The Ox-Bow Incident
A posse’s hunt for alleged cattle thieves becomes a merciless test of conscience, evidence, and frontier justice.
Overview
A gripping tale of justice and mob mentality unfolds in a small Western town.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- stark
- bleak
- morally confrontational
- classic cinema study
- serious western viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a powerful, tightly controlled, morally serious anti-lynching western, while some find its bleakness and overt didacticism heavy-handed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The posse's pursuit becomes an examination of arbitrary law, false accusation, and the moral consequences of lynching.
The townspeople form a lynch mob and prioritize communal outrage over evidence or due process.
The film sustains an austere, distressing tone around the threatened execution of the accused men.
The posse simultaneously acts as investigator, judge, and executioner after finding three men with the stolen cattle.
Films like The Ox-Bow Incident, and why
High Noon
revisionist western treatment of injustice, conscience, and mob violence
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
morally serious western centered on law, violence, and communal responsibility
Fury
bleak anti-lynching drama examining arbitrary justice and collective guilt
Movie Details
- Director
- William A. Wellman
- Release Date
- 1943-03-11
- Runtime
- 76 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (440)
Cast
- Henry Fonda
- Dana Andrews
- Mary Beth Hughes
- Anthony Quinn
- William Eythe
- Harry Morgan
- Jane Darwell
- Matt Briggs
- Harry Davenport
- Frank Conroy
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV
- 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 Ox-Bow Incident about?
- A posse’s hunt for alleged cattle thieves becomes a merciless test of conscience, evidence, and frontier justice.
- What is The Ox-Bow Incident like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Ox-Bow Incident as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Ox-Bow Incident violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Ox-Bow Incident as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Ox-Bow Incident?
- Critics broadly regard it as a powerful, tightly controlled, morally serious anti-lynching western, while some find its bleakness and overt didacticism heavy-handed.
- Which films are like The Ox-Bow Incident?
- Films with a similar feel include High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and Fury.
- How long is The Ox-Bow Incident?
- The Ox-Bow Incident runs 76 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Ox-Bow Incident?
- In United States, The Ox-Bow Incident streams on fuboTV.
