From sweeping deserts to vibrant cities, Texas has long been a source of inspiration for filmmakers, offering a dynamic backdrop for stories that capture the grit, and culture of the Lone Star State. Whether exploring its sprawling landscapes, complex history, or diverse communities, movies set in Texas are as varied as the state itself. These films delve into the heart of what makes Texas unique, from heartfelt dramas and gritty Westerns to hilarious comedies and thrilling crime sagas.
In this list, we rank the 50 greatest movies set in the greatest state on the planet by celebrating stories that define and transcend Texas’s iconic character. Spanning multiple genres and decades, these films showcase Texas as more than just a setting but also a vital character in the narrative. Whether you’re a Texan proud of your roots or simply a film enthusiast eager to explore Texas’s cinematic legacy, these picks will take you on an unforgettable journey deep into the heart of Texas.
10. Terms of Endearment (1983)
Terms of Endearment is known as one of the best tearjerkers while being considered as one of the best movies of all time. It dominated the 56th Academy Awards being nominated for 11 categories winning Best Picture, Director, Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Supporting Actor. It follows the relationship between mother and daughter as they navigate life, love, and loss over the course of several years. Shirley MacLaine’s portrayal of the overbearing yet loving Aurora is both sharp and tender, and her chemistry with Debra Winger forms the emotional core of the film. Jack Nicholson’s role as Garrett, a charmingly flawed astronaut who becomes romantically involved with Aurora, adds a delightful layer of levity to the story. The greatest strength of the film is its ability to balance humor and heartbreak as the narrative seamlessly weaves between moments of joy and sorrow taking the viewer on an up-and-down rollercoaster ride.
9. The Devil’s Rejects (2005)
I will argue to the death that this is not only one of the best grindhouse films but also that Rob Zombie’s masterpiece is one of the best horror films of this century. He was able to take his less-than-stellar Texas Chainsaw Massacre rip-off with cartoonish characters and transform that story into a gritty horror film of reprehensible violence with three villains that have depth.
Part Western and part road trip movie, The Devil’s Rejects follows the carnage that the Firefly Family leaves across the Texas countryside as they try to stay ahead of the Sheriff hell-bent catching them to seek vengeance for them killing his brother. This film grabs you by the throat while kicking in the balls and doesn’t let go till the climactic end.
8. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Set during the Great Depression in the 1930s, Bonnie and Clyde follows the turbulent lives of Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty), two young lovers who become notorious bank robbers. As they embark on a crime spree across the American Midwest, they capture the attention of the public and law enforcement alike. Along the way, they are joined by Clyde’s brother Buck (Gene Hackman), Buck’s wife Blanche (Estelle Parsons), and other accomplices. Arthur Penn wisely decided to focus on the myth of the duo rather than go for historical accuracy. In this retelling of events, the love birds might as well be counter-culture icons in the way they rebel against society. They are anti-establishment rebels who defy societal norms and challenge authority figures. Their actions are driven by a desire for freedom and a rejection of the oppressive economic conditions of the time. What makes this a masterpiece isn’t that it updates old historical legends by modernizing them but by ripping that image away by accurately portraying the consequences of their actions. As their crimes escalate, so does the brutality of their encounters with law enforcement, leading to a tragic and inevitable conclusion.
–Sailor Monsoon
7. Hell or High Water (2016)
There’s just something about this film that feels like it should exist in the 70s. There’s an alternate universe in which Taylor Sheridan was born way too early and made this film with Jack Nicholson and Clint Eastwood as the Robin Hood-esque leads and Bruce Dern as the sheriff who’s hot on their trail. It would’ve been hailed as a masterpiece and would be considered one of the great American films of the decade. That’s the reputation this film should have but unfortunately, Sheridan wasn’t born early and those actors didn’t star in it. I say unfortunately not because the film we have is in any way inferior to the imagined one I know would be deemed a classic, but because this one isn’t. The beauty of Hell or High Water is its simplicity. It doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel or try to punch above its weight. It’s about morally ambiguous cowboys stealing from evil banks and the good guys who try and stop them. It’s a good old-fashioned western and a great one at that.
–Sailor Monsoon
6. The Searchers (1956)
A seminal Western directed by John Ford, The Searchers is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. We get John Wayne in one of his most iconic roles as a Civil War veteran driven by vengeance as he embarks on a quest to rescue his kidnapped niece from a Comanche tribe. It is visually stunning with a layered narrative that influenced countless movies that followed as it helped redefine the genre its moral struggle and gorgeous cinematography. The Searchers remains a timeless classic.
