'Eddington' and Other Essential Neo-Westerns!

Ari Aster, known for his bone-chilling work in Midsommar and Hereditary, is back with another tale full of wacky circumstances and colorful characters in Eddington. The highly-anticipated follow up to Beau is Afraid finds Joaquin Phoenix teaming up with Aster once again for a quite different exhibition. Taking place during the heart of the Pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, Eddington presents this era through the lens of a Neo-Western, a genre that has grown in immense popularity over the past two decades. With classic showdown structure, frontier exploration, and an isolated, rustic backdrop, Aster’s latest piece explores the anxieties and tensions of the COVID era through the use of the Neo-Western genre. Effectively weaponizing and exploring the new frontier of social media, Eddington is a great example of how the classic Western tropes can be contextualized within modern settings and conflicts to create something new from a genre as old as movies themselves.

Constantly growing and reaching back into its roots, yet providing something new each time, here are few essential Neo-Westerns to check out that have redefined the genre in their respective times:

No Country for Old Men (2007)

Considered not only one of the greatest Neo-Westerns of all time but one of the greatest films of all time, No Country for Old Men is a masterpiece in Western storytelling and a definitive example of how the Western genre has transformed today. Racking up four Oscar wins, including Best Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actor, this Coen Brothers work is a must-watch. Incorporating many of traditional elements of the Western genre, most notably the famous shootout scene, it can be argued that No Country is in fact the defining Neo-Western film, leading the way for many more installations in the genre to come. (Stream on Prime Video and Pluto TV)

Taylor Sheridan's Wind River (2017), Hell or High Water (2016), and Sicario (2015)

In the world of Neo-Westerns, Taylor Sheridan is a household name. Like most Westerns, Sheridan’s work encapsulates the lonesome and reclusive nature of the genre, using modern backdrops and contexts in his several essential pieces. With commonalities such as stoic heroes, vengeance, and moral ambiguity, Sheridan’s movies study the tropes of the genre in the context of the modern day American West, highlighting its evaporating lifestyle and culture. Similar to older Westerns, his thematics often focus on “Man vs System”, incorporating contemporary constructions such as the FBI in Sicario, the modern bank in Hell or High Water, and systemic neglect in Wind River. Sheridan maintains a newer sense in his films, all the while maintaining shootouts, dusty settings, and some badass characters. (Stream Wind River on PLEX; Hell or High Water on VOD/Digital; Sicario on Netflix)

Paris, Texas (1984)

While made in the mid ‘80s, Wim Wenders's Paris, Texas is an excellent example of the Neo-Western, especially because it has no showdowns or cowboys or outlaws. The sensibilities of the genre are in fact found in its visual storytelling, score, and the characterization of the American West to serve the story. Wenders masterfully contrasts many tropes of the Western experience, effectively transforming the genre from a violent exposition to an emotionally anchored journey. For instance, Paris, Texas is indeed a film about redemption; however, it excludes the normal use of guns to achieve such reconciliation. Akin to Sheridan’s films, it modernizes the frontier that is the American West, similarly exposing the eroding nature of its  landscape and culture. (Stream on HBO Max)

Logan (2017)

One of the more unique Neo-Westerns in regard to story, Logan couldn’t be more of a 21st century Western if it tried! A true superhero in a Western is unheard of, and James Mangold’s take on the Wolverine comic book character explores the genre in an unconventional and transformative way. Preserving the loner character and sustaining the desolate, Western backdrop, this blockbuster provides many classic genre tropes in a comic book context. For instance, we have essential Western motifs such as the man with a child on the run, the aging gunslinger, justice outside of the law, and, of course, vengeance. (Stream on Disney+ and HBO Max)

"Last of Us" (2023--), "Breaking Bad" (2008-2013), "Yellowstone" (2018-2024), "Westworld" (2016-2022)

The small screen has been no stranger to the Neo-Western wave. Actually, TV has been home to many Western compositions in modern day settings, most notably in “Breaking Bad” and “Justified”. Similarly exploring and revamping the genre, shows like “Westworld” and "The Last of Us” have taken familiar sci-fi worlds, like robots and zombies, and mashed them with the Western landscape and story structure. Of course, the king of the Neo-Western, Taylor Sheridan, has also taken to TV, providing massive hits in “Yellowstone”, “1923”, “1883”, and "Landman”. (Stream "The Last of Us" on HBO Max; "Breaking Bad" on Netflix; "Yellowstone" on Peacock; "Westworld" on VOD/Digital)

The Neo-Western genre continues to explode in both film and television. Its versatility and creative flexibility make it both digestible and evocative, while carrying on the nostalgia and familiarity of its original form. This category of audiovisual storytelling is timeless, as it aims to uncover the human condition in an enduring manner while addressing contemporary and present-day ideas. In an age where things are constantly changing in regard to technology, human interaction, and society as a whole, this genre is a perfect lens to investigate the new ways and ideas of life. Now giddy up and get to watching!

Eddington is in theatres now.