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Bad Company

Bad Company

They're young, desperate, dangerous—a long way from home, but a short way from Hell.

197293 minPGMidcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Director
Robert Benton
Starring
Jeff Bridges, Barry Brown, David Huddleston, Jerry Houser

After Drew Dixon, an upright young man, is sent west by his religious family to avoid being drafted into the Civil War, he drifts across the land with a loose confederation of young vagrants.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bad Company?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bad Company streaming on Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Bad Company?

Bad Company earns 4 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Before they were famous.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Bad Company worth watching?

Bad Company's Midcredits score is the 76th percentile of all films, from 9.7K ratings across 4 sources. 68% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

76th percentile

Better received than 76% of films

83rd percentile among Adventure77th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)74th
Approval (how many liked it)76th

68 /100

74th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Adventure76th percentile among 1970s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

68% liked it

76th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Adventure77th percentile among 1970s
68% rated it 7–1032% rated it 1–6

Critics 84% · Audience 71%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

70th percentile

9.7K ratings across platforms

61st percentile among Adventure74th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 20% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A revisionist Western that strips away glamour and focuses on youthful desperation on the frontier.

Fans praised

  • gritty, unromanticized depiction of the Old West
  • strong performances from Jeff Bridges and Barry Brown
  • Gordon Willis' muted, beautiful cinematography

Detractors panned

  • rambling, episodic plot lacks structure
  • tonal shifts between comedy and violence feel jarring
  • unconvincing character development and uneven pacing

What stands out

Cinematography80

Gordon Willis' muted, naturalistic beauty praised by all

ActingDivisive78

Jeff Bridges charismatic, Barry Brown haunting; some detractors call supporting cast poor

Atmosphere78

immersive unglamorous, dirty frontier captured well

OriginalityDivisive75

revisionist anti-Western debunks clichés; some find it derivative of Bonnie and Clyde

CharactersDivisive65

well-drawn but not compelling to detractors; fans praise depth of leads

Emotional impactDivisive65

poignant and melancholic for fans; depressing for detractors

Plot and storyDivisive55

episodic and rambling; fans see slice-of-life, detractors lack story

PacingDivisive50

slow to start, moseys too much for detractors

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 3 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bad Company like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you want something dark and affecting.

It takes its time and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeTenseMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Dry humor
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with grim seriousness and unflinching fatalism, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe journey westward likely mixes quiet introspection with moments of danger, building toward a heavier emotional weight as the group's fate unfolds.
StructureConventional three-act structure tracing the westward journey.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's relentless fatalism and doomed protagonists leave a lingering sense of sorrow and waste.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA fatalistic revision of Oliver Twist set during the Civil War, following young draft dodgers whose journey West becomes a tragic spiral into violence and disillusionment.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfComingof age
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% (this title) · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Coming of age · 5% of filmsSurvivalFreedom · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeA young Ohio boy flees conscription and is thrust into a lawless frontier where he must grow up fast, navigating survival and the meaning of liberty.
StanceThe film appears to question the romantic ideal of westward freedom, examining what it actually costs a young person to break away from society.

The world

19th centuryRuralWildernessIn transitRealistic
Orchestral classicalFolkSupportive music · original score · Harvey Schmidt
SettingCivil War-era Missouri and the westward trail
MusicSchmidt's score likely uses folk-inflected orchestration to evoke the frontier landscape.

Content guide

Is Bad Company okay for kids?

PG

Bad Company is rated PG. As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (75/100), sexual content at mild (24/100), language at moderate (58/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (24/100) and frightening material at moderate (56/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Ireland15
  • FinlandK-16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-rated film
heavier than 55%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (6 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (40 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bad Company have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Bad Company?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Jeff Bridges
as Jake Rumsey
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Barry Brown
as Drew Dixon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
David Huddleston
as Big Joe
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jerry Houser
as Arthur Simms
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Geoffrey Lewis
as Hobbs
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ed Lauter
as Orin
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
John Savage
as Loney
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jim Davis
as Marshal
Joshua Hill Lewis
as Boog Bookin
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
John Quade
as Nolan
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bad Company?

The closest match to Bad Company is Old Yeller (1957); both are westerns.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bad Company?

2.1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: western. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.