5. The Last Picture Show (1971)
Adapted from a Larry McMurtry novel of the same name, The Last Picture Show is a coming-of-age story set in a small North Texas town in 1951. It follows the stories of three teenagers as they navigate growing up in a dying oil town. While the film was praised by critics and received several awards, the explicit language and rampant teen sexuality (complete with a topless Cybill Shepherd scene) was shocking to some in the 1970s. It particularly outraged the locals of Archer City, McMurtry’s hometown where filming took place for the movie. Despite initial backlash, the film endures as a classic, beloved for its unflinching exploration of American adolescence and societal decline.
–R.J. Mathews
4. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Alright, alright, alright. Texan native Richard Linklater once again shows up on this list but this time with his best movie to be set in Texas. Dazed and Confused on the surface is a stoner movie. Until you watch it with clear eyes you will realize it has quite a bit to say. The setting is the last day of school, 1976. The upcoming seniors are hazing the incoming freshmen, planning a party, and asking questions, such as “Are these really supposed to be the best days of my life?” The cast is filled with future household names such as Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, Anthony Rapp, Milla Jovovich, and Joey Lauren Adams. The film has something for every group in high school. Jocks, geeks, burnouts, motorheads, etc. But it follows the every-man Randy “Pink” Floyd in his wavering decision on if he will return to the football field as star quarterback in the fall after signing a pledge to be clean and sober during the season. Or will he keep to his values but throw away a chance at a state title?
3. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
I believe The Texas Chainsaw Massacre will always be the greatest horror movie of all time. Watching this for the first time as a kid, I could tell something was just different about what I just witnessed. It felt real, unlike the other masked killers who I knew were just men behind makeup and monsters that were nothing but practical effects. At the time I didn’t know what found footage was but that would have been the best way to describe how it felt to watch TCM. It was frenetic and dirty.
Tobe Hooper shot this film to leave a lasting impression on the viewer and he accomplished just that. Most would describe this as a bloody or gory film but Hooper was able to masterfully film the carnage in a way that most of that was left to our imagination and our minds to fill in the horror. I mean Leatherface’s first kill is one of the most brutal on film when he smacked Kirk in the head with a mallet. Very little blood or brains are shown. Simply the noises and the way Kirk’s body convulsed on the ground, left a sickening impact. Understanding the history and meaning behind everything that takes place and the chaotic nature of the events just makes this movie all the more tremendous and gut-wrenching.
2. Paris, Texas (1984)
Director Wim Wenders and writer Sam Shepard deliver a hauntingly beautiful exploration of family and redemption. Harry Dean Stanton gives an all-time performance as Travis who mysteriously reemerges after years of wandering the desert who tries to reconnect with his son and find his estranged wife. There is breathtaking cinematography that captures the desolate beauty of southwest Texas and mirrors the isolation and longing in Travis’s journey. Add in Ry Cooder’s iconic slide guitar score adds a layer of melancholy, perfectly complementing the film’s contemplative tone.
1. No Country for Old Men (2007)
The Coens have had several great films where different ones can be argued to be their best but for my money, this is their masterpiece and I don’t know if I will ever love another one of their films like I do this one. It’s a movie about greed, America, manifest destiny, cowboys, a nasty bad guy, and fate. The Coens adapted the 2005 critically acclaimed novel of the same name by Cormac McCarthy. In doing so, the Coen’s deliver a fantastic modern western thriller that gives us gorgeous imagery with West Texas, New Mexico, and Las Vegas as the backdrop.
Utilizing chunks of dialogue ripped straight from McCarthy’s novel while crafting numerous engaging characters with arguably one of the best villains of all time with inarguably the greatest mop haircut to date. The story of an unrelenting evil that generations of lawmen have never encountered before while he tracks his greedy prey just helps add layers to this simple story. Their ability to make everything seem subtle with an underlying boiling tension and brief explosions of violence simply help this a taut thriller from beginning to end. Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem are the stars of an incredible cast that is rounded out by Woody Harrelson, Gene Jones, Kelly Macdonald, and many more.
20-11 | Get Back on the Horse?
What are some of your favorite movies set in the great state of Texas?
