15 Movies to Watch if You Love 'Yellowstone' (2024)

The Dutton family's exploits have been entertaining audiences for five years and counting on the Paramount drama Yellowstone. The series follows the family's struggles as the owners of a Montana ranch, the largest in the United States, as various others try to take over their land, from developers to the neighboring Native American tribe. It premiered in 2018 and has lasted for five seasons. The series has also led to multiple spin-offs, including a prequel series focused on earlier generations of the Dutton family. It was created by Taylor Sheridan.

For fans of Yellowstone looking for similar themes, Hollywood has plenty to offer, from modern-day Westerns to dramatic epics. The picturesque settings, often in Montana, are practically characters themselves in the films, while the stories often have a troubled family at the center, fractured by violence and complicated relationships. And in more than one instance, some of the best movies evoking the feel of Yellowstone are by Sheridan himself or feature its star, Kevin Costner.

15 'Unforgiven' (1992)

Directed by Clint Eastwood

After cowboys brutally disfigure sex worker Delilah Fitzgerald (Anna Thomson) in revisionist Western Unforgiven, the other women working in the brothel offer a reward for their murder. Two groups of gunslingers seek to collect on it, with Will Munny (Clint Eastwood) and Ned Logan (Morgan Freeman) among them. After Munny is beaten and Ned is tortured and killed, Munny seeks revenge against those responsible, in a town where Sheriff Little Bill Daggett (Gene Hackman) forbids guns within the city limits.

Unforgiven is a story of revenge, and not just for Delilah—it’s about how far some people are willing to go, a theme often explored in Yellowstone. It’s a dark take on classic Western stories and breaks down many of the genre’s tropes. Unforgiven also features an excellent, well-chosen cast. It was critically acclaimed and won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Eastwood, unsurprising given it’s hailed as some of his best work.

Unforgiven

R

Western

Drama

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Release Date

August 7, 1992

Director

Clint Eastwood

Cast

Clint Eastwood , Gene Hackman , Morgan Freeman , Richard Harris , Jaimz Woolvett , Saul Rubinek , Frances Fisher , Anna Thomson , David Mucci , Rob Campbell , Anthony James , Tara Frederick , Beverley Elliott , Liisa Repo-Martell , Josie Smith , Shane Thomas Meier , Aline Levasseur , Cherrilene Cardinal , Robert Koons , Ron White , Mina E. Mina , Henry Kope , Jeremy Ratchford , John Pyper-Ferguson

Runtime

130 Mins

14 'Hostiles' (2017)

Directed by Scott Cooper

Set in 1892, Hostiles tells the story of Army Capt. Joseph Blocker (Christian Bale), who agrees to escort a dying Cheyenne chief and his family through hostile territory—from New Mexico to Montana—and back to their tribal land, after having spent his career fighting the Cheyenne. While traveling, they meet Rosalee Quaid (Rosamund Pike), a woman who was the only survivor after her home was burned down and her family was attacked by Comanche raiders.

Hostiles is a compelling yet gritty, at times harrowing film—especially in its opening minutes—which explores the strained relationship between Native Americans and white settlers, with impactful performances from the cast. The film deals with the theme of hatred but also redemption, as the group comes to understand and respect each other. The movie also features some beautiful cinematography, especially with great shots of the landscape as the group travels through the plains.

Hostiles

R

Drama

History

Western

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Release Date

December 22, 2017

Director

Scott Cooper

Cast

Rosamund Pike , Christian Bale , Timothée Chalamet , Wes Studi , Jesse Plemons , Adam Beach , Ben Foster , Rory Cochrane , Paul Anderson

Runtime

127

13 'Places in the Heart' (1984)

Directed by Robert Benton

Sally Field stars in Places in the Heart as Edna Spaulding, a woman with two small children recently left widowed after her husband was accidentally shot and killed during the Great Depression in Texas. Despite being advised to sell the family farm, Edna refuses and insists on managing it herself. With the help of a Black man named Moze (Danny Glover), she begins growing cotton to make ends meet and also takes in a blind boarder at the urging of the bank.

Like Yellowstone, Places in the Heart deals with the challenges of making a living off the land. In addition to being a compelling story about the struggles of a mother in the midst of the Depression, it is also a story about race, with a shocking ending. The movie also features Field in one of her best, most memorable performances—it won her an Oscar, one of seven nominations for the film.

