Taylor Sheridan is one of the most prolific and influential creators working in television and film today, and there’s a good reason his services remain in high demand. Since 2015, Sheridan has established himself as a talented storyteller not only in the neo-Western realm, but with action thrillers as well. He’s responsible for some of my favorite projects of the last decade thanks to his ability to weave high-stakes dramatic intrigue with pulse-pounding action sequences.
In ranking Sheridan’s action thrillers, I wanted to focus on projects that were heavier on action, even though it’s certainly true that almost all of Sheridan’s work includes action in some capacity. Shows like Yellowstone and Mayor of Kingstown have unforgettable moments of high-octane action, but the core of those shows lies in Western drama and crime drama, respectively. The projects on this list represent the most action-forward items in Sheridan’s filmography, and are ranked by the overall quality of the project as opposed to ranking them specifically by their action-thriller elements.
Why You Should Trust Me: As a long-time Western fan and aficionado, I have become extremely familiar with the work of Taylor Sheridan over the last decade. His work in reviving the neo-Western genre has yielded several of my favorite shows and movies from the 21st century, but his best action thrillers are just as enticing. As a professional entertainment writer, I’ve had the privilege to cover and analyze his work over the last five years for Movie Web and Screen Rant.
7
Without Remorse (2021)
Taylor Sheridan penned the script based on a 1993 Tom Clancy novel.
After 20 years in development hell, Without Remorse finally moved forward in 2018 with Sheridan hired to write a fresh script based on one of Tom Clancy’s more well-known novels. The movie stars Michael B. Jordan as a U.S. Navy SEAL who embarks on a mission of cold-blooded vengeance after his wife and team are murdered by Russian operatives. Reviews for the movie, which skipped a theatrical release in favor of a debut on Prime Video, were mixed at best, with critics and audiences alike agreeing that the formulaic plot and tropes sucked a lot of the life out of the movie despite a solid performance from Michael B. Jordan.
6
Marshals (2026-present)
The ‘Yellowstone’ spin-off is a streaming juggernaut for Paramount.
Taylor Sheridan’s flagship neo-Western Yellowstone has spawned a number of highly-watched spinoffs and prequels, but one of the most recent broke the formula a bit in its genre shift. The Kayce Dutton-focused Marshals is more action-heavy than any Yellowstone show that came before it, as it’s more of a police procedural than it is a Western drama. As a result, the thrills are born from shootouts, chases, and hand-to-hand combat. Audiences have fully embraced the show by the millions, but critics were less than impressed with the show’s often dull and predictable first season, on which Sheridan is an executive producer.
5
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
The stylish sequel to the 2015 hit was written by Taylor Sheridan.
Before teaming up on Without Remorse, Sheridan collaborated with director Stefano Sollima on Sicario: Day of the Soldado, the direct sequel to the 2015 Academy Award nominee. The sequel sees Josh Brolin and Benicio del Toro return in the same roles, although in this go-around they’re charged with stirring up cartel activity in an attempt to disrupt a human trafficking ring. There is even more sleek, stylish action than there was in Sicario, although it never quite reaches the same heights from a narrative and direction standpoint despite a solid script from Sheridan.
4
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
Sheridan directed the fiery thriller based on the popular 2014 novel of the same name.
Those Who Wish Me Dead flew under the radar despite a very good cast led by Angelina Jolie (Yellowstone fans will also recognize Finn Little, who plays Beth and Rip’s adopted son Carter) and Sheridan pulling triple duty as writer, director, and producer. Jolie stars as a smokejumper, a specially-trained forest firefighter, who finds herself on the run with a boy (Little) who witnessed his father’s murder at the hands of two killers (Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen). Reception was lukewarm, as neither critics nor audiences were overly impressed by the movie, although it does feature some well-directed action sequences from Sheridan.
3
Lioness (2023-present)
Sheridan’s star-studded spy thriller has only gotten better over time.
The premise for Lioness is among the strongest on this list, as the spy thriller follows a team of female CIA operatives who go undercover to dismantle terrorist organizations from within. There is plenty of incredible action throughout, along with a stellar cast led by Zoe Saldaña. Lioness is one of Sheridan’s key projects over the last few years, as he has acted as creator, writer, director, and producer in its first two seasons. While the critical reception was middling for the first season, the second season was excellently reviewed by critics and audiences, and the upcoming third season remains one of the most highly anticipated shows of summer 2026.
2
Lawmen: Bass Reeves (2023)
Sheridan was a producer on the limited series based on the famous real-life peace officer.
One of Paramount’s best shows of the last decade doesn’t have as high a profile as some of the other series due to its limited format. Lawmen: Bass Reeves is a standout historical action series anchored by an excellent singular performance from David Oyelowo, although a supporting cast that includes Forrest Goodluck, Dennis Quaid, and Donald Sutherland is not to be overlooked. Barry Pepper also turns in a captivating performance as the dark and creepy rogue Confederate officer Esau Pierce, and provides a great showdown for the series climax. Lawmen: Bass Reeves has excellent action, legitimate intrigue, a dangerous villain, and a top-flight lead—what more do you need?
1
Sicario (2015)
Taylor Sheridan’s excellent screenwriting debut became a masterpiece in Denis Villeneuve’s hands.
For my money, Sheridan’s first turn as a screenwriter remains his best work. Sicario earned three Academy Award nominations (albeit for filmmaking categories as opposed to the screenplay), and Denis Villeneuve’s work is what elevated Sheridan’s already excellent script into something truly special. The story of an FBI special agent pulled into the secretive world of cartel task forces is Sheridan’s most gripping narrative to date, and the three major players in Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin all display some of the best work of their careers in the movie. Sicario will be hard for Taylor Sheridan to ever top, plain and simple.
