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High Plains Drifter

High Plains Drifter

Western · Drama · Mystery · 1973

A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago. After gunning down three gunmen who tried to kill him, the townsfolk decide to hire the Stranger to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.

Movie details

High Plains Drifter

“They'd never forget the day he drifted into town.”

1973 Western · Drama · Mystery 1h 46m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

A gunfighting stranger comes to the small settlement of Lago. After gunning down three gunmen who tried to kill him, the townsfolk decide to hire the Stranger to hold off three outlaws who are on their way.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over High Plains Drifter?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Clint Eastwood

Written by

Ernest Tidyman

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

The Stranger

Verna Bloom

Verna Bloom

Sarah Belding

Marianna Hill

Marianna Hill

Callie Travers

Mitchell Ryan

Mitchell Ryan

Dave Drake

Jack Ging

Jack Ging

Morgan Allen

Stefan Gierasch

Stefan Gierasch

Mayor Jason Hobart

Ted Hartley

Ted Hartley

Lewis Belding

Court is in session

Put High Plains Drifter on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.