However, before conquering television, Sheridan carved out his writing career with some notable movies. Sheridan’s work in Sicario proves that he was far more than just a Western writer.
However, one of his best movies showcases the brilliant modern perspectives he brings to the Western genre while also delivering the kind of thrills and adventure fans of the genre expect. While Yellowstone might be where most of Sheridan’s fans know him from, this underrated movie is one that those fans need to seek out.
Hell Or High Water Is The Perfect Modern Western
Sheridan Uses Western Tropes To Examine Modern America
Hell or High Water is a terrific 2016 crime movie that has elements of a heist story, but really works best as a modern Western.
Written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as two brothers who set out on a crime spree, robbing several banks across Texas, while being pursued by Jeff Bridges’ Texas Ranger.
Like those Old West legends, the reality of Hell or High Water‘s protagonists is that they are flawed.
The fact that the brothers are paying the bank with money they are robbing directly from the banks sets Toby and Tanner up to be folk heroes of sorts, similar to the legends of the Old West.
However, like those Old West legends, the reality of Hell or High Water‘s protagonists is that they are flawed. Toby is a caring and compassionate man looking for redemption as a father. Tanner is a supportive brother, but he is also largely in it for the thrill, killing anyone who gets in his way.
Fans Of Yellowstone Are Likely To Love Hell Or High Water
Yellowstone became one of the most popular shows on television, elevating Sheridan’s career. While he has plenty of shows to occupy audiences, Hell or High Water is one movie that Yellowstone fans need to check out.
The movie shares a lot of elements with the series, reflecting some of the themes and topics that Sheridan would go on to explore. While its heist story is much different from the soap opera-esque drama of Yellowstone, there are a lot of similarities.
At the center of Hell or High Water, it is about one man’s fight to hold onto the land that his family owns so he can pass it on to the next generation.
Birmingham is part of the Yellowstone cast, playing Thomas Rainwater throughout the series, casting that was perhaps inspired by Birmingham’s role in Hell or High Water.
Sheridan himself also appears briefly in the movie in one scene as a cowboy leading his cattle away from a fire that is burning his land. His lament over the struggles of modern cowboy life leads him to say, “And I wonder why my kids won’t do this s*** for a living.” That reflects a strong theme of the Yellowstone universe and passing this hard way of life down through the generations.
At the center of Hell or High Water, it is about one man’s fight to hold onto the land that his family owns so he can pass it on to the next generation. The lengths he goes to and the moral ambiguity of his mission reflect the journey of John Dutton in Yellowstone, proving that Taylor Sheridan understands that, in modern Westerns, good and bad are not as straightforward.
