Westerns have been a mainstay of American cinema since The Great Train Robbery startled audiences all the way back in 1903. They've never really gone away, but their popularity has been subject to some peaks and valleys over the decades. In the modern era, remakes like 2007's 3:10 to Yuma and 2010's True Grit have been well-received, as have more contemporary efforts, such as 2016's Hell or High Water. And continuing are three more filmmakers, each of which has much-anticipated releases due out before the end of 2021.
But these aren't your grandfather's stories. Something fascinating has happened to the west in the last few years -- the kind of movie that used to glorify hyper-masculinity and manifest destiny is, more recently, being used to scrutinize those antiquated or oversimplified ideas. Sometimes referred to as neo-westerns, these movies subvert many of the conventions -- quick triggers, strong silent types, striking it rich -- that western lovers are familiar with. Brokeback Mountain broke boundaries back in 2006, and in 2020, western-tinged movies like First Cow, Minari and Nomadland commented on things like gender and capitalism, to almost universal acclaim. This year, these films -- all much more traditional on their surface -- look to do the same.
The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog was celebrated with a four-minute standing ovation after its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. And in the horserace for Oscar, it's already the frontrunner, which has something to do with its incredible pedigree. Campion previously helmed The Piano and the TV series Top of the Lake, and the film stars respected veteran actors Benedict Cumberbatch, Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons in the lead roles. Relative newcomer Kodi Smit-McPhee has also garnered significant buzz for his supporting performance. The Power of the Dog is based on a book of the same name that wasn't a commercial success in its time but has become beloved in literary circles since.
The story centers on the Burbank brothers who manage their wealthy family's cattle ranch. Phil (Cumberbatch) is clever and cultured, but gruff and hostile to most other people. George (Plemons) is good-natured and good with the books but has simpler tastes and interests. The two have become creatures of routine in both work and leisure, so when George hastily marries a woman named Rose (Dunst), it upends everything. Phil thinks Rose -- the widow of a doctor with a sickly son and a questionable reputation -- is beneath his brother and a threat to their lifestyle. Rose doesn't quite feel comfortable at the ranch, or on the higher rung of society in which Phil and George exist. Her brilliant but strange boy, Peter, doesn't fit in, either. The blended family's strained dynamic feels as though it's hurdling toward tragedy, but in a way that's difficult to predict. The Power of the Dog hits Netflix on November 17.
The Harder They Fall
The Harder They Fall is a good old-fashioned western with one major update: a majority Black cast. It stars Idris Elba, Regina King, Jonathan Majors, LaKeith Standfield, Delroy Lindo, and Zazie Beetz, is co-written and directed by Baz Lurman collaborator Jeymes Samuel and produced by Jay-Z. The film is fictional, but it looks to history to set right a wrong. Though they aren't often represented in movies, Black cowboys were common. Most of the characters here are based on real people, including Lindo's Bass Reeves, a U.S. Marshall who was likely the inspiration for the Lone Ranger.
Fans of classic westerns will recognize the setup. The bad guy murders the family of the good guy, and when the law fails to hold him responsible, the good guy has to take matters into his own hands to get justice. Nat Love (Majors) reassembles his former associates to track down the menacing Rufus Buck (Elba). But don't necessarily expect a straightforward tale of good versus evil. Filmmakers have promised that, despite its tried-and-true premise, The Harder They Fall is still a new-school western, meaning Samuel and company took some artistic and thematic risks. The Harder They Fall is set to arrive on Netflix November 3.
Cry Macho
Clint Eastwood is no stranger to a cowboy hat and the back of a horse, and at 91 years old, he's back in the saddle -- figuratively and literally -- as director and star of Cry Macho. The film, also based on a book of the same name, follows Mike Milo (Eastwood), a grizzled former rodeo star who has fallen on hard times. Divorced, struggling with alcoholism and in pain from a lifetime of injuries, Mike takes what might be his last job. Howard lost custody of his son, who now lives with his mother in Mexico, and he hires Mike to, essentially, kidnap him and bring him back to the United States.
Cry Macho may end up being controversial. The source material isn't held in particularly high regard, and there's the potential for the film to play as a white savior movie. The boy, Rafo, has succumbed to a life of crime on the other side of the border and Eastwood doesn't always handle such charged subject matter with the appropriate sensitivity. But the legendary Hollywood figure knows how to make a movie -- especially a western -- and the Oscars and audiences have shown him affection throughout his long career. Cry Macho premieres in theaters and on HBO Max September 17.