While it’s true that the golden age of classicWesternshas long since passed, there were still plenty of incredible Wild Westmovies from the 2000sthat simply don’t get enough credit. Although major releases like the Best Picture winnerNo Country for Old Menstand as all-time great Westerns, it’s important to shine a light on the lesser-known movies that also achieved something special. Through stories of cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws, this decade boasted some wildly underseen and underappreciated releases.
Many of themost underrated Westernsof all time were released during the 2000s, and plenty ofall-time great actorsgave astounding performances in movies that not enough people got to see. In the age of streaming, it’s easier than ever to go back and watch these forgotten classics or reappraise fantastic films that critics slept on at the time. Whilenone of these movies have entered popular culture in the same way as the likes ofThere Will Be Blood, they were no less deserving of your time and attention.
While the Western movie genre often feels like a singularly American creation, this viewpoint fails to recognize the excellent modern Wild West movies from around the globe. A prime example of this wasBlueberry, a French-Belgian acid Westernbased on the comic book series of the same name by scriptwriter Jean-Michel Charlier and French artist Jean “Mœbius” Giraud. Set in the 1870s, this thrilling story saw the outlaw Mike Blueberry become a marshal in Arizona, where he keeps the peace between whites and Apaches.
WhileBlueberryfailed to reach an audience in English-speaking regions, it fared much better in France and Europe and has become a cult favorite among psychedelic enthusiasts. With trippy visuals and truly sublime cinematography,Blueberrywas a stylish visual journey that was almost spiritual in its cinematic power. However, the intensity ofBlueberrymay be too out there for those looking for a more traditional Western style, but for those who like their films a little different, it makes for a spectacular viewing experience.
Few authors have captured the essence of Americana better than Cormac McCarthy, one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. While most Western lovers will be aware of the Coen Brothers’ Best Picture-winning adaptation of McCarthy’sNo Country for Old Men, Billy Bob Thornton’sAll the Pretty Horsesdid not get nearly the same recognition. This was a real shame as, despite receiving poor reviews at the time, this eclectic story of two Texas Cowboys was a poignant adventure tinged with romance.
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With Matt Damon and Henry Thomas as John Grady Cole and Lacey Rawlins,All the Pretty Horsessaw the pair ending up in trouble after Cole falls in love with a rancher’s wealthy daughter. While it’s true that the film lacked the lean, minimalized, and declarative style that made McCarthy’s writing so incredible, there was still beauty in each scene, andDamon’s excellent performance helped elevate this Western. Although it may not have the same appeal as the greatest McCarthy adaptations,All the Pretty Horsesdeserves more recognition.
While Western movies often take us on a journey in the bygone era of the Wild West, few traverse continents and centuries in the way thatDustdid. This unique UK-Italian-German-Spanish-Macedonian co-production told the story of a New York thief, a tough hundred-year-old woman, two brothers from the Wild West, a Macedonian revolutionary in the Ottoman Empire, and a beautiful pregnant woman whose paths all cross over three centuries.
With an absolutely huge ensemble cast and a fractured narrative that had more in common with Cubist paintings than a traditional film,Dustwas a fascinating journey whose unique premise was overshadowed by political controversies. While critics accused director Milcho Manchevski of using the film to spread his political agenda, the ambition and style with which he told his story have to be admired. With a complex narrative, while not everything aboutDustworked, it was still a noble failure that deserves more attention.
The British filmmaker Michael Winterbottom was behind incredible genre films like his comedicTristram Shandyfilm-within-a-film period drama adaptationA Cock and Bull Storyor his insightful exploration of Manchester’s Factory Records in24 Hour Party People. With a vast and varied filmography, one of Winterbottom’s most underrated movies was the romantic WesternThe Claim.Loosely based on the 1886 novelThe Mayor of Casterbridgeby Thomas Hardy,The Claimexplored ambition, greed, and selfishness during the California Gold Rush.
Like the best movies exploring gold prospecting, such asThe Treasure of the Sierra Madre,The Claimgot right to the heart of humanity’s selfishness as the rich prospector Daniel Dillon’s (Peter Mullan) past catches up with him with the arrival of three strangers who are in danger of spilling a secret he’s kept from the community for over 20 years. As an understated and slow-moving narrative of serious thematic depth,The Claimwas a fascinating insight into an all-too-relevant era of American history where many became wealthy through the exploitation of others.
The HBO made-for-TV Western filmBury My Heart at Wounded Kneeadapted the extraordinary non-fiction book by Dee Brown, which explored how American expansionism devastated Native American communities. While Brown’s book outlined the shocking details of displacement, relocation, and war in a way that highlighted the destruction of indigenous culture and religion, this adaptation transferred those injustices to the screen in a way that could be seen by a much larger audience.
