This year, I am asking every US state for their movie recommendations featuring their respective states, and today, I am asking Wyoming!
Movie recommendations could be from any time period, any part of the state, or any subculture that is specific to/prominent in Wyoming.
Overall, I would like to check out films that y'all suggest that best show both the day-to-day life and the unique aspects of your state.
I'm excited to see the recommendations y'all got to offer!
Wind River was a solid movie showing the remoteness of the state and some of the associated struggles.
My father's lineage is all that area, and people. Can confirm Wind River is a pretty good interpretation of life here.
*here, meaning the Reservation communities and the towns that are nearby.
Was just going to post that!
Bonus points to the most realistic gun fight ever.
It does capture that part of the state well.
I came to say exactly this. Great flick.
Another vote for Wind River here.
It's a pretty accurate representation of modern life out here. It's not clichè, it's not romanticized, it's not overly "Westerned" or intentionally dated, and it doesn't really rely on or perpetuate inaccurate ideas and tropes people have about us.
As a bonus, it draws attention to a very real issue, with very real/realistic circumstances.
It's not perfect, but it's a lot closer than most shit that's meant to portray us.
Wind River and Brokeback Mountain are the true two. Another would be Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Yes for Brokeback Mountain
She wrote a bunch of stories, very good. Collection of shorts called Fine Just the Way It Is. Wow. All Wyoming stories.
I'm not down with that.
Starship Troopers
I had to scroll way too far down to see this.
Came here to say this, but Wind River is the real answer.
Close Encounters. A great representation of all of the alien ships that land at Devils Tower.
Shane. The whole gunslinger trope is largely a Hollywood invention, but the scenery and the depiction of self-sufficient settlers is accurate for the time period. Plus the chickens used in the movie were purchased from a relative of mine... they returned them to her for free post-production.
Wind River and Jeremiah Johnson (regarding Jeremiah Johnston in real life) are my top votes 😎
My late wife and I watched Jeremiah Johnson at the drive in in Riverton which was located very close to where the mountain men congregated for the Wind River Rendesvous. That fact made the movie that much more realistic and close to home for us.
Definitely one of my favorite Robert Redford movies. But the depiction of mountain men was the best with the wilderness settings.
"Wah, them's was shinin' times."
Paul. That poor alien wound up in moorcroft, and all he wanted to do was to get high, and get the hell out of moorcroft.
I say this in sarcasm as I love Wyoming, except for Rawlins, and rock springs as those towns have some juju to them.
Yes they do.
They really, really do. Awful vibes
I am happy to be from GR and not RS. I also have always hated on Rawlins.
We're happy you're in Green Liver as well.
I lived in Rocket City back in 1976 and it was truly the wild wild west. Is it still as wild?
No
Brokeback Mountain's my pick. Haven't seen Wind River--I'll check it out
How?
I don’t understand your question
Johnson County War
The Jack Bull, an old HBO movie starring John Cusack, was a pretty good movie. It was supposed to be set in Rawlins, but as we all know, it was filmed in Canada.
Great movie. Glad to read of another fan!
I came here to post this all day! About the founding of the State, blows WR away.
Here is the list of states I have asked already:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1h-jodInfFFHsG6H634h7ki-N8FHtkj0GaFJzf9FhnSc/edit?gid=468818178#gid=468818178
I would love to see the book version of this question if you want a project for the following year. Could be fiction or non fiction.
Hmm, do elaborate :)
I love what you’re doing and I’ve enjoyed perusing your responses from other states. I grew up in Mississippi just north of the LA state line. Lived in Baton Rouge for a long time before relocating out here. The Mississippi responses in particular interest me. I’ve been asked by people here what it’s really like and the responses you got illustrate it pretty well. MS has come a long way but the very ugly past is still something that conflicts a lot of people.
Are you doing this for a purpose or just general interest?
Thank you! I guess I started doing this as a hobby (I grew up loving geography, and started getting into movies a few years ago. I started by asking different city subreddits for movie recommendations because I think movies are the best way to get the vibe of a city without actually visiting), and then I realized I could ask one state every week (plus DC and Puerto Rico) for all of the weeks of 2025, so that's what I ended up doing.
