Kevin CostnerYellowstone

10 Kevin Costner Movies to Watch If You Love Yellowstone

Kevin Costner is one of the best actors in Hollywood. Here are 10 of his films that you must watch if you loved Yellowstone.

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Kevin Costner is without a doubt one of the best leading actors to ever exist. The actor and filmmaker is known for many of his roles as most of them became widely famous and also brought him praise from critics and fans. He isn’t just a movie star, but he recently became a television star as well due to the popular series Yellowstone. Unfortunately for the series’ fans, the actor decided to depart from the series and also stated that he would probably go to court because of it.

The Western series may never be the same without Costner, but if one thing will stay as it is, it would be Costner’s talent. He has many films under his belt whether they were Western movies or not. While some of them may have faced some criticism and didn’t find the success that we are used to seeing when it comes to Costner, many of them found more than just success. Whether he is the lead actor or supporting one, he almost always steals the show.

Because one can never get enough of Costner or Yellowstone, here are ten Kevin Costner movies to watch.

10, Let Him Go

Let Him Go is a recent role of Costner. The film follows George Blackledge (Costner), a retired sheriff, who he and his wife Margaret (Diane Lane) lost their son. Their struggle doesn’t end as they discover that their grandson and his mother are living with a dangerous family that is led by an evil woman named Blanche Weboy (Lesley Manville). The Weboys aren’t planning on letting George’s grandson go and therefore the couple realizes that they have to fight for him and their son’s former wife.

It is an emotional film where Costner shows why exactly he is one of Hollywood’s best. The neo-Western film takes place in Montana, but this time Costner’s character doesn’t have a lot to help him in his fight to bring back his family. Let Him Go is a dark and gripping film that deserves to witness more success. It was released during the pandemic which is probably why it’s underrated. Despite that, it is still a must-see film for all of Costner’s fans.

9, The Untouchables

The Untouchables was released in 1987, and it was directed by Brian De Palma. The film takes place during the prohibition era when Eliot Ness (Costner) targets the famous crime boss Al Capone (Robert De Niro); he is ready to do anything to catch him. To help him in his mission, Ness decided to form a team that included Jim Malone (Sean Connery), Oscar Wallace (Charles Martin Smith), and George Stone (Andy Garcia). The four of them were then called the untouchable by the public.

Ness’ choices of who joins his team are proved to be wise as they refuse any bribes offered by Al Capone. They aren’t even threatened when he comes after their families as they still have their eyes on their mission. While the film is based on a real-life story, it was based loosely on it since not all the events are factual. The Untouchables is considered to be one of the very first films where Costner witnessed success.

8, A Perfect World

A Perfect World was directed by Clint Eastwood and it was released in 1993. The film follows two criminals who escaped from prison and kidnapped a young boy named Phillip Perry (T.J. Lowther). The two of them are Robert ‘Butch’ Hayes (Costner) and Terry James Pugh (Keith Szarabajka) and we see how they are being chased by Red Barnett (Clint Eastwood) who was hired to catch them and bring back Phillip.

While Costner here is on the evil side of events, we can’t really call him the bad guy or a villain. In fact, you can’t hate him as you witness how good he treats Phillip and cares for him. A Perfect World makes you question your morals and what is right or wrong as you start to sympathy with Costner’s character. Despite having huge names in the industry like Costner and Eastwood, the film wasn’t that successful commercially. However, it was received well by critics and it remains one of both the actor and the director’s best films.

7, Field of Dreams

Field of Dreams was released in 1989, and it was directed by Phil Alden Robinson. It is also based on the novel by W.P. Kinsella Shoeless Joe. It follows a small-town farmer named Ray Kinsella (Costner) who hears a voice telling him to build something but doesn’t specify what is that something. So when Ray imagines himself building a baseball field which is his dream, he is convinced that when he builds it baseball player Shoeless Joe Jackson and the ghosts of other baseball legends, will come and visit him.

This isn’t the only baseball film that Costner acted in, but it is a special one since we see an element of fantasy when Ray believes what the voice says. While some might view his behavior as crazy, his wife supports him which shows us how love matters. Field of Dreams is a lighthearted and unusual story which makes it a special film.

6, Hidden Figures

Theodore Melfi’s Hidden Figures was released in 2016. It focuses on three African American female mathematicians who played an important role to NASA as they helped with the launching into space and safe landing of astronaut John Glen. The three women are Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe), Katherine G. Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), and Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer). e see Costner playing the role of a director at NASA named Al Harrison.