Places in the Heart

PG

Drama

Release Date

September 11, 1984

See Also

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Director

Robert Benton

Cast

Lindsay Crouse , Sally Field , John Malkovich , Danny Glover , Ed Harris , Ray Baker , Amy Madigan , Terry O'Quinn , Bert Remsen , Jay Patterson , Toni Hudson , De'voreaux White , Jerry Haynes , Yankton Hatten , Gennie James , Lane Smith , Robert Schenkkan

Runtime

111 minutes

Watch on Tubi

12 'Open Range' (2003)

Directed by Kevin Costner

In revisionist Western Open Range, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall) and his cowhands Charley (Kevin Costner), a former Union soldier, and Mose (Abraham Benrubi), are driving cattle across a large expanse of country when Mose heads into a small village for supplies. When he doesn’t return, Boss and Charley set out to find him and learn he’s had a run-in with a difficult rancher. The movie is based on the novel The Open Range Men.

Open Range shares similarities with Yellowstone in its setting and the theme of ranchers trying to hold on to what they have. The movie received critical acclaim yet is an underrated movie, both as a Western and overall, with a great character-driven story—Duvall and Costner both deliver impressive performances, and Duvall in particular is one of the film’s highlights. Open Range also boasts one of the best shootouts in a Western film.

Open Range

R

Action

Drama

Romance

Release Date

August 15, 2003

Director

Kevin Costner

Cast

Kevin Costner , Robert Duvall , Diego Luna , Abraham Benrubi , Annette Bening , Michael Gambon , Michael Jeter , James Russo

Runtime

139 Minutes

Watch on Amazon Prime

11 'Giant' (1956)

Directed by George Stevens

In Giant, Texas cattle rancher Bick Benedict (Rock Hudson) returns home from the East Coast with a new love interest, Leslie Lynnton (Elizabeth Taylor), and shortly after, the two marry, and Jett Rink, a hired hand also falls in love with Leslie. The movie follows Bick and Leslie as they raise their family on the ranch, spanning from the 1920s through the 1950s, and it is based on the novel of the same name.

Giant deals with family drama similar to that of Yellowstone. The film also deals with the themes of racism, classism, and sexism—one of its plot points involves Leslie’s shock over seeing the racist treatment of local Mexicans at the hands of the white Texans. It’s also notable for being James Dean’s final film before his death, and it earned him his second and final, and very much deserved, Oscar nomination.

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10 'Legends of the Fall' (1994)

Directed by Edward Zwick

Set in the early 1900s, Legends of the Fall is a story of Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) living in the Montana wilderness with his three sons: Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn), and Samuel (Henry Thomas). Samuel brings his new fiancée, Susannah (Julia Ormond), to his father’s property, and shortly after, all three brothers enlist to fight in World War I. When one is killed, it sets off a series of events that threaten to tear the family apart.

Part Western, part romance, the visually stunning Legends of the Fall is a sprawling drama that deals with everything from family turmoil and the strength of family bonds to the lingering effects of war, specifically PTSD. Although it has a low score on Rotten Tomatoes—it has its moments of unnecessary melodrama—it was nominated for three Academy Awards, and renewed interest in recent years has focused on the film’s strengths as a tragic epic.

Legends of the Fall

R

Drama

Adventure

Romance

War

Western

Where to Watch

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Release Date

December 16, 1994

Director

Edward Zwick

Cast

Brad Pitt , Anthony Hopkins , Aidan Quinn , Julia Ormond , Henry Thomas , Karina Lombard

Runtime

133 mins

9 'Those Who Wish Me Dead' (2021)

Directed by Taylor Sheridan

In Those Who Wish Me Dead, Hannah (Angelina Jolie), a skydiving firefighter also known as a smoke jumper, encounters a traumatized 12-year-old boy, Connor (Finn Little), whose father was murdered after discovering something sketchy in the financing in his job for the District Attorney. As Hannah tries to get Connor to safety, they’re pursued by the same assassins who killed his father, all while a fire engulfs the forest. The movie was based on the novel of the same name.