Now that I have a good amount of Reddit data though, I might do something next year, not sure yet
The Arkansas link won't work!
Shoot, seems to be working on my end but I can DM it to you if you'd like!
Wind river shines a light on something that happens in a lot of isolated areas especially with indigenous girls. The hateful eight was a really good movie but it doesn't really have anything to do with being set in Wyoming just kind of a fun tid bit
Oh man, the weather in The Hateful 8 is what really makes it feel like it's happening in Wyoming. When people ask me what Wyoming winters are like, I tell them to watch that movie.
I swear to god, Minnie’s haberdashery is the shack between Laramie and Ft. Collins.
Not a movie, but look up the music video for “Trailer Park Fire” by Jalan Crossland. It’s on YouTube. That’s what Wyoming always was for me💗
Red Rock West is such an underrated film set in Wyoming. A bit hard to find, but so worth it.
I was just going to mention this one! Nick Cage, Dennis Hopper, Lara Flynn Boyle, JT Walsh… even Dwight Yoakum makes an appearance!
When I was at UW the residence hall council screened The Road Warrior for us one night. As it opened, I heard 4 or 5 people say simultaneously, "Looks like Wyoming".
Brokeback Mountain...
It’s probably uncomfortable for some people but Brokeback is extremely accurate portrayal of a Wyoming that doesn’t really exist anymore. But it was pretty accurate.
How?
Is that your production yr. Your throwout date or the # of account you're on?
Hellfighters. can see Casper Mountain from the airfield (which is now Casper's airport), and the last portion was all filmed in Wyo. knew a family physician who was one of the docs that rotated as medical support for all the local filming.
Yeah that scene was supposed to be Venezuela. I remember when they came to town for that. If ya look close you can barely see a car going down the highway.
The Hateful Eight - Also a Christmas movie.
Yeah, definitely!
Joy Ride
Deep impact 😆 i know it was filmed in SD but still the asteroid basically is Wyoming
THESE PEOPLE ARE ALL MISSING “SHANE”
Wind River and Hateful Eight. Also documentaries about Yellowstone in Wyoming in the dead of winter. There’s two types of people those that survive and those who surrender.
Star Wars / Mos Eisley Cantina for Gillette and Rock Springs.
Wind river for most of rest of the state.
Rocky 4
Spun may not be ACTUALLY set in Wyoming but spiritually it's the second most Wyoming movie after Ready to Rumble.
A Cold White Place and Zone Drifter
Wind River
Close encounters only because I’ve lived in the area my whole life and was hoping for a sequel but instead we get Disclosure Day. Be kinda funny if Spielberg brought Roy back at the end of his new movie.
Add another vote for "Wind River," but I've got a soft spot for "Continental Divide" too. John Belushi plays a city slicker reporter who has to leave town really fast, and guess where he ends up. Anyway, hilarity ensues.
Cannibal the musical by the creators of South Park. There's just one comment about Wyoming in it, but it's the most accurate call out ever.
Another vote for Wind River!
Brokeback Mountain 🏔️
I’d say Yellowstone does a good job capturing the reality of wealthy land owners while maintaining the rugged spirit of the state.
Close encounters of the 3rd kind, although my buddy from the gsjdhrvsh sector thinks it's a bit xenophobic
Wag the Dog. It works for every state right now.
The Matthew Shepard story
Heavens Gate
I know it was mostly filmed in Alberta but I thought Brokeback Mountain depicted scenic Wyoming very accurately. I saw it got a lot of praise for that by local critics.
Broke back mountain
Not a movie from Wyoming, but does a pretty good depiction of Wyoming. Godzilla King of the Monsters. Nobody thinks about Wyoming until something HUGE happens. Otherwise it’s complete silence.
Hellfighters
Any part of Tatooine from Star Wars
Idiocracy!!
Not from Wyoming but close. The Power of the Dog.