The Long Riders

Play trailer

The Long Riders

R

1980

1h 40m

Western

Biography

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

25 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

During a bank robbery by the legendary James-Younger Gang, Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) impulsively kills a man, much to the displeasure of leader Jesse James (James Keach), who insists that the gang scatter until the heat is off. The groups of brothers go their separate ways, with Cole Younger (David Carradine) considering settling down with his feisty girlfriend, Belle Starr (Pamela Reed). But they soon regroup for an ill-fated bank job in Northfield, Minn., that results in an epic chase.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

With its pared down storytelling, The Long Riders delivers with an evocative atmosphere and artful brutality.

Read Critics Reviews

Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

10/07/2011

Hill is very much in the American grain, the inheritor of the Ford-Hawks-Walsh tradition of artful, understated action film making.

Go to Full Review

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

02/05/2008

Walter Hill's first outright failure.

Go to Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

02/05/2008

What's ultimately missing is a definable point of view which would tie together the myriad events on display and fill in the blanks which Hill has imposed on the action by sapping it of emotional or historical meaning.

Go to Full Review

Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

09/29/2023

7.5/10

Strips away a lot of the steely gazes and taciturn men from Hill's first few pictures and gives us richly detailed interpersonal dynamics in the James-Younger gang and the men and women circling around them.

Go to Full Review

Stephen Farber

New West/California

11/03/2021

The Long Riders is exceptionally well made, but I came out feeling that there was no pressing reason to make it at all.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

10/03/2021

3/4

The Long Riders sounds like merely a gimmick -- cast real-life brothers as real-life outlaw siblings -- but it turned out to be one of the last decent Westerns to hit the big screen until the early 1990s brought us Dances with Wolves and Unforgiven.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jessica M

@PandaMoonPagan Aug 21

This is one of my favorite movies. My mother introduced me to it back in the 80s when I was about ten. The casting is more than just a gimmick. These are top notch actors and the brotherly connections are part of the magic of this film. I return to this film often due to its beauty and its grit.

See more

John F

@RT97797200 Aug 15

Stiff acting and improbable plot. Meh

See more

Frans B

@FransB May 3

Very good. Walter Hill did good here. Well written and brought to screen. Stellar cast all delivers convincingly in character. Epic proportions. Lots of well planned gunfights, horseback chases and fight scenes. Great cinematography and visually stunning. Gritty and raw, fast paced and violent. Real good ol' classic cowboys and crooks movie

See more

Vincent S

@Vin_E_At_The_Movies Feb 25

Walter Hill does it again, making a superior action movie and Western with beautifully shot shootouts. Genius casting of a line of outstanding career actors, some in early roles. This might also be Walter Hill's strongest female characters in a movie of his also. A lot of fun, gritty and it doesn't waste many shots or moments.

See more

Johannes S

@RT64416087 09/24/2024

Great, short, and fast-paced western flick. Tells the interesting story without bloating it up.

See more

John H

@JLHIII 03/31/2024

Very good fairly accurate telling on the James Younger Gang. Good story and acting plus stylized action

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Walter Hill

Director

David Carradine

Cole Younger

Keith Carradine

Jim Younger

Robert Carradine

Bob Younger

James Keach

Jesse James

Stacy Keach

Frank James

The Hateful Eight

74%

77%

The Hateful Eight

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Hateful Eight

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

99%

95%

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie

The Apprentice

83%

84%

The Apprentice

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Apprentice

The Jack Bull

80%

73%

The Jack Bull

Watchlist

Fruitvale Station

94%

87%

Fruitvale Station

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Fruitvale Station

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

During a bank robbery by the legendary James-Younger Gang, Ed Miller (Dennis Quaid) impulsively kills a man, much to the displeasure of leader Jesse James (James Keach), who insists that the gang scatter until the heat is off. The groups of brothers go their separate ways, with Cole Younger (David Carradine) considering settling down with his feisty girlfriend, Belle Starr (Pamela Reed). But they soon regroup for an ill-fated bank job in Northfield, Minn., that results in an epic chase.

Director: Walter Hill
Producer: Tim Zinneman
Screenwriter: Bill Bryden, Steven Smith, James Keach, Stacy Keach
Production Co: United Artists, Huka Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Western, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 40m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings