Terror in a Texas Town
A Swedish whaler returns to a Texas town and forces a frightened community to confront land theft, murder, and its hostility toward outsiders.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- brooding
- stylized
- classic western marathon
- film noir night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a potent, stylistically distinctive cult western whose formulaic story and uneven performances are offset by Joseph H. Lewis's extreme mood and visual flair.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
George Hanson returns to defend his father's land and challenge Ed McNeil's coercive scheme.
Joseph H. Lewis's stylistic flourishes and potent, extreme moods give the low-budget western a surreal noir character.
The plot targets immigrant farmers and frames the town's refusal to protect outsiders as a central social failure.
George Hanson is identified as a Swedish whaler, and the harpoon motif sharply distinguishes his western persona.
Films like Terror in a Texas Town, and why
High Noon
shared western moral courage, outsider persecution, and community fear under pressure
Gun Crazy
shared western film noir atmosphere, stylized direction, and morally compromised gunmen
Forty Guns
shared baroque visual style, social injustice, and intense outsider-centered western drama
The Tall T
shared low-budget western filmmaking, political subtext, and stark frontier conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Joseph H. Lewis
- Release Date
- 1958-09-01
- Runtime
- 81 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (48)
Cast
- Sterling Hayden
- Sebastian Cabot
- Carol Kelly
- Eugene Mazzola
- Nedrick Young
- Victor Millan
- Frank Ferguson
- Marilee Earle
- Byron Foulger
- Ted Stanhope
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Terror in a Texas Town about?
- A Swedish whaler returns to a Texas town and forces a frightened community to confront land theft, murder, and its hostility toward outsiders.
- What is Terror in a Texas Town like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Terror in a Texas Town as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Terror in a Texas Town violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Terror in a Texas Town as moderate.
- What did critics think of Terror in a Texas Town?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a potent, stylistically distinctive cult western whose formulaic story and uneven performances are offset by Joseph H. Lewis's extreme mood and visual flair.
- Which films are like Terror in a Texas Town?
- Films with a similar feel include High Noon, Gun Crazy, Forty Guns, and The Tall T.
- How long is Terror in a Texas Town?
- Terror in a Texas Town runs 81 minutes.
- Where can I watch Terror in a Texas Town?
- In United States, Terror in a Texas Town streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
