The 5 Best Taylor Sheridan Movies & Series That Aren't Yellowstone Or Landman

In the span of little more than a decade, Taylor Sheridan has transformed his career from that of an actor looking to book gigs to becoming the creative powerhouse behind some of the most successful shows currently on TV. With the unexpected success of his rugged drama series "Yellowstone," Sheridan established himself as the reigning king of the neo-Western genre. Sheridan followed up the success of "Yellowstone" by turning his attention from the wilds of Montana to the oil fields of West Texas with "Landman." 

Casual fans of Sheridan's work might not realize that the celebrated writer, director, and producer has also created a number of other amazing shows and acclaimed films over the past few years. It's true that "Yellowstone" and "Landman" have gone a long way toward making Sheridan a household name and Hollywood power player. However, Sheridan was blowing critics away from the very beginning with his screenwriting chops and versatility. With shows like "Mayor of Kingstown" and films like "Sicario," it's clear that Sheridan can weave stories of urban blight, international politics, corruption, heartbreak and heroism like few others. His formula for relatable characters might be the secret weapon that makes Sheridan's shows so popular.

Despite all the drama surrounding the production of "Yellowstone," the beloved show spawned four spin-offs, including two wildly successful prequel series – "1883" and "1923" – as well as two follow-up series, "Dutton Ranch" and "Marshalls," and even more are in the works. However, we're going to take a look at the best things Sheridan's created that are fully outside the "Yellowstone" and "Landman" universes, that deserve even more love from fans.

Taylor Sheridan made an impressive splash with "Sicario," his feature film screenwriting debut. The gritty crime drama, directed by Denis Villeneuve, tells the story of FBI agent Kate Macer (played by Emily Blunt), who joins a CIA-led joint task force with a mission to bring down the violent leader of a brutal Mexican drug cartel. Josh Brolin, Benecio Tel Toro, and Jon Berenthal bolster the impressive script, and Villeneuve's unique directorial vision aided the title in earning three Oscar nominations.

Sheridan had been working as an actor for years in shows like "Sons of Anarchy" and "Veronica Mars" before trying his hand and screenwriting. He spoke with Awards Daily in November 2015, and opened up about making the transition. "I just became fascinated with telling my story. I didn't want to tell other people's stories anymore. I wanted to tell my own," Sheridan explained. "I really fell in love with that notion."

Writing "Sicario" was also a way for Sheridan to bring attention to the violence at the border between the US military, ruthless drug gangs, and innocent people caught in the middle. "The carnage, violence and the casualties of that was so massive, and shocking," Sheridan said. The wellspring of using his fiction to explore and shine a light on real tragedy and drama would become a cornerstone of Sheridan's creative efforts.

Unlike "Yellowstone" or his more dismally bleak crime sagas, Sheridan showed a different aspect of his writing with the Sylvester Stallone-led series "Tulsa King." The Paramount+ series includes a great deal more comedy than Sheridan's other efforts as it tells a fish-out-of-water story about an East Coast old-school mobster who is transplanted into Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he sticks out like a sore thumb.

Stallone stars as a Mafia capo named Dwight Manfredi, who finishes serving a 25-year prison sentence and is sent by his mob bosses to Tulsa, to try and set up a criminal enterprise in the midwestern metropolis. Dwight uses his wits, his talent for intimidation, and his charm to assemble a team of associates and business partners and create a new life for himself. 

Despite the jarring Mar-A-Lago makeover that Stallone has undergone in recent years, the veteran star brings impressive gravitas to his role, as well as some impressive comedic timing. His supporting cast – including Jay Will, Martin Starr, and Garrett Hedlund, to name just a few – add some real magic Sheridan's perfect blend of high-stakes criminal scheming and comedic sensibilities, which sets "Tulsa King" apart from any other organized crime show on TV.

With 2016's "Hell or High Water," Taylor Sheridan crafted a very tense, emotionally powerful crime thriller that feels far more personal and intimate than anything else he's created. The acclaimed neo-Western drama follows two criminal brothers, Toby (played by Chris Pine) and Tanner (played by Ben Foster), who rob banks in Texas to pay off the debts on their family's ranch and secure a comfortable life and future for Toby's family.

The brothers find themselves being tracked down by a pair of veteran Texas Rangers, Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) and his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham). The twisted and ill-fated paths of both pairs of closely bonded men inevitably meet with tragic results and ambiguous fates. "Hell or High Water" proves just how powerful and contemplative a neo-Western crime thriller can actually be.

The film, written by Sheridan and directed by David Mackenzie, was met with near universal praise upon release. Famed film critic Richard Roeper heaped praise on the film in his review for the the Chicago Sun Times. "In ways large and small, 'Hell or High Water' is a movie so beautiful and harsh ... the moment it was over was the moment I wanted to see it again," Roeper marveled. 

After writing "Sicario" and "Hell or High Water," Taylor Sheridan rounded out what has become known as his "American Frontier Trilogy" with the 2017 crime thriller "Wind River." This time, however, Sheridan didn't simply pen the screenplay, he took his seat in the director's chair as well. By doing so, Sheridan crafted a powerful mystery thriller that had a bigger and more impactful message and goal than almost anything else he's ever made.

The film follows U.S. Fish and Wildlife Agent Cory Lambert (played by Jeremy Renner), who discovers the body of a young woman of the Northern Arapaho on the Wind River Indian Reservation. Lambert investigates the murder alongside FBI agent Jane Benner (Elizabeth Olsen), but their investigation is routinely hindered by both indifference and corruption. As Lambert, Banner, and a handful of other authorities uncover the horrific truth behind the young woman's murder, they find themselves in grave danger.

Sheridan has been very vocal about his reasons for championing "Wind River" and his desire to shine a light on the shocking number of indigenous women who are killed or go missing every year. "I want people leaving the theater with something to think -– and think hard -– about," Sheridan told Rolling Stone in August 2017. "My job is not to give you all the answers. My job is to ask the questions."

While Taylor Sheridan's hit shows "Yellowstone" and "Landman" include their fair share of violence and moral ambiguity, they largely feature a more palatable sense of melodrama and fun. When it comes to "Mayor of Kingstown," there's very little fun to be found. The overtly dreary, bleak crime thriller series, which Sheridan co-created alongside Hugh Dillon, premiered on Paramount+ in November 2021. "Mayor of Kingstown" features some remarkably more gritty, brutal themes than almost any of Sheridan's other TV shows.

The series follows Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), the so-called "Mayor" of the grey and dismal urban metropolis of Kingstown, Michigan. Mike works as a sort of go-to man beyond the scope of the law attempting to keep the peace between different gangs, the local police, and the guards at the massive corporate-run private prisons in town. Torn between family loyalty and obligations to his job, Mike's life and freedom are always in jeopardy. 

Themes of private prisons, drug addiction, police corruption, gang violence, as well as poverty and social disparity run all throughout every episode. "Mayor of Kingstown" is a harder watch for many audiences. However, for those who appreciate a crime drama that isn't afraid to explore some truly dark narrative paths, the series can be a captivating experience. The show's 4th season, which premiered in October 2025, currently sits at a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, and proves that the series just keeps getting better as it goes on.