The Western used to be the single most popular genre in Hollywood, and while the glory days are well in the past, there are still more than a few minor modern classics available for those willing to seek them out. Netflix seem to have warmly embraced the genre, too, and their library is full of both longtime favorites and new additions that all put their own twist on the established tropes and archetypes.
Adam Sandler’s The Ridiculous 6 placed a comedic spin on the Western to bring in huge viewership numbers, while Scott Frank’s limited series Godless drew widespread critical acclaim and Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence quickly shot into the Top 10 most-watched list after being added to the streaming service.
Netflix have now acquired the exclusive distribution rights to another Western, and this one comes with an added dose of star power. Idris Elba produces and takes top billing in Ricky Staub’s Concrete Cowboy, a modern day story that sees a young boy from Detroit played by Stranger Things‘ Caleb McLaughlin sent to live with his estranged father in Philadelphia, where he becomes drawn into the life of a rancher.
Emmy-winning When They See Us star Jharrel Jerome and Method Man are also on board the literary adaptation, which premiered at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival and was warmly received by critics, with Concrete Cowboy currently holding a 76% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie doesn’t have an official release date yet, but seeing as it’s already in the can and been screened as part of a major festival, there’s a strong chance that it could hit Netflix before the end of 2020.
