Taylor Sheridan is a miniature industry unto himself. He wrote the Oscar hopefuls "Sicario," "Hell or High Water," and "Wind River," as well as the thrillers "Without Remorse" and "Those Who Wish Me Dead." On TV, Sheridan has been blasting barn doors off with "Yellowstone" and its multiple spinoffs, as well as shows like "Tulsa King," "Lioness," and "Landman." These are in addition to a modest acting career that put Sheridan on TV shows like "Walker, Texas Ranger," "Doctor Quinn, Medicine Woman," "Party of Five," "NYPD Blue," "Sons of Anarchy," and even "Star Trek: Enterprise." He also plays the supporting character of Travis Wheatley on "Yellowstone" and Charles on the prequel series "1883."

Sheridan has evolved into the modern torch-bearer for Western machismo, and he is often drawn into the dark hearts of manly men. He also seems to love crime stories, tales of criminals/lawmen, and conflicts that end with gunplay. That said, he's no action junkie or violence-monger; his films and TV shows tend to be very dour and downbeat, pointing out the tragedy of a waning Old West. His works feel very, very old-fashioned, which may be why they're so popular. Seriously, "Yellowstone" is a juggernaut.

When asked about his favorite movies by Rotten Tomatoes back in 2017, Sheridan picked six films that could have been predicted (mostly). He is drawn to grizzled heroes, suffering dads, and tragic figures with guns in their hands. Perhaps unpredictably, he was drawn to multiple winners of Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Five of the six films below won the Award, and the sixth was nominated.