Modern Western backdrop

Modern Western movies

Frontier themes in a contemporary setting: local justice, borderland crime, and survival pressure.

The Revenant

1. The Revenant

Western Drama Adventure Modern Western Historical Drama
8.0

20152h 37min

Canada, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

A seasoned frontiersman who knows every rule of the wild is crushed, broken, and left for dead in a wilderness that suddenly obeys none of them. Stripped of his weapons, allies, and power, he must crawl through the frozen frontier as both nature and man hunt him down.

Themes

Trust under duress, Loyalty under pressure, Moral ambiguity, Revenge and violence, Nature as adversary, Survival under betrayal

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Eddington

2. Eddington

Western Comedy Crime Modern Western Satire
6.6

20252h 28min

United States, Finland

Director: Ari Aster

In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff and mayor sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Violence as spectacle, Sheriff vs mayor rivalry, Conspiracy and misinformation, Community fracture under crisis, Neighbor against neighbor, Protest as political theater

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Deadwood: The Movie

3. Deadwood: The Movie

Western Drama Modern Western Historical Drama
7.3

20191h 50min

United States

Director: Daniel Minahan

Follow the 10-year reunion of the Deadwood camp to celebrate South Dakota's statehood. Former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds are reopened, as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Deception and influence, Violence as negotiation, Land investment leverage, Frontier authority vs capital, Rivalries reemerge

Available on

Amazon Video
HBO Max
HBO Max Amazon Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Rider

4. The Rider

Drama Western Coming-of-Age Drama Modern Western
7.4

20181h 43min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Chloé Zhao

Once a rising star of the rodeo circuit, and a gifted horse trainer, young cowboy Brady is warned that his riding days are over after a horse crushed his skull at a rodeo. In an attempt to regain control of his own fate, Brady undertakes a search for a new identity and what it means to be a man in the heartland of the United States.

Themes

Economic hardship, Masculinity under pressure, Family obligation vs independence, Disability and agency, Work and identity, Caregiver strain

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hell or High Water

5. Hell or High Water

Western Crime Drama Modern Western Heist
7.6

20161h 42min

United States

Director: David Mackenzie

A divorced dad and his ex-con brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family's farm in West Texas.

Themes

Poverty and family duty, Economic risk and crime, Debt foreclosure pressures, Land and livelihood under threat, Protecting dependents under duress, Moral ambiguity of survival

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Harder They Fall

6. The Harder They Fall

Western Modern Western
6.6

20212h 17min

United States

Director: Jeymes Samuel

Gunning for revenge, outlaw Nat Love saddles up with his gang to take down enemy Rufus Buck, a ruthless crime boss who just got sprung from prison.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Loyalty under threat, Revenge under pressure, Law versus vigilante, Family violence legacy, Power and frontier justice

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Hidalgo

7. Hidalgo

Western Adventure Globetrotting Adventure Modern Western
6.7

20042h 16min

United States, Morocco

Director: Joe Johnston

Set in 1890, this is the story of a Pony Express courier who travels to Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous race for a massive contest prize, in an adventure that sends the pair around the world...

Themes

Trust and betrayal, Guilt over violence, Cultural clash in competition, Endurance as test, Rivalry across cultures, Legacy and belonging

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Manitou's Shoe

8. Manitou's Shoe

Western Comedy Adventure Modern Western Parody
6.7

20011h 25min

Germany

Director: Michael Herbig

Abahachi, Chief of the Apache Indians, and his blood brother Ranger maintain peace and justice in the Wild West. One day, Abahachi needs to take up a credit from the Shoshone Indians to finance his tribe's new saloon. Unfortunately Santa Maria, who sold the saloon, betrays Abahachi, takes the money and leaves. Soon, the Shoshones are on the warpath to get their money back, and Abahachi is forced to organize it quickly.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Loyalty under pressure, Treasure motive, Disguises and misdirection, Alliances and rivalries, Frontier conflict

Available on

Amazon Video
blue TV
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Shanghai Noon

9. Shanghai Noon

Adventure Action Comedy Western Globetrotting Adventure
6.6

20001h 50min

United States, Hong Kong SAR China

Director: Tom Dey

Chon Wang, a clumsy imperial guard, trails Princess Pei Pei when she's kidnapped from the Forbidden City and transported to America. Wang follows her captors to Nevada, where he teams up with an unlikely partner, outcast outlaw Roy O'Bannon, and tries to spring the princess from her imprisonment.

Themes

Frontier justice, Duty vs desire, Belonging and loyalty, Cross-cultural alliance, Honor among outlaws, Power and autonomy

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.