About: List of Contemporary Westerns

Contemporary Westerns, also known as neo-Westerns, is a subgenre of the Western genre. They generally have contemporary U.S. settings while using Old West themes and motifs such as a rebellious antihero, open plains and desert landscapes, and gunfights. This subgenre often features Old West-type characters struggling with displacement in a "civilized" world that rejects their outdated brand of justice. There are generally three identifying themes. First is the lack of rules, with morals guided by the character's or audience's instincts of right and wrong rather than by governance. The second is characters searching for justice. The third theme, characters feeling remorse, connects the neo-Western to the broader Western genre, reinforcing a universal theme that consequences come with action