Murder at Yellowstone City starring Gabriel Byrne, Isaiah Mustafa, Thomas Jane, and Anna Camp hit theaters last June 24, 2022. The gripping Western tale tells the story of a former slave who arrives in the titular town of Yellowstone City, Montana. Upon his arrival, he tries to make a new life for himself in a town that is anything but welcoming. As he struggles to find his place in this hostile environment, he must also contend with the dangerous elements of the wild frontier and must find a way to stop the violence and bring peace to Yellowstone City. Featuring an all-star cast and stunning cinematography, Murder at Yellowstone City is a must-see film for fans of the Western genre. Variety published a review of the film giving particular praise to the well-executed fusion of genres saying, “director Richard Gray’s well-crafted and handsomely mounted indie is as much a solidly constructed mystery as it is it a conventionally satisfying oater, with much to recommend to fans of either genre who rarely get to sample such a mix.” If you enjoyed the thrill of Murder at Yellowstone City, here are five movies belonging to the same western genre that is sure to entertain you on your next movie night.
The Magnificent Seven
The Magnificent Seven is a 2016 American Western action film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by Nic Pizzolatto and Richard Wenk. It is a remake of the 1960 film of the same name and stars Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lee Byung-hun, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Peter Sarsgaard, and Haley Bennett. The premise of the film revolves around a town that hires seven outlaws to help protect them from an impending attack. These seven men are played by some of Hollywood’s most popular actors, and the chemistry between them is undeniable. The action sequences are exhilarating and expertly choreographed, and the dialogue is sharp and often funny. The Magnificent Seven is a thrilling ride from start to finish, and it’s sure to leave audiences entertained. In a review by The Hollywood Reporter, they compared the film with the original and wrote, “The big difference between the new version of The Magnificent Seven and the revered 1960 feature is the ethnic background of the main characters. The titular seven in director Antoine Fuqua’s take are a diverse bunch, while the ruthless villain of the piece is no longer a Mexican bandito but, instead, a cutthroat white capitalist.”
The Hateful Eight
The Hateful Eight is a 2015 American revisionist Western film, written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern as eight strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in a stagecoach stopover sometime after the American Civil War. As they struggle to coexist, they discover that they have plenty of reasons to distrust one another. The Hateful Eight is a masterfully suspenseful mystery that will keep audiences guessing until the very end. In a review published by Rolling Stone, they commended the lead performances saying, “It’s a tour de force performance that keeps springing surprises. So stay alert for this deliciously depraved nest of eight vipers, right out of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, if Dame Agatha had converted to pulp fiction.”
The Power of the Dog
The Power of the Dog is a 2021 revisionist Western psychological drama film written and directed by Jane Campion. It is based on Thomas Savage’s 1967 novel of the same title. The film stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, and Kodi Smit-McPhee. It follows the story of rancher brothers George and Phil and their dynamic relationship which becomes complicated when George marries a local widow. The film explores themes of family, benevolence, and masculinity, set against the backdrop of the American West. Campion’s direction is visually stunning, and the cast gives strong performances across the board. The Power of the Dog is a thought-provoking look at the dark side of human nature, and one that is sure to stay with viewers long after the credits roll. The film received a glowing five-star review from The Guardian describing it as “a western gothic psychodrama: mysterious, malicious, with a lethal ending that creeps up behind you like a thief.”
News of the World
News of the World was released in 2020 to critical acclaim. The movie tells the story of an aging Civil War veteran, played by Tom Hanks, who must return a young girl who was taken in by the Kiowa people and head on a journey filled with dangers. The film was directed by Paul Greengrass and co-written by Greengrass and Helena Zengel. News of the World was praised for its direction, acting, cinematography, and themes. The film received several awards and nominations, including two Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. The New York Times praised the chemistry between Hanks and Zengel saying, “Neither performer overdoes the sympathy that develops between Kidd and Johanna, and the film is tender without descending too far into sentimentality.”
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a 2018 American Western anthology film written, directed, and produced by the Coen brothers. It stars Tim Blake Nelson, Tyne Daly, James Franco, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Heck, Grainger Hines, Zoe Kazan, Harry Melling, Liam Neeson, Jonjo O’Neill, Chelcie Ross, Saul Rubinek, and Tom Waits. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a comedic anthology film that tells six different stories involving the American frontier. Each story is unique, but they all share the common theme of death. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay (Joel and Ethan Coen), Best Original Song (“When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch), and Best Cinematography (Bruno Delbonnel). In a review published by Vox, they wrote, “Each story has the feeling of a yarn that was based in some reality but has grown and shifted and become more acutely caricatured as people retold it. And every caricature from stories of the old West is here: the cowboys, the pioneers, the meek little lady and the tall handsome stranger, the band of inscrutably yodeling “savages.”Ethan Hawke
Follow Us
