Logan and the Neo-Western Explained — The Evolution of Western Movies

Logan (2017) stands as one of the best superhero movies ever made. But it also functions in a subgenre of Western movies called the Neo-Western. This new brand of Western often focuses on the clash of traditional values in the face of modern living. With movies like Hell or High Water, No Country for Old Men, Sicario, and Logan, it appears that the Neo-Western resonates with contemporary audiences. But what is a Neo-Western and what makes it different from typical Western movies? In film theory, movie genres are constructed by expectations. These can be consolidated into categories like theme, setting, and character types. Logan (Hugh Jackman) embodies a typical Western protagonist and a reluctant hero. When we meet Old Man Logan, he is far removed from his previous life as The Wolverine. He has grown bitter, selfish, and stubborn. It is only when he meets Laura (Dafne Keen) that his sense of purpose returns. When you think of Westerns, the setting is what comes to mind first. With Neo-Westerns, the locations tend to remain familiar but the time period is often modern-day, or even in the future as it is in Logan. Though no longer “The Wild West,” these are still worlds populated with cowboys, criminals, and the law.