Netflix’s 7-Part Western Is Still One Of Streaming’s Best Hidden Gems Nearly 10 Years After Releasing

Released in 2017, the one-season Western Godless remains one of Netflix’s few perfect contributions to the genre. While big-screen Westerns have long been in decline in multiplexes, with the genre’s popularity fading as far back as the ‘70s, small-screen Western TV shows have seen something of a revival in recent years.

Although movies like 2016’s The Magnificent Seven remake might have a hard time winning over mainstream audiences, Yellowstone, its spinoffs 1883 and 1923, and the Neo-Westerns Landman and The Madison all prove that Westerns are making a comeback on TV. Netflix’s American Primeval and The Abandons further reinforce this reality.

Netflix's Godless was released in 2017, But It's Still Worth Watching

Surprisingly, Netflix’s best entry into the genre to date predates these more recent titles. Back in 2017, Netflix’s one-season wonder Godless starred Sinners villain Jack O’Connell as the injured outlaw Roy Goode, an amoral antihero on the run from his former employer, Jeff Daniels’ menacing criminal Frank Griffin.

Set in 1884 New Mexico, the story of Godless begins when Goode decides to hide out in the small town of La Belle. To his shock, he finds out that almost all the town’s men have died in a mining accident, meaning Scoot McNairy’s sheriff, Bill McNue, is one of the only other men in La Belle.

Eager to evade the wrath of his old boss, Goode opts to lie low in La Belle, and he soon gets to know the town’s varied locals. Michelle Dockery’s Alice Fletcher is a cold, imperious widow who has run her family’s ranch since her husband’s death, while Merrit Weaver plays Bill’s pragmatic sister, Mary Agnes McNue.

Godless Is The Perfect Western Binge-Watch

Although Godless is a classic Western, this isn’t the only thing that makes the show an appealing binge-watch. With only seven episodes, the show can easily be viewed in a day or two, and its propulsive action means viewers will have a hard time stopping Godless once they’ve started its twisty story.

The only problem is that, with a starry cast that includes Daniels, McNairy, Weaver, Dockery, Sam Waterston, and a typically great central tutor from O’Connell, it is hard not to wish there were more installments of Godless when the show reaches its series finale. Fortunately, its self-contained story does feature a fitting conclusion.

Godless' Cast Is Even More Impressive Now

While the cast of Godless was already impressive back in 2017, the show’s lineup is amazing upon a rewatch in 2017. O'Connell recently dazzled as memorable antagonists in both Sinners and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, so it is a treat to see him finally play a lead role in Netflix’s underrated cult classic Godless.