By focusing primarily on four real historical figures, Charles Eastman (Adam Beach), Sitting Bull (August Schellenberg), Henry L. Dawes (Aidan Quinn), and Red Cloud (Gordon Tootoosis),Bury My Heart at Wounded Kneecondensed the complexities of Brown’s writinginto a historic chronicle of displacement and devastation. While the shocking revelations made for difficult viewing at points,Bury My Heart at Wounded Kneewas an important historical document that switched perspectives to the so often ignored plight of Native Americans during the era of the Wild West.
Following his extraordinary directorial debut withPollock, famed actor Ed Harris returned withAppaloosa, a modern Western that he also co-wrote with Robert Knott. Thisadaptation of Robert B. Parker’s novelwas absolutely bursting with talent, including performances from Harris, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortensen, Jeremy Irons, and Timothy Spall. Telling the story of a rancher malevolently ruling over a small mining town in the American Old West, this acclaimed film took home the Western Heritage Award.
With a great script, strong performances, a clever subtext, and an engaging love triangle,Appaloosaset itself apart from the average Western movie of the 2000s. By balancing its more serious themes with moments of levity, Harris proved himself a capable director, and it’s a real shame he hasn’t helmed any more Western movies in the years since.
Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan came together for the underrated WesternSeraphim Falls, a movie that certainly owes a thing or two to Clint Eastwood’s classicThe Outlaw Josey Wales. As TV producer David Von Ancken’s only feature film,Seraphim Fallsflopped at the box office, and sadly its story of a former Confederate colonel hunting down a former Yankee officer to settle an old score did not strike a chord with viewers. However, looking back, the rich psychological drama of this bleak stalk-and-kill action thriller deserved more credit than it ever got.
Seraphim Fallsfeatured plenty of slow-moving drama and boasted some truly awe-inspiring cinematographyand beautiful scenery. With a talented cast and two of the biggest actors of the 2000s in its lead roles, this simple chase story was more complex than meets the eye and stood as an enjoyable addition to the revisionist Western genre.
While actor-turned-director Kevin Costner has never quite managed to recapture the magic of his Best Picture-winning debutDances with Wolvesin the years since, his subsequent Western movies deserve more recognition. Although the underwhelming response to the first part of Costner’s recent passion projectHorizon: An American Sagahas put the future of the series in jeopardy, viewers can also go back and enjoy his underappreciated 2003 WesternOpen Range. WithCostner and Robert Duvall in the lead roles, there was a lot to love about this underseen range war story.
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Telling the conflict between a former gunslinger and a corrupt landowner, Costner’s Charley Waite was forced to take up arms once again when Duvall’s Boss Spearman threatened his cattle crew. As a modern Western that paid homage to the genre’s classic roots,Open Rangewas a beautifully shot movie and featured one of Duvall’s best performances of the 21st century. As a director who’s done more than most to keep the spirit of classic Westerns alive, those who haven’t seen it should go back and check outOpen Range.
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estradawas influenced by the real-life killing of a teenager in Texas, as well as the novelAs I Lay Dyingby William Faulkner, to tell a story that forced viewers to confront the abusive treatment of Mexican immigrants in border towns. Through a series of flashbacks that show the same event from different perspectives, Tommy Lee Jones directed himself in this thoughtful and underseen morality tale.
AsJones’s first time behind the camera,The Three Burials of Melquiades Estradawas surprisingly accomplished for a directorial debut, capturing many thought-provoking elements in a Western that has only become more relevant in the years since. With the treatment of illegal immigrants being a near-consistent hot topic, Jones managed to balance the political themes underpinning this powerful story with a real sense of humanity.
Director John Hillcoat collaborated with music icon and screenwriter Nick Cave on the Australian WesternThe Proposition. As a gritty tale of allegiances, promises, and deceit, Cave’s dark storytelling was elevated by his fantastic work on the movie’s soundtrack. Telling the story of a notorious outlaw who was given nine days to kill his older brother in exchange for his freedom after being apprehended by a lawman,The Propositionhighlighted the far less frequently depicted Wild West of Australiaand the lawlessness of bushrangers during the late 1800s.
The Propositionwas a brutal, unflinching, and violent exploration of class, race, colonization, and family. While there were plenty of great underratedWesternsfrom the 2000s, it truly boggles the mind thatThe Propositiondoes not stand alongside heavy hitters like3:10 to Yuma,Brokeback Mountain, andThere Will Be Bloodas one of the best of its genre during this time. Perhaps the Australian setting of this story was the reason it’s often overlooked, yet the sheer brutality of its narrative means it simply doesn’t get enough love.
