The Jack Bull

Year: 1999

Runtime: 116 mins

Language: English

Director: John Badham

Western

All men want justice, few are ready to pay the price. Myrl Redding, a Wyoming horse trader, battles rancher Henry Ballard after Ballard mistreats his horses and their Crow caretaker. After Judge Wilkins dismisses Myrl’s complaint, Ballard must tend the animals, sparking a hunt that endangers the statehood bid.

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Timeline – The Jack Bull (1999)

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Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 11:10

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Movies about the high cost of justice like The Jack Bull

Stories where the fight for justice extracts a heavy, personal toll.If you appreciated the heavy emotional toll of principle in The Jack Bull, explore more movies like it. This list features similar stories where characters pay a devastating personal price in their fight against corruption, featuring bleak endings and intense moral dilemmas.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically begins with a clear injustice that challenges the protagonist's core values. Their refusal to back down, often due to stubborn pride or a deep sense of righteousness, sparks an escalating conflict. The story unfolds as a steady, tragic descent, where each attempt to secure justice only deepens the protagonist's losses, culminating in a bleak or bittersweet conclusion that questions the very nature of their sacrifice.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped together because they share a heavy emotional weight and a dark tone, focusing on the theme of a moral stand leading to ruin. They feature steady pacing that builds tension towards an inevitable, often tragic, ending, creating a consistently somber and thought-provoking viewing experience.

Grim and tragic Western movies like The Jack Bull

Gritty Western tales where lawlessness and corruption lead to tragic ends.Fans of the dark, somber mood of The Jack Bull will find more similar movies here. Discover other Westerns with a bleak tone, heavy emotional weight, and themes of legal injustice and revenge, perfect for viewers seeking serious, morally heavy frontier dramas.

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Narrative Summary

These narratives are often set against a backdrop of a nascent or corrupt legal system that fails the protagonist. A personal grievance—be it an insult, a theft, or violence—escalates into a wider conflict, pitting an individual's stubborn code against the oppressive forces of a flawed society. The journey is one of escalating violence and diminishing hope, leading to an conclusion that reinforces the harsh, unforgiving nature of the world.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a specific vibe: the grim mood of the Western frontier combined with a dark tone and tragic storytelling. They are united by themes of corruption, revenge, and the high cost of survival, offering a consistently intense and somber look at the Old West.

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The Jack Bull Summary

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Characters, Settings & Themes in The Jack Bull

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The Jack Bull Spoiler-Free Summary

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More About The Jack Bull

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Similar Movies to The Jack Bull

Discover movies like The Jack Bull that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.