Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- grim
- tense
- stoic
- classic western night
- clint eastwood marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as an entertaining and well-acted western with strong suspense and courage, though some find its later stretch less focused and derivative of European westerns.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jed Cooper survives a vigilante hanging and uses his return as a lawman to pursue the men who attacked him.
The plot contrasts the lynchers' mistaken mob punishment with Cooper's obligation to bring them before the law.
Hanging, judges, marshals, and vigilantes form the film's central social and ethical landscape.
The opening lynching and Cooper's subsequent hunt give the western a severe, haunted atmosphere.
Films like Hang 'em High, and why
The Ox-Bow Incident
shared revisionist western themes of vigilante justice, false accusation, and moral reckoning
High Plains Drifter
shared western setting, stoic lawman protagonist, and tension between personal vengeance and formal justice
The Bravados
shared capital punishment theme, frontier violence, and a protagonist pursuing justice after institutional betrayal
A Fistful of Dollars
shared Clint Eastwood western style, terse heroism, and grim revenge-driven atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Ted Post
- Release Date
- 1968-04-12
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (890)
Cast
- Clint Eastwood
- Inger Stevens
- Ed Begley
- Pat Hingle
- Ben Johnson
- Charles McGraw
- Ruth White
- Bruce Dern
- Alan Hale Jr.
- Arlene Golonka
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Hang 'em High about?
- A falsely accused frontier lawman survives a lynching and pursues the vigilantes who nearly killed him while struggling to uphold due process.
- What is Hang 'em High like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hang 'em High as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hang 'em High violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Hang 'em High as moderate.
- What did critics think of Hang 'em High?
- Critics broadly regard it as an entertaining and well-acted western with strong suspense and courage, though some find its later stretch less focused and derivative of European westerns.
- Which films are like Hang 'em High?
- Films with a similar feel include The Ox-Bow Incident, High Plains Drifter, The Bravados, and A Fistful of Dollars.
- How long is Hang 'em High?
- Hang 'em High runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hang 'em High?
- In United States, Hang 'em High streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
