When we learned that Gillian Anderson and Lena Headey would star in a western we were ready to buy anything. We were sure we were going to love this western—even if it wasn’t our cup of tea. But we couldn’t have been more wrong. It missed the mark, even if we liked the actresses.
The good news? Other stories have already done what this show only dreamed of doing. And we put together a list of some that you should check out. So without further ado, here are 5 western movies and tv shows with female lads if The Abandons disappointed you.
1. The Keeping Room
The Keeping Room is everything The Abandons tries to be: tense, violent, and emotional. It understands that terror on the frontier sometimes came from men who believed they could take anything they wanted. The film stays focused, sharp, and honest. It’s what happens when a Western cares about its atmosphere and its characters. The synopsis is:
“In the final days of the Civil War, three women left to their own devices must defend their home and themselves from an attack by two soldiers who have escaped from the Union Army.”
You can watch it on Apple TV.
2. Brimstone
If you wanted a Western with real danger, fear, and good villains, Brimstone is a must watch! Every choice matters, every escape is narrow, and every moment feels earned. This is the kind of focus The Abandons desperately needed but never found. Plus, it’s got Dakota Fanning. The synopsis is:
“Falsely accused of a crime she never committed, Liz is a young mother trying to exorcise the ghosts of her past while being pursued by an obsessive and diabolical preacher who has come to town to bring order.”
You can watch it on Prime Video.
MORE: 7 Procedural TV Shows Led by Women You Need to Watch
3. Calamity Jane
One half of our OTP from Arrow in the year of our Lord 2025? In a Western? HELL YEAH! If The Abandons is all style but little depth, Emily Bett Rickards Calamity Jane is the opposite. It’s warm and sharp. The movie captures the chaos of frontier life without losing sight of the woman at the center, something The Abandons really could’ve used. The synopsis is:
“After Wild Bill Hickok’s death in a poker game, Calamity Jane must escape from prison and seek revenge. Her quest is hampered by Mason, the sheriff of Deadwood, who wants to stop and arrest her.”
You can watch it on Prime Video.
4. Godless
Godless is everything The Abandons keeps pretending it wants to be: emotional, violent, and intimate at all the right moments. The fact that it centers a town almost entirely run by women gives it a new perspective to this kind of stories. And we love it! The synopsis is:
“Frank Griffin, a ruthless bandit terrorizing a large swathe of the American West in the 1880s, is hunting young Roy Goode, a former protégé turned enemy. Roy, fleeing Frank and his feared gang, hides on a ranch in La Belle, New Mexico, a town populated mostly by widows after the collapse of the mine where the men worked.”
You can watch it on Netflix.
MORE: 7 Sherlock Holmes Adaptations Starring Women to Check Out
5. Jane Got a Gun
Jane Got a Gun is the kind of Western that proves restraint can be powerful. And that something The Abandons never understood. Instead of piling on subplots, this movie focuses on one woman and one impossible choice. And that focus pays off, especially when its Natalie Portman holding it. The synopsis is:
“Young Jane is married to one of the most dangerous men in the West. One day, her husband returns home riddled with eight bullets. The ruthless Bishop’s gang has gunned him down. He survives, but he knows it’s only a matter of time before Bishop and his men come back to finish the job.”
You can watch it on Prime Video.
