Westworld
Directed by Michael Crichton
- adventure
- science fiction
- western
The story
Delos is a futuristic amusement park that features themed worlds populated by human-like androids. After two patrons have a run-in with a menacing gunslinger in West World, the androids at Delos all begin to malfunction, causing havoc throughout the park.
What it’s like
Dusty sunlight and wide, flat desert vistas give this one a sun-bleached, faded-postcard look, with saloon interiors lit warm and smoky and the futuristic control rooms washed in cold, clinical white. The camera tends toward steady medium shots and unhurried pans across frontier streets, so the whole thing feels like a holiday gone slightly wrong. The score leans on plucked strings and western-style twang, with long stretches of wind and boot-heel silence that make the robots' stillness feel uncanny. The vibe is retro-futuristic unease: playful at first, then creeping toward dread. It suits a lazy afternoon, a late-night curiosity watch, or a sci-fi fan wanting something older and more atmospheric. Violence is present and occasionally sharp, with gunfights and robotic menace, but it is mostly stylised rather than gory, and there is no sexual content. The pacing is deliberate, and the tension builds through atmosphere more than action. It is for viewers who enjoy 1970s science fiction, Western iconography, and slow-burn stories about technology turning against its makers.
More films like Westworld
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Westworld and we’ll explain which ones fit you.
