What was once the cash cow of Hollywood has since become a prestige genre for Oscar-bait movies and a placeholder setting for low-budget action flicks. Long gone are the days of John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Randolph Scott roaming the open plains on horseback with a big iron on their hips. However, every now and again, a western comes along that has the chance to revitalize the genre and reinvigorate interest in the Wild West and the gunslingers that roamed it (at least, in the movies). In 2017, Netflix released a limited series that had the potential to put the western back on the map. Unfortunately, despite great reviews, the series didn’t receive the attention it deserved from casual viewers.
The series had all the trappings of a modern classic western. The show was created by Scott Frank, who penned the script for the post-modern western superhero film, Logan, and had further success creating The Queen’s Gambit and Dept. Q for Netflix. Frank gathered a phenomenal cast for the show, including Scoot McNairy, Merritt Wever, Michelle Dockery, Thomas Brodie-Sangster, Jeff Daniels, and Jack O’Connell. We’re, of course, talking about 2017’s Godless, and it’s a hidden gem on Netflix.
‘Godless’ Is the Best Western Series in Years
Netflix recently found success with its ultra-violent and gritty western, American Primeval. But Godless paved the way for the series eight years earlier. Godless is a relentless, gritty, and violent look at life during the 19th Century. However, while it pays homage to the staples of the Western genre, it also puts a fresh spin on the genre’s well-worn foundations.
Godless is set in the small mining town of La Belle. After a mining accident wiped out 95% of the town’s male population, the widows and survivors have banded together to endure the aftermath. But when runaway criminal Roy Goode flees the brutal Griffin gang and seeks refuge in La Belle, Frank Griffin and his posse descend on the town to get payback on Roy, without a care for who gets in the way. The official synopsis reads:
“Notorious criminal Frank Griffin and his gang of outlaws are on a mission — get revenge on Roy Goode, a former protege who betrayed the brotherhood. On the run, Roy seeks refuge in isolated mining town La Belle, N.M., where he lives with Alice Fletcher, a hardened widower and outcast. When word reaches La Belle, which is governed mainly by women, that Griffin is headed there, the residents of the town band together to defend against his murderous gang.”
It’s not just one passionate writer’s opinion that Godless is a phenomenal series, as Emmy voters and critics in general hold the same opinion. The show won three Primetime Emmys in 2018, along with several other nominations, including a nod for Outstanding Limited Series (which was won by American Crime Story). Godless also holds a great 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a slightly stronger audience score of 85%. “Simply wonderful,” wrote one user on RT, who continued, “Up there with Dances with Wolves, Shane, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, Unforgiven, and all the classics.”
‘Godless’ Pays Homage to Western Classics
As well as reinventing the Western genre with its plot, Godless also pays homage to the greats that came before, and the staple tropes, trappings, and even shots that came before. Even the cinematography and camera framing update the genre. In the very first episode, Roy Goode reaches for his pistol when he’s taken by surprise. The camera uses the typical holster shot framing that is synonymous with the genre. But, when the target is revealed to be a harmless child, the camera dollys behind Roy’s back, distancing the child from the gun in his hand within the frame. It’s such a small detail, but it highlights the level of care Scott Frank and cinematographer Steven Meizler (The OA) put into Godless homages to the westerns that came before.
All seven episodes of Godless are streaming on Netflix.
- Release Date
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2017 – 2017-00-00
- Network
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Netflix
- Directors
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Scott Frank