The Punisher Meets Die Hard In Taylor Sheridan's Fiery 2021 Thriller

Jul 12, 2026 - 01:13

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The Punisher Meets Die Hard In Taylor Sheridan's Fiery 2021 Thriller

Taylor Sheridan mashed up The Punisher and Die Hard for his most underrated thriller. While Taylor Sheridan the actor made little impact outside his supporting role on Sons of Anarchy, Sheridan the screenwriter and showrunner has been way more impactful. The Taylor Sheridan TV empire currently features shows like Lioness and the various Yellowstone spinoffs.

Sheridan's first claim to fame was his American Frontier trilogy, which includes Sicario. All three movies displayed his talent for punchy dialogue, memorable characters and short, sharp bursts of action. Sadly, one downside of Sheridan's swerve toward TV is that he hasn't directed a movie since Those Who Wish Me Dead in 2021.

It's doubtful Sheridan will ever adapt a comic book character, but if he did, The Punisher would be right up his street. This is doubly fitting, as Sheridan has worked with Punisher star Jon Bernthal several times, including Those Who Wish Me Dead. In classic Sheridan style, this thriller saw the writer/director mash up several genres at once.

The Sheridan-verse · Ranch Assessment Taylor Sheridan
Trivia Challenge

🏠 Yellowstone Protect the ranch

🐴 1883 The Oregon Trail

🌾 1923 Drought & dust

🔒 Kingstown Prison politics

🎼 Tulsa King Made man, new town

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The Dutton family has controlled the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the United States for over a century. In which state is the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch located?

A Wyoming B Montana C Idaho D Colorado

✓ Correct! The Yellowstone Dutton Ranch sits near the border of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show is filmed primarily in Montana, with the real-life Chief Joseph Ranch in Darby serving as the Dutton homestead.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Montana. The Dutton Ranch borders Yellowstone National Park in Big Sky Country. While the rugged landscape could pass for Wyoming or Idaho, the show is set — and largely filmed — in Montana.

John Dutton is the iron-willed patriarch who will stop at nothing to protect his family’s land. Which Oscar-winning actor portrayed him for the first four seasons of Yellowstone?

A Sam Elliott B Josh Brolin C Kevin Costner D Kurt Russell

✓ Correct! Kevin Costner brought gravitas and quiet intensity to John Dutton, anchoring Yellowstone as one of the most-watched shows on cable television. His departure ahead of Season 5B became one of the biggest stories in TV.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Kevin Costner. While Sam Elliott did appear in 1883, Josh Brolin has his own Sheridan series (Outer Range isn’t Sheridan’s), and Kurt Russell hasn’t joined the Sheridan-verse. Costner defined John Dutton.

In the prequel series 1883, a Civil War veteran leads his family on a brutal wagon-train journey from Texas to Montana to find a new home. What is the name of this original Dutton patriarch?

A James Dutton B Jacob Dutton C John Dutton Sr. D Emmett Dutton

✓ Correct! James Dutton, played by Tim McGraw, is the Civil War veteran who leads his wife Margaret and their children on the perilous journey west. His daughter Elsa narrates the series, and the family’s arrival in Montana establishes the Yellowstone Ranch.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is James Dutton. Jacob Dutton is the character Harrison Ford plays in 1923 — James’s brother. John Dutton Sr. doesn’t appear until later generations, and Emmett Dutton doesn’t exist in the Sheridan-verse.

On the Dutton Ranch, certain cowboys receive a permanent mark of loyalty — a hot-iron brand seared into their skin that signifies a blood oath to the ranch. What symbol is this feared brand?

A A “D” inside a circle B A horseshoe C A skull and crossbones D The letter “Y”

✓ Correct! The branded “Y” is the Yellowstone Ranch’s livestock mark, but for ranch hands, wearing it on their chest means a lifelong oath of silence and loyalty. “Taking someone to the train station” is what happens to those who betray it.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the letter “Y” — for Yellowstone. The brand is both a ranch identifier and a mark of absolute loyalty. Characters like Rip, Kayce, and Jimmy all bear the “Y” brand, signifying they’ve sworn their lives to the ranch.

In 1923, the Dutton family battles drought, Prohibition, and encroaching modernity during the Great Depression era. Which legendary Hollywood actor plays patriarch Jacob Dutton?

A Robert Redford B Harrison Ford C Clint Eastwood D Tommy Lee Jones

✓ Correct! Harrison Ford stars as Jacob Dutton alongside Helen Mirren as his wife Cara. Ford’s casting marked his first major television role and brought massive star power to the expanding Sheridan-verse. The series is set during Prohibition and the early Depression.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Harrison Ford. In his first major TV role, Ford plays Jacob Dutton, brother of James Dutton from 1883. Helen Mirren stars opposite him as Cara Dutton. Their star power helped make 1923 Paramount+’s biggest premiere.

Beth Dutton’s volatile love story with a tough ranch foreman is one of Yellowstone’s most beloved storylines. The two eventually marry in a surprise ceremony. Who is Beth’s husband?

