The success of films like the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men sparked a renewed interest in Westerns, leading to popular series like Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone. These shows often reimagine the classic Wild West themes for modern audiences. While Yellowstone with Kevin Costner is well-known, Australia has produced a similarly compelling series.
Taylor Sheridan has become well-known for his work in the Western genre, particularly with the success of Yellowstone and its related shows on Paramount. While series like 1923 and Landman are excellent, those looking for something different will find a strong alternative in the Australian series Mystery Road. This show delves into similar complex issues and features compelling characters, helping to keep the Western genre fresh and engaging.
Taylor Sheridan Redefined the Neo-Western With Yellowstone
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone arrived after popular shows like Longmire and Justified, but it quickly distinguished itself. Unlike those series, which often focused on individual cases, Yellowstone became a sweeping story about family, power, and the fight to protect a large ranch. The show follows John Dutton as he attempts to unite his family against those who threaten their land, and it ran for five seasons. Its success allowed Sheridan to create prequel series that delve into the history of the Dutton family across different eras.
Ultimately, Yellowstone portrays the challenges faced by modern Americans working in traditionally rugged industries, like ranching and oil drilling. The show aims to offer viewers a glimpse into the often-dangerous work that powers the country, from agriculture to energy production.
This captivating view attracted a wide range of viewers, from people in the heartland who take pride in their home states to those on the coasts who were intrigued by places like Montana.
Taylor Sheridan first made a name for himself with a series of films – Sicario, Wind River, and Hell or High Water – that he called his “New American Frontier” trilogy. These movies took classic Western themes and applied them to contemporary issues, like the drug war between the U.S. and Mexico and the injustices faced by Native Americans. This work quickly established Sheridan as a leading writer of his generation.
Although the Western genre is strongly linked to the United States, other countries have their own versions as well. Australia, for example, has developed the “meat pie Western,” which explores the country’s colonization and the challenges of settling its harsh landscapes. Notably, Ivan Sen released Mystery Road in 2013, before similar films gained prominence.
Australia’s Mystery Road is Perfect For Yellowstone Fans
Just two years before Taylor Sheridan became a household name, Ivan Sen delivered a fantastic Australian film called Mystery Road. The movie takes place in a remote Outback town and follows Detective Jay Swan, an Indigenous officer investigating the murder of a young woman found near a local road known as “Mystery Road.”
Mystery Road is a busy highway frequently used by truck drivers, and it’s no stranger to criminal activity. But when Julie Mason, a young Aboriginal woman, is murdered, Detective Jay is determined to use his recent training to solve the case and find her killer.
The first movie centers on Jay’s experiences with racism from the police, highlighting the widespread mistreatment of Australia’s Indigenous people. This film and its follow-up, Goldstone, share striking similarities, both addressing the neglect of Indigenous communities. The films have a comparable, deliberate pace, leading viewers to wonder if Sheridan’s writing was inspired by the Australian movie.
Even if Mystery Road hadn’t already established itself, its follow-up, Goldstone, showed the story had the potential to become a full-fledged series. Building on the ideas of the first film, Goldstone takes Swan to the small town of Goldstone, which is overshadowed by the nearby Furnace Creek mine. The mine’s power has negatively impacted the town, and Swan is tasked with investigating the disappearance of a young Chinese woman, who he believes may have been a victim of human trafficking connected to the mine’s workers and an international criminal network.
Although neither movie did well in theaters, critics loved them, leading to a television series. Over two seasons, the show followed Jay Swan as he continued to investigate missing persons cases and uncover corruption in rural Australian towns.
Mystery Road Compliments Yellowstone
Both Mystery Road and Yellowstone share a key theme that often goes unnoticed by viewers of Taylor Sheridan’s work. They both examine how the expansion of industry affects people’s values, traditions, and the bonds within their communities.
The Australian version of this story focuses on the serious neglect of the Aboriginal population, to the point where it takes a detective with Aboriginal heritage to care enough to uncover corruption. This theme is particularly strong in the film Goldstone, which depicts a corrupt mayor bribing Aboriginal elders to turn against their community and sell off their traditional lands for financial gain.
The central conflict in Yellowstone revolves around the Dutton family’s struggle to keep their ranch – a symbol of their history and legacy. The prequel series emphasized that they believe they have a rightful claim to the land, earned through generations of hard work and defense. The series truly comes into focus when the Duttons confront newcomers – wealthy outsiders who see Montana simply as a beautiful place to own property.
Essentially, the story explores a conflict between traditional, small-town Americans and a more modern, materialistic culture that feels disconnected from the country’s roots. Some see this as an oversimplification, while others find it rings true.
In Yellowstone, Sheridan directly addresses the impact of industry on American culture and Native communities, but avoids simple judgment. The series openly shows the consequences of development without necessarily condemning it.
The way shows portray similar themes can really attract different audiences. For example, a character’s strong pro-oil speech in Landman shows Ivan Sen is often critical of Australia, while Taylor Sheridan seems more inclined to defend the US, at least in certain ways. This difference is clear in how the shows are received: Yellowstone tends to appeal to more conservative viewers in America, whereas Sen’s work is generally more critical of the status quo.
Jay Swan is on a journey to discover who he is and where he belongs, a search complicated by growing up without knowing his father. The film Goldstone suggests he might find a sense of belonging by reconnecting with his family’s roots. Unlike Yellowstone, which focuses on the perspective of settlers, this story is told through the eyes of an Indigenous man, providing a completely different understanding of life on the modern frontier.
Mystery Road Blends True Detective and Yellowstone
The Mystery Road series developed a unique style, falling somewhere between the feel of classic Westerns and the modern drama of Yellowstone. It essentially became Australia’s take on No Country for Old Men, a film that brought renewed interest to the neo-Western genre.
Jay Swan isn’t a cowboy; he’s a father deeply saddened by the loss of his daughter, similar to the way Matthew McConaughey’s character felt. His life is filled with sorrow, and he focuses on his job as a police officer, dedicating himself to helping those others often overlook.
The film Mystery Road powerfully depicts the negative consequences of modern life, particularly for indigenous communities. It doesn’t shy away from showing corruption and societal problems, making it a compelling neo-Western thriller. If you enjoy shows like Yellowstone and the work of Taylor Sheridan, this is a must-see.
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2026-01-24 17:10