The Shootist
An aging gunfighter with terminal cancer seeks control over his final days while confronting the violence and fading code that defined his life.
Overview
An aging gunfighter faces his greatest challenge yet: the end of his life.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- poignant
- dignified
- quiet evening
- classic western marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, dignified revisionist western elevated by John Wayne’s farewell performance and a strong supporting cast.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
J.B. Books is an old gunfighter whose terminal illness coincides with a changing social order that no longer accommodates his profession.
Books has only a month or two to live after doctors confirm his terminal stomach cancer, shaping his decisions and relationships.
Books seeks a quicker death rather than enduring the agony of terminal cancer and maneuvers toward a final confrontation.
John Wayne plays Books in his final major film role, making the aging gunfighter’s farewell resonate beyond the character’s story.
Films like The Shootist, and why
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
revisionist western treatment of aging, violence, and a gunfighter confronting mortality
Unforgiven
melancholic western about an aging lawman facing the end of an era and his own mortality
Ride the High Country
reflective western centered on an aging gunfighter, personal codes, and the consequences of violence
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Siegel
- Release Date
- 1976-07-21
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (396)
Cast
- John Wayne
- Lauren Bacall
- Ron Howard
- James Stewart
- Richard Boone
- Hugh O'Brian
- Bill McKinney
- Harry Morgan
- John Carradine
- Sheree North
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Essential
- 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 The Shootist about?
- An aging gunfighter with terminal cancer seeks control over his final days while confronting the violence and fading code that defined his life.
- What is The Shootist like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Shootist as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Shootist violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Shootist as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Shootist?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a poignant, dignified revisionist western elevated by John Wayne’s farewell performance and a strong supporting cast.
- Which films are like The Shootist?
- Films with a similar feel include The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Unforgiven, and Ride the High Country.
- How long is The Shootist?
- The Shootist runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Shootist?
- In United States, The Shootist streams on Paramount Plus Essential.
