“That’s not really what the movie’s about”: Taylor Sheridan’s True Writing Genius Needs to Shine Again in Yellowstone After What He Did With His $85M Movie

Taylor Sheridan’s specialties lie in various pursuits. One moment he is an excellent actor, and the next he is writing the most compelling story of the year. He has gained immense recognition for his talents in writing. Be it through Yellowstone or movies like Wind River. However, his first-ever writing credit can be given to Sicario; a 2015 masterpiece directed by Denis Villeneuve.

During an interview for the film, he explained his process for writing, how he does his research, and the main component he likes to shine through his writing. While there is no doubt that he is one of the most talented writers in the film industry; recent arcs in Yellowstone have shifted their focus.

With this and the older interview where he talked about his focus when writing, a clear shift needs to be undone.

Taylor Sheridan and His Writing

In 2015, Taylor Sheridan gave an in-depth interview with Variety, where he talked about the kind of research he does when making a film like Sicario. The film follows themes of war in Mexico and the fallout that comes from the horrors experienced there. During the interview, he revealed an interesting piece of information. While many would expect his research to consist of looking into factual information, he mentioned that that was not what the movie was about.

Here’s the thing about the film that’s worth noting: The landscape is cartels and the drug war. But that’s not really what the movie’s about.

His goal was not to make everything about action and drug lords, but to showcase what is at the center of the movie; human ethics and moral codes. What circumstances allow the breaking of the law, and who exactly can take it into their hands?

It’s really a broader philosophical question of what is the rule of law? Who adheres to it and do the ends justify the means? What is the consequence of a consumer nation and that appetite? Those are the things that I was really exploring, and this, coincidentally, provides the perfect landscape to explore all of them.

He had philosophical questions that were able to be answered in this setting; explore moral boundaries, the lengths that humans can go through, and the darker sides of a consumer-driven, capitalistic nation. He did not much care for the cartels and the violence, but they allowed him to get the answers he was seeking and even helped the audience experience how humans react in such situations.

Taylor Sheridan Has Shifted Priorities

Taylor Sheridan’s writing, among other things, helped the film shine and get the acclaim that it did. There is no denying that when he explores themes surrounding the human psyche, audiences absolutely love it. This is why the newer episodes of Yellowstone have confused audiences quite a lot.

Shifting from its core themes of reality and family drama, the series had started to become more about the Western, cowboy dynamic. While there is no denying that there is an allure to such a setting, that on its own does not work frequently.

At the end of the day, Sheridan writes stories about the human experience. That is where his specialties lie, and those are the kinds of stories fans enjoy the most; of morals and the complexities of human thought, not concepts like war and cowboys. There is no denying that if Yellowstone shifted its focus back to where it originally was, it would be greatly appreciated by fans.

The amount of tension that exists within the series acts as a secondary character on its own. Knowing how much potential that has in the hands of Sheridan, one cannot help but wish for that to be explored more.

 

Sicario and Yellowstone are available for streaming on Lions Gate Play and Peacock respectively.