Day of the Outlaw

If you want a drama that takes its characters as seriously as its plot, Day of the Outlaw is available in the US on YouTube TV and ScreenPix Apple TV Channel right now. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. With 113 viewer ratings on TMDB, this is not a title flying under the radar. Robert Ryan sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on YouTube TV.

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Day of the Outlaw earns its spot. Character-driven storytelling at its most effective — Day of the Outlaw earns every emotional beat it goes for. Blaise Starrett is a rancher at odds with homesteaders when outlaws hold up the small town. The outlaws are held in check only by their notorious leader, but he is diagnosed with a fatal wound and the town is a powder keg waiting to blow. Robert Ryan and Burl Ives lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It hit screens in 1959. The performances in Day of the Outlaw do a lot of work in the silences between the dialogue. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Day of the Outlaw is what you recommend to people who say they do not really watch much. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. A contained runtime means every scene is doing real work. Robert Ryan carries the material with a performance that rewards close attention. Worth starting sooner rather than later.

Day of the Outlaw was released in 1959, directed by André de Toth. The full 92-minute film is available to watch now. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.