This 5-hour real-life Western on Netflix is better than Yellowstone

Some of the first films ever made were Westerns, going all the way back to when the medium was being invented and pioneered in the 1890s and 1900s. The exploration and conquest of the American frontier has had a death grip on the imagination for well over a hundred years, and there are plenty of modern Westerns that are just as good or better than the classics. For a while, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone — a modern Western about the powerful Dutton ranching family — was the most popular show on TV. The death grip continues.

But Yellowstone has a point of view on the American frontier that may not agree with everyone, and the sheer size of it could deter people. If that’s you, there’s another Western drama you should check out.

American Primeval chases the truth, Yellowstone embraces the myth

Which do you want more?

American Primeval is about a woman named Sara (Betty Gilpin) making her way westward along with her son Devin (Preston Mota). Along the way, they meet up with a grizzled guide named Isaac (Taylor Kitsch), encounter members of Native American tribes both hostile and friendly, and find themselves caught up in the events of the real-life Utah War, a confrontation between the U.S. government and Mormon settlers in the Utah territory. The very first episode depicts the 1857 Mountain Meadows Massacre, when members of a Mormon militia killed some 120 people traveling west in a wagon train. In this environment, the goal for Betty and her party is simple: survive.

On Yellowstone, the goal of the Duttons is to thrive, and to protect their land from those who would chip away at it, including wealthy developers, politicians, and the neighboring Broken Rock Indian Reservation. The Duttons are depicted as the inheritors of the same spirit of rugged individualism that called American settlers westward over a century before, but they live in a much safer world. That said, there is a lot of violence on Yellowstone — both between the Duttons and their enemies and between the Duttons themselves — but it’s presented in a glossy, digestible way. It’s just gritty and brutal enough to be stylish.

American Primeval actually depicts rugged individuals pushing westward, and none of them are enjoying it very much. Life on this frontier is lawless and chaotic, with horrible violence sometimes breaking out for little or no reason. No one in this show has gone west because they yearn for adventure and freedom; mostly, they’re here because they see opportunities to grab some land and then make money off it, regardless of whether people already live there. Even Sara has alternative motives. And while the violence on Yellowstone is so heightened that it’s almost cathartic to watch, the violence on American Primeval is nasty, dirty, and unpleasant.

Basically, these shows have two competing views of the west and the Western: Yellowstone embraces the west as Americans have mythologized it, while American Primeval tries to depict it more like it really was. Which you prefer is up to you, but I think that American Primeval travels further and digs deeper.

American Primeval isn’t easier to watch, but it is easier to stream

How much time do you have?

American Primeval also respects your time more than Yellowstone. There are six episodes of American Primeval in all, but all but one of them are under an hour long, and some are well under. Altogether, the show will take you about five hours to watch from start to finish, meaning it’s one of those miniseries that can be binged in a weekend. There’s no word of a second season, but if one comes, it’ll likely be a prequel or another story that explores the same themes; these six episodes tell one complete story and will continue to stand alone.

Meanwhile, Yellowstone has produced 53 episodes spread out over five seasons, and that’s not counting prequel series like 1883 and 1923. And there are more spinoffs on the way. If you’re in the mood to get into a franchise that could last you years, Yellowstone might be perfect for you, but if you’re just looking for something to entertain you through the weekend, American Primeval is probably the way to go.

You can stream American Primeval on Netflix while the entirety of Yellowstone is on Peacock. A lot more people have Netflix than Peacock, so that could be a consideration too.

The beauty and horror of the west

Which do you want on your wall?

At the end of the day, whether you prefer American Primeval or Yellowstone comes down to taste, because they have vastly different tones. Even the aesthetics are wildly different. Yellowstone features a ton of beautiful, panoramic shots of the Wyoming countryside. The photography on American Primeval is equally spectacular, but everything looks pregnant with dread. The landscape does not look friendly on that show.

You could take frames from either of these series and put them on your wall, but the one from Yellowstone will invite guests in and the one from American Primeval will tell them to get out right now.

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Personally, American Primeval is my pick. It pushes more buttons, it has more on its mind, and it wants to make us think about our history and about the difference between that history and the stories we tell about it. Yellowstone is more of a comfort watch. It has high-stakes drama, but there’s a soap operatic quality to it that helps it go down easily, maybe easier than it should. And there’s nothing wrong with that, but I prefer something a bit more bracing.

And if neither of these shows appeals to you, there are plenty of other miniseries on Netflix worth watching.