A Lloyd Pierce B Walker C Rip Wheeler D Jimmy Hurdstrom

✓ Correct! Rip Wheeler, played by Cole Hauser, is John Dutton’s most loyal enforcer and Beth’s husband. Taken in by John as a teenager after a traumatic past, Rip would do anything for the Dutton family — and his fierce devotion to Beth became a fan-favorite romance.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Rip Wheeler. Lloyd Pierce is the bunkhouse elder, Walker is a ranch hand and musician, and Jimmy Hurdstrom is the hapless cowboy who eventually gets sent to the 6666 Ranch in Texas. Only Rip won Beth’s wild heart.

In Mayor of Kingstown, a family serves as power brokers in a Michigan town where the prison industry is the only business. Which family navigates this dark world of incarceration and corruption?

A The McLusky family B The Reilly family C The Kingsley family D The Dutton family

✓ Correct! The McLusky family, led by Mike McLusky (Jeremy Renner), acts as unofficial mediators between prisoners, gangs, police, and politicians in Kingstown, Michigan. The show is one of Sheridan’s grittiest explorations of the American justice system.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is the McLusky family. Jeremy Renner stars as Mike McLusky, who inherits the role of “mayor” — an unofficial power broker between inmates, gangs, and law enforcement. The Duttons are Yellowstone’s dynasty, not Kingstown’s.

One Dutton sibling is an adopted son and ambitious lawyer who frequently clashes with his family — sometimes even conspiring against them. His complex loyalty drives much of the show’s drama. Who is he?

A Kayce Dutton B Lee Dutton C Tate Dutton D Jamie Dutton

✓ Correct! Jamie Dutton, played by Wes Bentley, is the adopted son and Harvard-educated lawyer whose desperate need for his father’s approval and political ambition create some of Yellowstone’s most dramatic betrayals. His rivalry with Beth is legendary.

✗ Wrong trail, cowboy! The answer is Jamie Dutton. Kayce is John’s biological youngest son (a former Navy SEAL), Lee is the eldest son who dies in Season 1, and Tate is Kayce’s young son. Only Jamie is the adopted lawyer who conspires against the family.

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It has elements of the Neo-Western and action genres, with shades of Backdraft, too. More than anything, it feels like Sheridan’s riff on Die Hard, where Angelina Jolie's traumatized firefighter has to protect a young boy targeted by assassins.

Those Who Wish Me Dead Is An Underrated Taylor Sheridan Action Thriller

While everything Sheridan touches seems to turn to gold - at least in terms of ratings - Those Who Wish Me Dead largely came and went upon release. It arrived in the middle of the pandemic, received average reviews, and now feels largely forgotten. That's a shame, as it's a crackerjack thriller directed with real skill.

While not overloaded with action, the movie's setpieces are intense and visceral, and it's got a superb cast. Nicholas Hoult and Aidan Gillen are downright creepy as the emotionless assassins, while none other than Tyler Perry has a great cameo as the man who hired them. Bernthal's deputy is the co-lead to Jolie's firefighter, though if anybody acts as the Punisher during the story, it's her.

She leaves one of the killers to an especially unpleasant fate, for instance. Those Who Wish Me Dead's reviews highlighted it as a solid example of the type of mid-budget, R-rated thrillers that rarely get made anymore. Nowadays, they tend to end up going straight on Netflix or Prime, and unfortunately, the movie's tepid box office performance shows why.

Those Who Wish Me Dead Is The Last Movie Taylor Sheridan Has Directed (To Date)

A bloodied Hannah (Angelina Jolie) holds an ax while Connor (Finn Little) watches in Those Who Wish Me Dead

Sheridan feels like a throwback to the types of workaholic directors who made a film a year back in the '70s and '80s, like Walter Hill. Jumping ahead to the 2010s, those types of movies don't get made as much anymore, so his pivot to television with Yellowstone was smart. It's doubtful even he could have anticipated how successful his showrunner stint would be, however.

Taylor Sheridan has essentially disowned his directorial debut, Vile, claiming he was awarded the credit by a friend after aiding the production.

Sheridan is one of the busiest men in television, and that doesn't look set to change in the near future. 2026 alone saw the debut of new series like Dutton Ranch and The Madison, in addition to returning shows like Lioness. His TV workload has left little time for movies, with Those Who Wish Me Dead being his final theatrical directing credit thus far.

There are sighs he's looking to move back to movies, with 2027 seeing the arrival of F.A.S.T., an action thriller starring 1923's Brandon Sklenar; Sheridan penned the screenplay and co-produced. Should the thriller (which follows a Black Ops team that targets drug dealers in a small town) prove to be a hit, this should encourage Sheridan to step back behind the camera for a new film.

Either way, fans of Jon Bernthal and Taylor Sheridan should seek out Those Who Wish Me Dead if they missed it the first time. It looks great, moves with a purpose, and is easily the best film Jolie has been a part of in the past decade.