Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- brooding
- mythic
- visceral
- classic western night
- spaghetti western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Keoma as one of the stronger and more formally intriguing spaghetti westerns, praising its visual grandeur and Franco Nero while noting an uneven score and plot clarity in some versions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Keoma returns to liberate a town dominated by Caldwell and his allied half-brothers, while the film loads the conflict with spiritual metaphor.
Critical reception specifically praises the plentiful gunplay as balletic and the camera work as sweeping and lyrical.
Keoma is identified as a half-breed and is rejected by both his hometown and his three half-brothers upon returning.
Caldwell and his gang control Keoma's border hometown, making the town the immediate terrain of oppression and retaliation.
Films like Keoma, and why
Django
shared spaghetti western style, mythic revenge narrative, stylized gunplay, and morally harsh frontier atmosphere
The Great Silence
shared Italian western tradition, lone avenger protagonist, operatic violence, and bleak frontier justice
Duck, You Sucker!
shared baroque spaghetti western form, revenge-driven conflict, lyrical visual storytelling, and heightened violence
The Mercenary
shared revisionist western themes, exiled antihero, family betrayal, and stylized frontier brutality
Movie Details
- Director
- Enzo G. Castellari
- Release Date
- 1976-11-25
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (172)
Cast
- Franco Nero
- William Berger
- Olga Karlatos
- Orso Maria Guerrini
- Gabriella Giacobbe
- Antonio Marsina
- Joshua Sinclair
- Donald O'Brien
- Leonardo Scavino
- Wolfango Soldati
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Midnight Pulp, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, ARROW
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Keoma about?
- A returning Civil War veteran wages an operatic, blood-soaked war against the gang and family that have seized his frontier hometown.
- What is Keoma like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Keoma as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Keoma violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Keoma as graphic.
- What did critics think of Keoma?
- Critics broadly regard Keoma as one of the stronger and more formally intriguing spaghetti westerns, praising its visual grandeur and Franco Nero while noting an uneven score and plot clarity in some versions.
- Which films are like Keoma?
- Films with a similar feel include Django, The Great Silence, Duck, You Sucker!, and The Mercenary.
- How long is Keoma?
- Keoma runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Keoma?
- In United States, Keoma streams on Midnight Pulp, Midnight Pulp Amazon Channel, ARROW.
