Daniel Day-Lewis’ legendary portrayal of Daniel Plainview, the exploration of the American west amid the oil boom, and numerous memorable lines have all contributed to There Will Be Blood‘s status as a one of great western dramas. There Will Be Blood is a legendary picture that may leave you yearning for more works to give you the same experience. While there are no other dramas quite like it, the eight listed below either capture the western atmosphere of There Will Be Blood or explore topics and themes that are related.
1. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Director- Ethan Coen
Working-class man Llewelyn Moss discovers $2 million in the desert. There, a heroin deal appears to have gone awry and finds himself on the run. Anton Chigurh, a cold-blooded killer with a distinctive murder weapon at his disposal, is the person after him. Through his wife Carla Jean, soon-to-be retired Sheriff Ed Tom Bell makes repeated attempts to persuade Moss. In order to turn up the money to the police in order to avoid a tragic outcome.
2. The Master (2012)
Director- Paul Thomas Anderson
Freddie Quell is a troubled, inebriated drifter battling his inner demons from before World War II. As well as the devastation of that conflict. In 1950, Freddie gets on a passing boat. Both meets Lancaster Dodd, the charismatic head of an organisation known as the Cause. Freddie makes a strong effort to follow Dodd’s peculiar beliefs and develops a close relationship with his mentor. Despite the fact that other members of Dodd’s inner circle view him as a threat.
3. Oldboy (2003)
Director- Park Chan-wook
Oh Dae-Su is a blustering alcoholic who was kidnapped in 1988 on a rainy night. He awakens in an odd hotel room with no windows. Oh Dae-invisible Su’s captors keep him under lock and key for an unidentified reason. Hence, feeding him routinely drugged to prevent suicide, and only offering a colour television to keep him company. And confused Oh Dae-Su is finally freed after spending fifteen long years in captivity. Now, Oh Dae-Su is encouraged to find the perpetrators of the enigmatic kidnapping and exact his harsh, vengeful retribution on the tormentor by his ruthless captors.
4. True Grit (2010)
Director- Joel Coen
Fort Smith, Arkansas, in 1870. After witnessing her father being killed by a cowardly serpent she had previously trusted, tenacious fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross seduces the vicious, one-eyed U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn offering a bounty to find the person who murdered her father. The strange three forms a hesitant team and sets out on a perilous expedition deep inside the dangerous Indian Territory to find the murderer while Texas Ranger LaBoeuf, an exceptional shot, joins in. The chances are against them and a female is not suited for the untamed outdoors.
5. Memories of Murder (2003)
Director- Bong Joon-Ho
Recent rape and murder of two women occurred in a rural area of South Korea. Detectives Park Doo-man and Cho Yong-koo are working on the case. Some shoddy police crime scene procedures hamper their attempts. Their tactics for solving crimes are also very simple, primarily consisting of thrashing people into making confessions. All of this is ineffective, so the police chief hires Seo Tae-yoon, a more sophisticated and perceptive detective from Seoul. His arrival makes the techniques more effective, but they are still missing the murderer. A pattern then becomes apparent after a second woman is discovered dead.
6. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
Director- Andrew Dominik
Recent rape and murder of two women occurred in a rural area of South Korea. Detectives Park Doo-man and Cho Yong-koo are working on the case. Some shoddy police crime scene procedures hamper their attempts. Their tactics for solving crimes are also very simple, primarily consisting of thrashing people into making confessions. All of this is ineffective, so the police chief hires Seo Tae-yoon, a more sophisticated and perceptive detective from Seoul. His arrival makes the techniques more effective, but they are still missing the murderer. A pattern then becomes apparent after a second woman is discovered dead.
7. Hell or High Water (2016)
Director- David Mackenzie
After his mother passed away, Toby Howard, an unemployed oil and gas worker, is losing his ranch in Texas to the Texas Midlands Bank. Toby’s wife, who cohabitates with their two sons, filed for divorce. When his brother Tanner Howard is let out of jail, the two of them band together to rob the Texas Midlands Bank in order to obtain the funds necessary to pay off the loan and allow Toby to give his sons the real estate. Alberto Parker, a Native American descendent, and Marcus Hamilton, a Texas Ranger who is close to retiring, attempt to predict the thieves’ next move.
8. Citizen Kane (1941)
Director- Orson Welles
A reporter is given the task of deciphering newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane’s final words, and as he investigates, he progressively paints a fascinating picture of a complex man who rose from obscurity to astounding heights. Though Jedediah Leland, a friend and coworker of Kane’s, and Susan Alexander, his mistress, provide some insight into Kane’s life, the writer worries that he may never fully understand the significance of the enigmatic man’s last word, “Rosebud.”
Great western dramas have long been a staple of American cinema, and for good reason. These films offer a unique blend of action, adventure, and drama, and often explore complex themes related to the American West. Many of the greatest western dramas are considered classics of the genre, and have had a lasting impact on both the film industry and popular culture. From the sweeping landscapes and iconic characters to the timeless themes and moral dilemmas, great western dramas continue to captivate and inspire audiences of all ages.
