Director James Mangold’s 2017 movie Logan remains one of Marvel’s most unique and captivating movies to date, and there are plenty of non-comic book titles that are similar. The X-Men installment brings back Hugh Jackman’s Logan aka Wolverine as an aging mutant tasked with protecting a mutant child from a group known as the Reavers. In a time when mutants are almost extinct, Logan and the child, named Laura/X23 (Dafne Keen), embark on a strenuous journey toward safety, forging a strong bond over the course of the film. Logan ranks among the highest-rated Marvel movies ever, holding a 93% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s a good chance that fans of Logan have already seen other Marvel and MCU movies, thus, they may be looking for more gritty, cops-and-robbers chase westerns similar to Mangold’s film. After watching Logan, those who enjoyed it should check out a select few titles.
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The following three movies are great, and they contain similar qualities to Logan. These titles originate from different eras, and they take their main characters on wild journeys filled with both action and heartfelt emotion. Thus, every fan of Logan should add these well-rounded films to their watchlist now.
Unforgiven
1992’s Unforgiven is one of multiple movies that inspired Mangold’s Logan. Directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven follows William Munny, an aging outlaw who works to track down a group of cowboys who severely beat a female sex worker in 1880s Wyoming. Unforgiven‘s stellar cast also features Gene Hackman as the ruthless Sheriff “Little Bill” Daggett and Morgan Freeman as William’s friend Ned Logan. A winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Unforgiven stands as one of film history’s greatest Westerns.
A deeply engaging story filled with exceptional acting performances, Unforgiven likens to Logan by way of its focus on highly skilled, yet aged, killers brought out of the shadows for one final high-stakes endeavor. Unforgiven exudes the gritty atmosphere and brutal sequences that Logan fans love. Moreover, Eastwood’s masterpiece paints a vivid and thoughtful portrait of the American West that audiences won’t soon forget.
Stream Unforgiven on Paramount+.
[RELATED: Three of Hugh Jackman’s Highest-Rated Movies Are X-Men Films (But Which Ones?)]
Paper Moon
Delving deeper into the history of movies, 1973’s Paper Moon also played a role in Mangold’s creative process for Logan. The movie, directed by Peter Bogdanovich, bases its story on the 1971 novel Addie Pray, written by Joe David Brown. Set in the American Midwest during the Great Depression, Paper Moon follows con man Moses Pray, who stumbles upon a young orphaned girl, Addie, and agrees to drive her to her Aunt’s house a state away. Starring the real-life father-daughter duo of Ryan and Tatum O’Neal as Moses and Addie, Paper Moon takes a more comedic approach to the road trip narrative, whereas Logan’s story contains much more violence.
Still, Paper Moon offers plenty of charm and intrigue as its characters become a formidable con team during their journey. If one needs another reason to watch Paper Moon, Tatum O’Neal’s outstanding portrayal of Addie made her the youngest performer to win a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Anyone who enjoyed the fascinating dynamic between Logan and X-23 in Logan will be enchanted by Paper Moon.
Stream Paper Moon on MGM+.
Hell or High Water
One year before Logan hit theaters, 2016’s Hell or High Water became one of the best Western films of the decade. Director David Mackenzie’s movie centers on brothers Toby and Tanner Howard, who rob numerous banks in an effort to save their family’s Texas ranch. As Toby and Tanner carry out their crime spree, Texas Rangers Marcus Hamilton and Alberto Parker relentlessly strive to catch them. Chris Pine and Ben Foster performances as Toby and Tanner are the driving force of Hell or High Water, while Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham thoroughly impress as the two rangers.
A riveting cops-and-robbers story with a great deal of emotional depth, Hell or High Water will keep audiences glued to their screens thanks to its frequent action and unpredictable series of events. Just like Logan, Hell or High Water doesn’t sacrifice character development for excessive action. Both movies tell a captivating tale about family and sacrifice while providing enough heart-pounding entertainment to thrill viewers.
Stream Hell or High Water on Paramount+. Logan is currently available to stream on Max and Disney+.
