Taylor Sheridan has become synonymous with cowboys and TV series set in the West these days. He is the face of Paramount+ entertainment, turning out hits like Yellowstone, 1883, 1923, Landman, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, and Lioness. While he has focused much of his time on TV series in recent years, he first made waves in Hollywood as an actor and later as a screenwriter.
Sheridan had played bit parts and recurring story arcs in several TV series for about 15 years before his first movie was made. That film was Sicario, the 2015 action thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, and Josh Brolin. The film was a critical and box-office hit, paving the way for Sheridan’s second screenplay, Hell or High Water, which came out a year later. That movie featured Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Jeff Bridges and earned Sheridan an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
The year after that, Sheridan tried his hand at directing, helming Wind River, a film that he also wrote. These 3 movies make up the neo-Western “American Frontier Trilogy.” Not only have these films been celebrated by audiences and critics alike, but they also make up the best modern trilogy in the Western genre. Here is why.
It Showed the World Who Taylor Sheridan Was
Sheridan had been acting for quite a while. But he only picked up screenwriting in his 40s. His idea for his first movie was good. Sicario follows Blunt’s FBI agent as she joins a task force led by Brolin and featuring del Toro, who are trying to flush out a Mexican drug cartel lieutenant. The film is filled with violence, danger, gun battles, explosions, and gripping scenes.
The legendary Roger Deakins shot Sicario, bringing the claustrophobic feel that Sheridan had put on the page to life. All aspects of the film were praised, especially the writing. Sheridan was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay and currently has a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film had a $30M budget and grossed $85M at the box office, no small feat for a movie that earned its R rating. After that, Hollywood was interested in seeing what Sheridan would do next.
It Paved the Way for ‘Yellowstone’
It isn’t hard to imagine that, without the success of the American Frontier Trilogy, Sheridan’s most popular creation, Yellowstone, would not have been seen. Wind River came out in 2017, and Yellowstone debuted in 2018, the same year that another of his films premiered, the sequel to Sicario, Sicario: Day of the Soldado (directed by Stefano Sollima). Yellowstone obviously had a bigger name behind it than Sheridan’s: Kevin Costner.
While Costner was the series’ main star, the concept may not have come to fruition without Sheridan’s reputation as a good screenwriter. Costner, who is probably the best-known actor in modern westerns, brought name recognition to a series that aired on the Paramount Network. Yellowstone became increasingly popular on streaming services and helped Paramount Global launch Paramount+, where most of Sheridan’s series, many of which are spinoffs of the show, are available.
It Cemented Emily Blunt as an Action Star
By 2015, Emily Blunt had already made a name for herself as an actress willing to play all kinds of roles. She had starred in horror films, indie romances, period pieces, prestige dramas, and many others. The year before, she had just come off her first big-time action film, though. That was Edge of Tomorrow, where she starred alongside Tom Cruise in a futuristic war against aliens.
Blunt is a bona fide action star in that film, as the blockbuster earned $370M at the box office. Anyone who had watched Blunt prior to that knew she could act. Anyone who watched her in that saw she could carry an action film. But what about a project that would ask her to do both? Sicario was that film, where she not only can be seen spraying bullets and chasing down bad guys, but also giving a nuanced performance that lets the audience see the dark side of law enforcement.
It Helped Denis Villeneuve Achieve Hollywood Fame
It’s hard to remember a time when Denis Villeneuve wasn’t one of the biggest names in Hollywood. The Canadian filmmaker has made some of the biggest movies in recent memory, led by Dune, Dune: Part Two, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards and creates visually stunning works of art.
Villeneuve was a rising star in the filmmaking world after Incendies was nominated for the Best International Feature Film Oscar. He followed that up with Prisoners, the haunting thriller starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Hugh Jackman, and Enemy, featuring Gyllenhaal in two different roles. Villeneuve’s next film, Sicario, showed a different side of his directing. The production’s success proved Villeneuve was a consistent hitmaker.
It Reminded Audiences Why Jeff Bridges Rules
There may not be that many people who need reminding that Jeff Bridges is great. He’s had a career of over 70 years in show business, and he’s played incredibly iconic characters. From Tron to The Big Lebowski to Crazy Heart to Iron Man, Bridges has consistently put forth terrific performances. However, after 2010, when he made Tron: Legacy and True Grit, both of which were celebrated, he hit a bit of a rough patch in his career.
Films like R.I.P.D., The Giver, Seventh Son, and The Little Prince failed to make an impression on audiences. But when Hell or High Water came in 2016, Bridges took full command of the screen again. He played Marcus Hamilton, a Texas Ranger in charge of chasing down bank-robbing brothers, played by Pine and Foster. Despite being 66 at the time, Bridges showed he still had the acting chops to pull off the role. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.
It Took Audiences to Locations They Probably Hadn’t Seen Before
All three films are set in remote locations, making the characters feel more isolated. Sicario is set in Chandler, Arizona and Juarez, Mexico. Hell or High Water takes place in West Texas and Oklahoma. Wind River is set on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming. These films showcase these locations and make them essential parts of the story. When watching any of them, audiences are swept away.
The cold in Wind River, the stifling heat in Sicario, and the dry air in Hell or High Water can basically be felt through the screen. The settings help make these films, and Sheridan celebrates unique locations that may not have been on screen before. Because of where the movies take place, the action often feels smaller and more personal.
It Showcased Gil Birmingham’s Acting Talents
Gil Birmingham has been a recognizable actor for many years. He starred in all the Twilight films and had recurring arcs on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, House of Cards, Banshee, and more. Birmingham has been an underappreciated actor for many years, turning in consistent work since the mid-1980s. In Hell of High Water, he stars as Bridges’ partner, a fellow Texas Ranger named Alberto Parker.
Birmingham has some of his most memorable screen time, and his role in an Oscar-nominated film paved the way for better roles. He went on to star in Wind River next, and Sheridan cast him in Yellowstone as Thomas Rainwater, the chief of a nearby Indian reservation to the Yellowstone Ranch.
It Helped Hollywood See Elizabeth Olsen’s Range
Coming from a famous Hollywood family, Elizabeth Olsen set out to prove she was the best actor in her family. Olsen didn’t go the TV route many up-and-coming actors and actresses do, building their way into TV credits before landing film work. She burst onto the scene in critical indie darlings like Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene, Silent House, and Liberal Arts.
When Taylor Sheridan cast Olsen as FBI Special Agent Jane Banner in Wind River, audiences saw a different side of her acting. Banner is sent to the Wind River Indian Reservation to investigate a possible homicide alongside Renner’s Fish and Wildlife Service Agent Cody Lambert.
It Introduced David Mackenzie to American Audiences
David Mackenzie had been working as a feature film director since 2002. The Scottish director had mostly done British projects prior to the release of 2016’s Hell or High Water. He earned BAFTA Scotland Award nominations for projects like Young Adam, Hallam Foe, Perfect Sense, and Starred Up. Starred Up was released in 2013 and starred Jack O’Connell and was widely praised for its harsh depiction of prison life.
This gritty style made him perfect for Sheridan’s second entry into his trilogy. Mackenzie took his signature style and, working again with frequent collaborator and cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, made West Texas feel both incredibly expansive and intimate for the four main characters. The success of Hell or High Water helped Mackenzie, as he went on to direct Outlaw King, Relay, and episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven, which also starred Gil Birmingham.
It Updated Classic Westerns to Emphasize the Neo-Western Film Genre
A neo-Western is set in the present day that uses the themes and style of classic Western films. Remote locations in the desert, cops and robbers, horseback chases, and more are staples of these kinds of movies. The American Frontier Trilogy offers all of those. All three films are made in that style, giving audiences a look at the classic genre while keeping it updated.
These kinds of settings are trademarks of Taylor Sheridan-set projects. While not all of his projects are about the West, many are, and his first three screenplays all draw their styles from the genre. Sheridan has helped bring Westerns back to the forefront of pop culture. This trio of films helped pave the way for him and many others.
