, like a disease passing from generation to generation. But, my boys, not anymore.” Sheridan strikes again, this time with David Mackenzie in the director’s chair. Hell or High Water follows brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) as they carry out a series of bank robberies across West Texas in a desperate attempt to save their family ranch from foreclosure. Their exploits attract the attention of Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges), a Texas Ranger on the brink of retirement.
The “outlaw with a just cause” is another quintessential Western archetype. Here, the trope is used to paint a vivid portrait of a region still reeling from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The characters are driven by external pressures and are all drawn in shades of gray, leaving viewers questioning whom to support. This sense of resignation, even defeat, is emphasized by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis’s elegiac score, making Hell or High Water a bleak but powerful neo-Western that will ring true for many.
2 ‘Brokeback Mountain’ (2005)
Directed by Ang Lee
Image via Focus Features
“I wish I knew how to quit you.” The groundbreaking Brokeback Mountain is set in the American West in the 1960s, as two young cowboys, Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) and Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal), begin a forbidden romance. The film follows their lives over the next two decades, focusing on complex characterization and the purity of their connection.
One of the most poignant cinematic love stories of the 21st century so far, Brokeback Mountain’s boldness caused a stir when it was released, infamously losing the Best Picture Oscar. Ang Lee had the directorial finesse needed to tell this tale well, taking the most iconic symbol of American masculinity, the cowboy, and revealing the hidden nuance within. In the process, he delves into the psyche of the American West in general, where myths and expectations can be just as much stultifying as empowering.
Brokeback Mountain
Release Date September 10, 2005
Runtime 134 minutes
Writers Annie Proulx , Larry McMurtry , Diana Ossana
1 ‘No Country for Old Men’ (2007)
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Image via Paramount Pictures
“What’s the most you ever lost on a coin toss?” No neo-Western can top this bleak masterpiece from the Coen brothers. No Country for Old Men follows the intertwining lives of three men: Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin), a welder who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and a suitcase filled with two million dollars; Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), an enigmatic hitman hired to retrieve the money; and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones), a world-weary lawman attempting to bring justice to the increasingly violent world around him.
It’s certainly not casual viewing, but No Country for Old Men contains so many details and so much food for thought that it encourages revisiting. The plot is atypical, consistently unfolding in surprising directions to the point where some parts feel fresh even after multiple viewings. Here, the Coens channel the work of Western legends Anthony Mann and Sam Peckinpah but re-purpose their themes for an even more confused and disorienting age. No Country for Old Men is a modern classic and a perfect neo-Western.
No Country for Old Men
Release Date November 8, 2007
Runtime 122 Minutes
Writers Joel Coen , Ethan Coen , Cormac McCarthy
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