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Published Feb 10, 2026, 12:19 PM EST
Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts!
On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK.
In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.
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If there is one genre of cinema that continues to reinvent itself, it's the Western. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, audiences clamored to see the latest John Ford film or waited patiently to see what John Wayne starred in next. Years later, the baton was passed on to Clint Eastwood. By the time the 21st century arrived, Hollywood found its sweet spot again, this time honoring the past with reinvented classics while also pushing the neo-Western to the forefront.
With so many titles to choose from, Netflix's catalogue isfilled with an array of Westerns, especially in the world of modern classics. From an underrated Taylor Sheridan feature-length neo-Western to a major underdog hit that is nominated for this year's Oscars, Netflix is your destination to watch a 21st-century hit. Can't decide what to turn on? This guide might sway you to one of these fantastic titles.
4 'The Harder They Fall' (2011)
Image via NetflixDon't sleep on the Netflix original films! They will continue to dazzle you, title after title. One of the company's first forays into the Western world was Jaymes Samuel's feature directorial debut, The Harder They Fall. One of the few Westerns featuring an all-Black principal cast, the film tells the story of real cowboys, lawmen, and outlaws of the 19th-century American West. In the film, Nat Love (Jonathan Majors) assembles a gang to seek revenge against his childhood nemesis, Rufus Black (Idris Elba), a ruthless crime boss who murdered his parents. It becomes a clash between two rival factions. On one side, there is Nat alongside his former lover, Stagecoach Mary (Zazie Beetz); his right-hand man, the hot-tempered Bill Pickett (Edie Gathegi); and his left-hand man, the fast-drawing Jim Beckworth (R.J. Cyler). The other side includes Rufus, "Treacherous Trudy Smith" (Regina King), and Cherokee Bill (LaKeith Stanfield). With a stacked cast, The Harder They Fall is a groundbreaking Western that proves that visibility and representation in the genre can go a long way.
With real people to draw from, The Harder They Fall brings viewers into the Western through an untapped vantage point. Through Samuel's sharp eye, The Harder They Fall isn't just visually enticing; it becomes a fearless, energetic thriller with immense stakes. Samuel's ability to spotlight these performers and characters serves as a reason for the film's success. Though many artistic liberties are taken, the result is a brilliant Western that rivals any entry from the past decade. The Harder They Fall is essentially the Avengers of Black Western characters. They may be presented in a fantastical fashion, but the result still maintains the spirit of the gunslinging West. If you've been enjoying Elba's darker side on Hijack, you'll love seeing his bad self here as well.
3 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' (2018)
Image via NetflixJoel and Ethan Coen are prolific. With a resume to be jealous of, the Coen brothers' ability to transport you to any world they depict is a distinct part of their brilliance. Having explored the American West in an array of titles, in 2018, they took viewers to the frontier for a fun little ditty called The Ballad of Buster Scruggs and Other Tales of the American Frontier. But you can just call it The Ballad of Buster Scruggs for short. Consisting of six vignettes all set in the American Old West, the film explores themes of death, survival, and mythology. To do so, the Coen brothers frame the film in storybook chapters, telling the tales of a singing gunslinger, a bank robber, traveling performers, a gold prospector, a woman on a wagon train, and a fateful stagecoach ride.
Through a wonderful blend of whimsy and brutal villainy, the film's ability to depict a range of facets is at its high point. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is a fearless take on life, luck, and morality in the untamed open plains. Each quick hit is delightfully led by a brilliant cast, including Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco, Liam Neeson, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, and Brendan Gleeson, among others. A unique exploration in tight vignettes, the anthology film flourishes through the Coens' innate ability to tell stories. Through their steadfast approach, using black comedy, there's a sense of light in the darkness that serves as a great introduction to the genre.
2 'Train Dreams' (2025)
Image via NetflixIf you're like me and seek out all the Oscar-nominated films before the big night, Netflix is your home for two of the ten Best Picture nominees, Frankenstein and Train Dreams, with the latter directed by Clint Bentley and based on the 2011 novella by Denis Johnston. The Western drama, set in the Pacific Northwest, tells the story of Robert Grainer (Joel Edgerton), a quiet, hardworking logger and railroad laborer. With a rich connection to the land, Robert struggles to find meaning after the heartbreaking loss of his wife, Gladys Olding Grainer (Felicity Jones), and his child in a fire. With the world rapidly changing around him, Robert must navigate the inevitable transition from the old wilderness to an industrialized era.
The title, a reference to the impact of modern, fast-paced life on a man living in the margins, serves as a major theme in the overall story. Tackling a yearning for a quiet life, Edgerton's performance as Robert has earned him immense praise. With love and grief in his heart, Edgerton brings a multidimensional character to life with ease. Of course, there's also the always consistent William H. Macy as Arn Peeples, who steals the show in an almost unrecognizable performance. With four Academy Award nominations this year, even if you're a devoted movie-lover who requires big screen viewing, Train Dreams is worth watching on any screen.
1 'Wind River' (2017)
Image via The Weinstein CompanyBefore Yellowstone took off and launched an entire franchise, Taylor Sheridan was making feature-length films. In 2017, he ventured to Wyoming to work on the neo-Western crime thriller Wind River. Reuniting MCU mainstays Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen, the nuanced drama follows Carey Lambert (Renner), a United States Fish and Wildlife Service tracker, and FBI agent Jane Banner (Olsen) as they try to solve the murder of a Natalie Hanson (Kelsey Asbille), a young Indigenous woman on the Wind River Indian Reservation. As Lambert and Banner delve deeper into their puzzling investigation, it becomes clear that a major cover-up is at their feet. Upon learning that a group of oil workers sexually assaulted the victim and murdered her boyfriend, Matt (Jon Bernthal), the mystery is broken wide open.
Balancing a strong story with holding a mirror to society, the film engages audiences as they learn. While fans of the director are familiar with his use of real-life elements to depict the depth of the West, tapping into the hardships and violence that Indigenous women face brings a new sense of awareness to the topic. For the most part, those stories seem to avoid mainstream attention, so Wind River works overtime to bring an important theme to the forefront. A smart and tactful narrative in the current Sheridan era of Westerns, Wind River is a must-watch. Though Sheridan's stories tend to be set against a dusty backdrop, Wind River proves that Western ideals are not limited to sepia-toned storytelling.
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