Clint Eastwood's 1973 Western Masterpiece Streaming On Netflix Is Also His Most Disturbing

Many of Clint Eastwood's best movies are amazing experiences that tell exciting stories about stone-faced wanderers and heroes. However, they also tend to be comparatively grounded tales. Sure, the Man With No Name is mysterious and Dirty Harry Callahan is unbeatable in his sheer tenacity, but still, Eastwood's name is not exactly associated with supernatural stories. That is, except for that one film where he was all but stated to be a vengeful ghost.

Said movie is "High Plains Drifter," one of Eastwood's best Westerns that's now available to stream on Netflix. Eastwood both directed the film and stars in it as the unnamed Stranger who arrives in the town of Lago and starts exerting his influence. It's a brutal, disturbing work that involves some of the most unnerving imagery of Eastwood's career, such as the Stranger forcing the townspeople to turn Lago into a blood-red facsimile of hell itself. 

Though its subject matter is very dark at times, "High Plains Drifter" is critically acclaimed (it has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes) and is considered to be an essential watch for any fan of Eastwood's Westerns. The fact that it's now readily available on Netflix is great news for those who want to experience this ambitious, challenging movie.

By the time the viewer makes it to the ending of "High Plains Drifter," the movie has made sure to establish that the vast majority of the characters we see are corrupted by avarice and selfishness. The central mystery is the death of Marshal Jim Duncan (Clint Eastwood's long-time stunt double Buddy Van Horn) at the hands of three outlaws and the townspeople's apparent apathy as they witness the deed.

In case you haven't seen the movie, we won't go into the specifics of just how the events transpire and why the Stranger has descended upon the town to both unnerve its residents and seemingly protect them from the returning outlaws. After all, this stylized story or retribution is worth experiencing without too much context. Just be aware that there are some scenes that viewers may find triggering (there's a sexual assault early in the film that's particularly hard to watch).

The only Eastwood movie that comes close to "High Plains Drifter" in terms of a possible supernatural element is 1985's "Pale Rider," in which his character, Preacher, is coded as a Horseman of the Apocalypse — Death, of course — and implied to be otherworldly. It's also critically acclaimed and makes for a great Western double feature with "High Plains Drifter."

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