Another project of Sheridan’s, Those Who Wish Me Dead is a fast-paced thriller in which the threat isn’t just violent people—it’s nature, too, perhaps even more dangerous and unpredictable. At its core, it’s a story of redemption, as Hannah is still reeling after a bad call resulted in three deaths. The cast all deliver wonderful performances, but Jon Bernthal especially impresses as the sheriff and brother of Connor’s father.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

R

Thriller

Western

Where to Watch

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Release Date

May 5, 2021

Director

Taylor Sheridan

Cast

Nicholas Hoult , Angelina Jolie , Jon Bernthal , Aidan Gillen , Jake Weber , Tyler Perry

Runtime

100 minutes

8 'God's Country' (2022)

Directed by Julian Higgins

A former cop turned college professor, Sandra (Thandiwe Newton), catches two hunters trespassing on her property in rural Montana in God’s Country. When she leaves a note on the windshield of their parked truck asking them not to return, tensions between her and them escalate, leading to an intense battle of wills, while her pleas for help from local law enforcement are largely ignored. The movie was based on the short story “Winter Light.”

God’s Country has been criticized for being too predictable, but it’s still a good story about a person trying to defend themselves and their property, similar to Yellowstone, combining elements of Westerns with thrillers. Newton’s performance in particular stands out. In a major change from the original short story, the protagonist is not a white man but a Black woman, adding the themes of racism, cultural differences, and social issues to the story.

See Also

Edward mit den Scherenhänden

God's Country

Release Date

September 16, 2022

Cast

Thandiwe Newton , Jeremy Bobb , Joris Jarsky , Jefferson White

Runtime

1 hr 52 min

Watch on Hulu

7 'Wind River' (2017)

Directed by Taylor Sheridan

After a wildlife officer, Cory (Jeremy Renner), finds the body of an 18-year-old woman (Kelsey Asbille) on an Indian reservation in Wyoming, an autopsy reveals she was raped in Wind River. An FBI agent, Jane (Elizabeth Olsen), is then sent to find out what happened to her, and the two are soon targeted themselves as they investigate. It was written and directed by Sheridan and was inspired by a true story.

In addition to being Sheridan’s directorial debut, Wind River also shares some of its cast with Yellowstone—Asbille plays Monica in the series. The movie also highlights the issues facing Indigenous communities in America, much like Yellowstone, specifically the frequency of sexual assault and murder of Indigenous women. Similar to some of Sheridan’s other works, it also has the theme of redemption, with Cory trying to atone for past mistakes.

Wind River

R

Drama

Crime

Mystery

Where to Watch

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Release Date

Director

Taylor Sheridan

Cast

Elizabeth Olsen , Jeremy Renner , Graham Greene , Kelsey Asbille , Julia Jones , Teo Briones

Runtime

6 'Hell or High Water' (2016)

Directed by Taylor Sheridan

In Hell or High Water, after learning the bank is about to foreclose on their family ranch, brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner (Ben Foster) plan a series of robberies targeting multiple branches of the bank to get enough money to pay them back, with revenge as an added bonus. As they begin to plan their final heist, a Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges) is determined to find them. The movie was written by Sheridan.

Similar to Yellowstone, Hell or High Water follows brothers willing to do whatever it takes to protect their ranch, with the themes of familial loyalty and moral ambiguity—and given Sheridan’s involvement in both, these similarities aren't surprising. The movie features sharp writing and stellar performances from its cast. Despite the brothers’ horrible actions, it’s still easy to sympathize with them, especially when they’re played so well.

Hell or High Water

R

Crime

Thriller

Western

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Release Date

August 12, 2016

Director

David Mackenzie

Cast

Chris Pine , Jeff Bridges , Ben Foster , Katy Mixon , Dale Dickey , Kevin Rankin

Runtime

102 minutes

5 'Let Him Go' (2020)

Directed by Thomas Bezucha

In Let Him Go, a retired sheriff turned horse farmer and his wife, played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, leave their ranch in 1960s Montana to rescue their young grandson, who’s living with their daughter-in-law and her new abusive boyfriend, as well as his dangerous family, all living off the grid. When they arrive, they find the family doesn’t intend to let the boy go. The movie was based on the novel of the same name.

Like Yellowstone, Let Him Go stars Costner—who is fantastic in the film—and is set in Montana, but those aren’t the only things the two have in common. The film is a tense, high-stakes family drama about the lengths concerned grandparents will go to for their grandchild, as well as the horrors and cyclical nature of domestic violence. Because it was released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the film largely flew under the radar.

