Western Movies

A father who is running from the evils of the larger world finds they've arrived on his doorstep in this drama from Australian filmmaker Kriv Stenders. Nat (Aden Young) is a former schoolteacher and widower who idealistically has left the city and traveled with his children Tom (Toby Wallace) and Sarah (Hanna Mangan-Lawrence) to remote area in the bush, where he's taken up farming. Unfortunately, Nat has almost no practical knowledge of agriculture, and while 12-year-old Tom fervently believes in his father, Sarah is older, wiser and certain Nat has made a terrible mistake. One day, three strangers arrive at the farm on horseback, a trio of soldiers returned from the Boer War -- restless adventurer Maj. Henry (Pip Miller), moody and hard-drinking Carver (Neil Pigot), and Jimmy (Eamon Farren), who is innocent, good looking and clearly ill. Nat, who needs help on the farm, regards the arrival of the travelers as a gift from God, while Tom is fascinated by their tales of heroics and Sarah is clearly drawn to Jimmy as she helps nurse him back to health. But Nat discovers one of the reason his children are charmed by the soldiers is they have a cache of stolen gold, and the father believes the love of money is tainting the minds of his children. Lucky Country received its world premiere at the 2009 Adelaide Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A former slave and a German bounty hunter become unlikely allies in the battle against a tyrannical plantation owner in this western from visionary director Quentin Tarantino. Two years before the Civil War pits brother-against-brother, German-born fugitive hunter Dr. King Schultz (Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz) arrives in America determined to capture the outlaw Brittle brothers dead or alive. In the midst of his search, Dr. Schultz crosses paths with Django (Academy Award-winner Jamie Foxx), a freed slave and skilled tracker who seeks to rescue his beloved wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) from ruthless plantation owner Calvin Candie (Academy Award-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio). Once Django has aided Dr. Schultz in coralling the Brittle brothers, the two team up to capture some of the most wanted men in the South. Meanwhile, Django never loses sight of his mission to free Broomhilda from the treacherous slave trade before it's too late. Upon arriving at Candie's nefarious plantation, dubbed Candyland, Django and Dr. Schultz discover that slaves are being groomed for gladiator-like competitions by Candie's malevolent right-hand man Billy Crash (Walton Goggins), and together they skillfully work their way onto the compound for a closer look. But just as Django and his partner locate Broomhilda and plot a daring escape, Candie's house slave Stephen (Academy Award-nominee Samuel L. Jackson) catches wind of their plan, and informs his master of the betrayal. Now, as a clandestine organization attempts to back them into a corner, Django and Dr. Schultz will have to come out with pistols blazing if they ever hope to free Broomhilda from Candyland and the clutches of its vile proprietor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Given the off-the-wall premise in this sci-fi western -- that a motorcyclist rides his bike through a time warp right into the Wild West, into the middle of a gang of outlaws, and cannot figure out what happened -- the glitches and gaps in the plot fit right in with the spirit of the adventure. When the outlaw Reese (Peter Coyote) catches sight of the macho bike, he decides that several hundred horsepower are better than his one and is out to rustle the vehicle any way he can. Unfortunately, the bike does not run on high-octane hay -- an issue that bites the dust when pistol-packing Clair (Belinda Bauer) appears on the scene. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Dodge City bounty hunter Hannah Beaumont (Sara Canning) sets out to capture the gang that murdered her family, and receives some much-needed help from Wild West icons Stagecoach Mary (Kimberly Elise), Wyatt Earp (Greyson Holt), and Doc Holliday in this western co-starring Billy Zane and Danny Glover. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Inspired by the life of Bat Masterson. After a violent war has broken out between the Cowboys and Native Americans Bat finds himself lying on the ground, badly wounded, after a heroic showdown. Shot and on the brink of death he is visited by Mobius. As Mobius consoles him they revisit Bat's choices and how they have defined his life. He'll be left to make his toughest one yet, whether to live and fight or die.

