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Parents' Guide to

Deadwood: The Movie

By Jenny Nixon, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Beloved profanity-laced Western gets a fab final sendoff.

Movie NR 2019 110 minutes
Deadwood: The Movie Poster Image

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What's the Story?

DEADWOOD: THE MOVIE is a rough-and-tumble Western film that continues the story laid out in the HBO series of the same name, which ran from 2004-2006. Here, we catch up with the beloved cast of characters in the year 1889, as the formerly lawless camp of Deadwood is commemorating their newfound status as an official part of South Dakota and the Union. Season 3's main villain, mining magnate-turned-Junior Senator of California George Hearst (Gerald McRaney), returns to town to ostensibly help mark the occasion -- but more so, to solidify and expand his telephone business holdings by snapping up parcels of land in the area. Hearst's "by any means necessary" approach -- and his discovery that Trixie (Paula Malcomson), the prostitute who attempted to murder him in the past, is still alive -- leads to bloody conflict with brave but hot-headed U.S. Marshall Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) as well as Deadwood's most cutthroat yet complex inhabitant, the now-ailing Al Swearengen (Ian McShane).

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Picking up a storyline over a decade later seems like a fool's errand, but writer David Milch wisely makes use of the passage of time by turning the inevitability of change into the theme of the film. Fans of the late, lamented series will find much to love in Deadwood: The Movie, which thankfully proves itself to be more than just an exercise in nostalgia. The characters may be older and grayer -- some are much worse for wear, thanks to a lifetime of hard living and alcohol abuse -- but they're all still themselves at their core, and the reunions and confrontations feel earned and natural. A remarkable thing about Deadwood the series was its portrayal of characters in a way that was very much in keeping with the time period (life was rough, especially for minorities and women), yet it still afforded them a humanity and agency not always seen in period pieces. This nuanced approach continues in the film, which provides a highly satisfying send-off to a series that was cut down in its prime.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the complicated dual natures at work with many of Deadwood's residents. Seth Bullock is an honest, well-regarded man who sometimes crosses the line, violence-wise, when he feels he's in the right. Al Swearengen is an abusive, manipulative boss who also deeply loves the people he's brought into his inner circle. What motivates these characters to act this way? Do you think their behavior is a function of the time and place they are living in, or are these just personal quirks?

  • Talk about the enduring appeal of Westerns in film and TV. Why are audiences drawn to outlaw tales like Deadwood: The Movie, and what do you think about the way women and minorities are depicted?

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