Let Him Go

R

Drama

Western

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

November 6, 2020

Director

Thomas Bezucha

Cast

Kevin Costner , Diane Lane , Lesley Manville

Runtime

113 minutes

4 'The Power of the Dog' (2021)

Directed by Jane Campion

In The Power of the Dog, set in 1925, cattle rancher Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) has a tense relationship with his brother, George (Jesse Plemons), due in part to their extremely different personalities. When George brings home his new wife, Rose (Kirsten Dunst)—a widow—and her teenage son, Peter (Kodi Smit-McPhee), Phil cruelly torments them, until Peter and and Phil begin spending more time together. It was based on the book of the same name.

Reactions to The Power of the Dog have been divisive, but it’s a dark, powerful story about depression, toxic masculinity, and ego. The film is a slow burn that remains compelling until the very end thanks to a few twists along the way, with memorable performances from every member of the cast, particularly Cumberbatch, who plays Phil with an unnerving intensity. The movie won an Academy Award for Best Director.

The Power of the Dog

R

Drama

Western

Psychological

Where to Watch

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Not available

Not available

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Release Date

November 17, 2021

Director

Jane Campion

Cast

Benedict Cumberbatch , Kirsten Dunst , Jesse Plemons , Kodi Smit-McPhee , Thomasin McKenzie , Keith Carradine

Runtime

125 minutes

3 'Dances with Wolves' (1990)

Directed by Kevin Costner

Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner), a Civil War soldier, is stationed alone at a military fort and eventually chooses to leave his life behind to join the neighboring Lakota Indians in Dances with Wolves. He is ultimately accepted into the tribe and falls in love with a white woman who was raised with them. In addition to starring as Dunbar, Costner also directed and produced the film. It was based on the novel of the same name.

Yellowstone creator Sheridan has credited Dances with Wolves as one of the Westerns which inspired the show, making it a great choice for fans of the show looking for something to watch—and it just so happens to feature Costner as its star. It boasts stunning visuals thanks to its picturesque setting, and its compelling story earned it seven Academy Awards. It’s still hailed as Costner’s best work and is his most famous outside of Yellowstone.

Dances With Wolves

PG-13

Adventure

Documentary

Drama

Romance

Western

Where to Watch

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Release Date

March 30, 1990

Director

Kevin Costner

Cast

Kevin Costner , Mary McDonnell , Graham Greene , Rodney A. Grant , Floyd Westerman , Tantoo Cardinal

Runtime

181 minutes

2 'No Country for Old Men' (2007)

Directed by the Coen Brothers

In No Country for Old Men, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) finds the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong while out hunting in the desert and decides to take the money—over $2 million—for himself. He soon finds himself being hunted down by Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem), a hitman tasked with recovering the money, while Sheriff Bell (Tommy Lee Jones) is hoping to protect him. It was based on the Cormac McCarthy novel of the same name.

No Country for Old Men is a faithful adaptation of its source material, and it combines the Western and the noir with a plot centered around the idea that violence is meaningless, as well as the themes of coincidence and consequences, no matter the action. The movie brilliantly builds tension and features a particularly chilling performance from Bardem. It won four Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.

No Country for Old Men

R

Crime

Drama

Thriller

Where to Watch

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Release Date

November 8, 2007

Director

Ethan Coen , Joel Coen

Cast

Tommy Lee Jones , Javier Bardem , Josh Brolin , Woody Harrelson , Kelly Macdonald , Garret Dillahunt

Runtime

122 Minutes

1 'Blue Ruin' (2013)

Directed by Jeremy Saulnier

In Blue Ruin, after learning the man he believes killed his family is being released from prison, a drifter named Dwight (Macon Blair) living out of his car returns to his childhood home to get revenge. And although he succeeds, he realizes evidence of his involvement is left all over the scene—and perhaps even worse, that the family has not reported the murder to police, meaning they intend to get revenge of their own.

Revenge stories are all too common in movies and TV, and as such, they can be predictable—but the thrilling Blue Ruin proves they don’t have to be, and that they can also feel very realistic. It’s a very raw film, gritty film, and the cast all deliver impressive performances. The movie has also received critical acclaim. It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.

Blue Ruin

Release Date

April 25, 2014

Director

Jeremy Saulnier

Actors

Macon Blair, Devin Ratray, Amy Hargreaves, Kevin Kolack, Eve Plumb, David W. Thompson

Run Time

90 minutes

Watch on Amazon Prime

NEXT: The Best John Dutton Quotes in 'Yellowstone'