He offers help to Katherine whom he believes in her abilities. The film helps us take a look at the lives of these women who aren’t mentioned a lot in the history of NASA, but definitely deserve to be recognized. The film tackles the idea of race and racism in a perfect way without exaggerating, and it does a great job of telling the stories of these three women.

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5, Silverado

Silverado is another great Western film of Costner’s that would be perfect for Yellowstone’s fans. It was released in 1985. The film follows four cowboys who are misfits living in a small town where they have to go against a corrupt sheriff (Brian Dennehy). One of them, Emmett (Scott Glenn), survives an ambush and when he goes to find his brother, Jake (Costner), so they can go together to Silverado in California. However, he finds Jake in jail.

This group of four is the town’s only hope of getting justice from the corruption inside it. Silverado is without doubt one of Costner’s best Western films, especially with the star-studded cast. The film’s cast includes Kevin Kline, Glenn, Costner, and Danny Glover. Silverado is perfect for anyone looking for a film filled with adventure and a tale about justice where Costner was still beginning his career.

4, No Way Out

No Way Out is a political thriller that was released in 1987 and was directed by Roger Donaldson. It is simply one of Costner’s best performances. It follows Tom Farrell (Costner), a navy officer whose love interest, Susan Atwell (Sean Young), was having an affair with a politician, the Secretary of Defense named David Brice (Gene Hackman), who kills her. Tom realizes that he must prove his innocence or everyone will think that he was the one behind the murder.

The film is filled with plot twists and you can never predict what is going to happen next. The ending was also quite shocking which made No Way Out quite memorable. Just describing the plot will make you curious about how the film ends, and it is only through watching it that you can enjoy the story and twists of No Way Out. Right after finishing it, you will understand why it’s one of Costner’s best films.

3, Open Range

Open Range is another one of Costner’s Western films, and it remains one of his best since its release in 2003. The film follows a retired gunslinger, Charley Waite (Costner), and his friend, Boss Spearman (Robert Duvall), who come face to face with a corrupt sheriff, Denton Baxter (Michael Gambon), and now they have to face him and save the town from his evil. Like YellowstoneOpen Range has themes of corruption which makes it a great watch for the series’ fans.

Another fact that makes the film more interesting is that not only did Costner act in it, but he was also the director. This in itself was enough to help the film find success with the audience and critics as well. Open Range is a film about justice and loyalty, and it also had one of the best shootouts in Western movie history. Despite all the good qualities that the film had, it is still considered to be underrated. The lack of recognition doesn’t cancel the efforts of Costner in making the film one of his greatest.

2, JFK

JFK is the 1991’s epic political thriller which was directed by Oliver Stone. The film focuses on the events that took place in 1963 before John F. Kennedy’s assassination and it also shines light on the cover-up which allegedly happened back then. We see these events and narratives through the eyes of a district attorney named Jim Garrison (Costner). Things become difficult for Garrison when he decides to carry out his own private investigation into the murder as he wants to discover the truth behind the murder.

The film quickly became one of the best films about American presidents. It was also nominated for eight Oscars, and it went on to win two of them. JFK is considered one of Costner’s best films for a good reason, especially with the amount of praise that it gained from critics and the audience. It played a role in the spreading of controversy and conspiracy theories regarding the murder. Despite all the controversy that surrounded it, the film is worth the watch.

1, Dances with Wolves

Dances with Wolves can easily be called Costner’s best film, especially if you are a Yellowstone fan. It was based on a novel under the same name by Michael Blake. The film takes place during the Civil War in the American West and we see how a soldier, Union Army Lt. John Dunbar (Costner), forms a relationship with a group of Sioux, or Lakota Indians, while he is stationed near them. As he becomes a member of the tribe, trouble begins when the USA Army wants to take the tribe’s land for themselves.

The 1990 film was another Costner’s feature directorial debut, luckily for us since we already know how good of a director Costner is. The film was very successful and it even made people wonder whether it was based on a true story or not. Despite any criticism the film faced, no one could forget about it or the huge success it had especially with the seven Oscars that the film won; Costner also won an Oscar for Best Director.

Dances with Wolves deserves to be called one of the actor’s best works as you can see how hard he worked for it to come out the way it did. It definitely deserves all the awards it won.

7Field of Dreams

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