A posse ventures into Black Paw Indian territory in search of a missing boy, and finds that getting scalped is the least of their worries after crossing through an ancient burial ground, and being torn apart by their own greed. Michael Biehn and James Russo star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This miniseries from cable's History Channel travels back to the second half of the 19th century for an epic-length, dramatic evocation of one of history's most famous and vitriolic feuds. A conflict that first erupted in 1863 and spanned a whopping 28 years, the Hatfield-McCoy War began simply, with two Confederate soldiers, Randall McCoy (here played by Bill Paxton) and 'Devil' Anse Hatfield (here played by Kevin Costner) returning home after many months of battle in the U.S. Civil War. Initially, the future appears bright to both men, but a misunderstanding soon erupts that leads straight to a tragic murder, and an illicit love affair further complicates the situation. In time, minor clashes and disagreements blow up into a local civil war, as neighbors and friends take sides. Kevin Reynolds (Waterworld, Fandango) directs. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

An Irish desperado and a ruthless bounty hunter flee the law with a young criminal who claims to carry the treasure of John Wilkes Booth in this Western inspired by actual events. Texas: The 1870s. James McKinnon (Tanner Beard) is an Irish outlaw seeking his fortune in America. Will Edwards (Eric Balfour) is his partner in crime. When James and Will cross paths with Kid Called Kelly (Lou Taylor Pucci), they realize he possesses something more valuable than gold. Now, if these three bandits can just stay one step ahead of the law, they may have a shot at making history. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Set in modern times, this western drama chronicles the reconciliation between a draft-dodging son and his ultra-conservative rancher father after the son realizes that his father is going to die soon. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Judge John Goodnight (Luke Perry) reunites with a former flame while traveling and witnesses a robbery by a gang of bandits. The case turns personal when one of the outlaws turns out to be the woman's teen son, who faces a possible death sentence. ~ Brie Hearn, Rovi

The sole survivor of the original gang teams with three fearless female outlaws for a daring robbery, but cross a band of ruthless bandits with some violent plans of their own. Sweltering behind bars in a sun-scorched Mexican jail, Cassie may be down, but she certainly isn't out. She alone holds the code to a safe owned by the U.S. military, and the moment she gets out the heist is on. With the help of Kate, (Rocsi Diaz), Cassie and her fellow inmate Collette (Eurika Pratts) stage a daring escape. Later, Collette, Kate, Candi (Teyana Taylor) and Mimi (Claudia Jordan) hatch an audacious plan to rob San Juevo church, but find their heist foiled by the trigger-happy Lee (Gabriel Casseus) and his gang of outlaws. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Cowboys & Aliens is set in 1800s Arizona, where the local cowboys, headed by gunslinger Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), and the indigenous Apache tribe have been feuding fiercely for quite a while. Their skirmish is interrupted, however, by the appearance of a spaceship, commanded by an alien creature that's bent on enslaving the human race. It's time for a six-gun shoot-out between these cattle rustlers and space invaders, and there might even be a temporary peace between the cowboys and Indians as they both take aim at these extraterrestrial uninvited guests. Jon Favreau directs from a script by Star Trek scribes Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, with help from Lost's Damon Lindelof. Olivia Wilde, Harrison Ford, and Sam Rockwell fill out the headlining cast. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

A braggart meets his match in a courageous woman in this period drama from independent filmmaker Kelly Reichardt. It's 1845, and Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) is a boastful, rough-hewn wilderness guide who has been hired by three families who want to start new lives on the other side of Oregon's Cascade Mountains. Meek constantly tells his charges that he knows the Oregon Trail like the back of his hand, but when they veer off for a shortcut he says is foolproof, they soon find themselves in forbidding territory, without water and with Indians on the horizon. While the men of the party travel with Meek, their wives are made to follow them in a separate wagon, and Emily Tetherow (Michelle Williams), the strong-willed wife of Solomon Tetherow (Will Patton), begins openly questioning Meek's competence among the other women, especially her friend Millie Gately (Zoe Kazan). While making their way through the wilderness, the party happens upon a Cayuse Indian (Rod Rondeaux); Meek captures the Indian and proposes they kill him, but Emily bravely speaks up for him, believing he has the right to live and perhaps the knowledge to lead them safely over the mountains. Meek's Cutoff was an official selection at the 2010 New York Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi