The Outlaw Josey Wales
A battle-scarred Missouri farmer becomes a hunted gunslinger and unlikely protector on the unsettled post-Civil War frontier.
Overview
A lone man seeks redemption in a land scarred by war and betrayal.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- melancholic
- sardonic
- classic western night
- clint eastwood marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Clint Eastwood's revisionist western as an atmospheric, iconic, and culturally significant reworking of the Man with No Name tradition.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows a Civil War survivor and a makeshift community rather than presenting the frontier as uncomplicated heroic adventure.
Josey Wales begins as a wanted fighter driven by loss but becomes the protector of settlers and companions.
Josey joins settlers and other displaced figures who depend on one another for safety and belonging.
The westward movement through Texas and surrounding frontier country frames Josey's flight, encounters, and search for sanctuary.
Films like The Outlaw Josey Wales, and why
Unforgiven
shared revisionist western form, morally conflicted gunslinger, postwar violence, and themes of revenge and redemption
High Plains Drifter
shared western mythology, lone-wolf protagonist, gun battles, and austere revenge-driven tone
The Great Silence
shared post-Civil War setting, outlaw protagonist, frontier survival, and elegiac western atmosphere
The Wild Bunch
shared New Hollywood revisionism, violent frontier justice, and a protagonist protecting a vulnerable community
Movie Details
- Director
- Clint Eastwood
- Release Date
- 1976-06-30
- Runtime
- 135 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (1349)
Cast
- Clint Eastwood
- Chief Dan George
- Sondra Locke
- Bill McKinney
- John Vernon
- Paula Trueman
- Sam Bottoms
- Geraldine Keams
- Woodrow Parfrey
- Joyce Jameson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Outlaw Josey Wales about?
- A battle-scarred Missouri farmer becomes a hunted gunslinger and unlikely protector on the unsettled post-Civil War frontier.
- What is The Outlaw Josey Wales like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Outlaw Josey Wales as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Outlaw Josey Wales violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Outlaw Josey Wales as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Outlaw Josey Wales?
- Critics broadly regard Clint Eastwood's revisionist western as an atmospheric, iconic, and culturally significant reworking of the Man with No Name tradition.
- Which films are like The Outlaw Josey Wales?
- Films with a similar feel include Unforgiven, High Plains Drifter, The Great Silence, and The Wild Bunch.
- How long is The Outlaw Josey Wales?
- The Outlaw Josey Wales runs 135 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Outlaw Josey Wales?
- In United States, The Outlaw Josey Wales streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
