SummaryAcademy-Award winning director Kevin Costner ("Dances with Wolves") helms this traditional Western tale of a way of life that is quickly disappearing. (Touchstone Pictures)
Directed By:Kevin Costner
Written By:Lauran Paine, Craig Storper
Open Range
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
73% Positive
29 Reviews
29 Reviews
25% Mixed
10 Reviews
10 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
91
It's a gorgeously atmospheric, perfectly cast, beautifully crafted oater of the old school, made with heaps of integrity, no gimmicks and few concessions to the box office. Its only real flaw is that it strains a bit too hard to be a "classic" western.
80
It's a real and rare pleasure to see Costner and Duvall together -- these masters of intense passivity, who know how to be watched when they're listening.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.3
77% Positive
50 Ratings
50 Ratings
17% Mixed
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
6% Negative
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
May 29, 2025
10
Some films arrive quietly and end up hitting hard. Open Range is one of those. I didn’t expect much when I put it on; I even hesitated before watching it. But from the moment it began, it completely drew me in. Not only because it reminded me of the best of modern Westerns (Unforgiven), but because it has soul. It has truth.Kevin Costner proves here that he knows how to make a Western like few others. He directs with patience and precision, and his portrayal of Charley is full of nuance. Charley isn't a traditional hero, nor a villain. He’s a man shaped by his past, with a quiet violence that erupts at the exact right moment. And that final shootout… raw, messy, real. No fancy choreography—just pure tension and **** relationship between Charley and Sue is another of the film’s strengths. Subtle, slow-burning, without embellishment. What starts as shy glances grows into a love story that’s simple but powerful. Annette Bening is wonderful, and her chemistry with Costner feels effortlessly natural.What surprised me most was how deeply it moved me. Open Range is about justice, redemption, second chances. And it delivers all of this without underlining it, without begging for applause. It’s all in the looks, the silences, the way characters face what’s coming.Thanks to a radio feature on Sucedió una noche, I gave it a shot. And I’m so glad I did. For me, it’s one of the finest Westerns made in decades. It has the soul of a classic and the heart of a true auteur. A hidden gem that deserves to be rediscovered.
Nov 22, 2024
9
I like the beginning and the middle part:many tense scenes with great acting. also the characters are well written. The end is a classic showdown, nicely done, but I saw many of them already.
The romance part didnt fit in my view
75
A flawed but highly entertaining B Western blown up to John Ford scale.
70
Mostly it's just a good yarn, with attractive picture-postcard vistas and an agreeable strain of light humor.
63
A better, and more relevant movie, might have left us at the point of troubled introspection, but Costner is compulsive about tying up loose ends and upbeat messages. If the climax of Open Range is disappointing, the ending is almost intolerable.
50
Open Range veers wildly. It's a movie of beauty and sensitivity, and tedium and absurdity.
38
Without Duvall, this movie would be as wet as Waterworld.
Nov 7, 2019
8
Easily on par with Unforgiven, Josey Wales, Dances with wolves. A love story set in a turbulent time. Friends face of against corruption and win. What's to fault?
Jul 31, 2016
8
Why can we not get more westerns? A brilliant western that fits the genre bill and feels straight out of the golden age of the genre, Open Range confirms Kevin Costner's directorial ability, especially when in control of a western. Robert Duvall, Costner, Diego Luna, and Annette Bening, are all terrific and have great chemistry with one another. Open Range does a good job establishing its characters, their motivations, and setting the stage for its big shootout. The action sequence is well handled and well shot, never becoming disorienting or confusing. Its purpose is clear and the proceeding elements of the film are done in a way that leaves you rooting for the protagonists, as you should, though the chemistry between the actors definitely plays into this element. As with many westerns, the film is incredibly lush and gorgeous, taking full advantage of its open, pure, and idyllic setting. A properly epic, well paced, and enthralling film, Open Range is a modern western with classical feel.
Nov 28, 2012
7
"Open Range" is a 2003 film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. The movie tells the story of two cattle ranchers (Costner, Duvall) who are forced to take up arms when threatened by corrupt lawmen. The movie to me looked like it was gonna' be a slightly boring film about life on the. . .wait for it. . .open range. I was half right. A very large portion of this movie's beginning 45 minutes is about just that. However, past that point the movie picks up with a fairly plain, but still enjoyable plot. The characters in the movie are pretty good. Duvall's portrayal of Boss Spearman is the best in the film, by my opinion. I thought Costner's performance was a little stoic, but not bothersome (makes me think that that was the intention). The script was standard in terms of dialogue I guess. Then again, I wasn't alive during the 19th century, so I have no frame of reference. The best and most entertaining point in this film is the last hour where the film's most impressive set piece is set into motion - a really incredible gunfight happens. It's shot spectacularly well - a worthy testament of Costner's directorial aptitude. Through and through I found "Open Range" to be a fairly entertaining film with a great climax.
Nov 26, 2012
7
Duvall is just brilliant. Costner is **** Jerry Seinfeld of dramas. He's just Kevin, in 19th-century America, hardly even trying to act. Just being Kevin. Despite that, it's a lovely film, well shot.
Jun 28, 2025
5
A relatively standard western consisting of two and one-half hours of cowboys waxing philosophic and twenty minutes of thrilling shootout. Unlikely allegiances are formed at the drop of a cowboy hat, even when they defy years of living in a community.
Production Company:
- Touchstone Pictures
- Cobalt Media Group
- Tig Productions
Release Date:Aug 15, 2003
Duration:2 h 19 m
Rating:R
Tagline:No place to run. No reason to hide.
Awards
Western Heritage Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
• 1 Nomination
Satellite Awards
• 1 Nomination
