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The Honkers

The Honkers

A honker is a rough bull or bronc that can't be broken. Lew Lathrop is a honker!

1972102 minPGMidcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Director
Steve Ihnat
Starring
James Coburn, Lois Nettleton, Slim Pickens, Anne Archer

An over-the-hill rodeo champion is so self-centered that he ignores his wife, son, and best friend.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Honkers?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Honkers streaming on MGM+ via Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Reception

Is The Honkers worth watching?

The Honkers' Midcredits score is the 38th percentile of all films, from 433 ratings across 3 sources. 42% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

38th percentile

Better received than 38% of films

54th percentile among Action37th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)36th
Approval (how many liked it)41st

58 /100

36th percentile of all films

53rd percentile among Action32nd percentile among 1970s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.2 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

42% liked it

41st percentile of all films

55th percentile among Action42nd percentile among 1970s
42% rated it 7–1058% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

24th percentile

433 ratings across platforms

14th percentile among Action22nd percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 38% in 30 days

Box office

Domestic gross$204K

What reviewers say

Common ground

A down-to-earth modern Western about an aging rodeo rider's reckless lifestyle and its toll on his family.

Fans praised

  • Authentic rodeo atmosphere and real-people feel
  • Slim Pickens's standout performance as rodeo clown
  • Effective ending leaves protagonist's fate open

Detractors panned

  • Clichéd rodeo character-piece with tired plot devices
  • Lackadaisical pacing and thin story

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Coburn and Pickens praised; Coburn energetic but miscast per one detractor

AtmosphereDivisive75

Authentic early-70s rodeo world

Cinematography75

Great rodeo footage and period setting

CharactersDivisive70

Sympathetic but flawed rodeo bum; loyal sidekick

Emotional impact70

Heart-rending portrayal of a man's decline

Plot and storyDivisive55

Meandering narrative of a drifting cowboy

PacingDivisive50

Slow and meandering but fitting for protagonist's drift

Originality40

Familiar rodeo film clichés

Watch experience

What is The Honkers like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. 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

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTenseBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Register
WarmWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Episodic · 13% of films: Loosely connected incidents rather than one driving plot.
ToneDown-to-earth and affectionate toward its characters, with a wry, playful feel that never mocks them.
The rideThe story builds toward the consequences of Lew's selfishness, with a somber, reflective ending.
StructureThe narrative follows Lew Lathrop's drifting rodeo life in a series of loosely connected episodes.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you with the melancholy of a drifting life and an uncertain future.
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).
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%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeA character study of an aging rodeo champion and his drifting lifestyle, lacking a central plot archetype.

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 filmsSelfSelf-worth
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% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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

Self-worth · 7% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a man's inflated ego and lack of self-awareness destroy his relationships, and the quiet cost to those who love him.
StanceThe film presents Lew's self-centeredness without overt judgment, letting the consequences speak for themselves.

The world

ContemporaryRuralIn transitRealistic
FolkSupportive music · original score
SettingRodeo circuit in the American Southwest, 1970s
MusicA traditional western score that underscores the rodeo setting and the film's melancholic tone.

Content guide

Is The Honkers okay for kids?

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany12

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does The Honkers have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Honkers?

Cast

James Coburn
as Lew Lathrop
Lois Nettleton
as Linda Lathrop
Slim Pickens
as Clete
Anne Archer
as Deborah Moon
Richard Anderson
as Royce Owens
Joan Huntington
as Rita Ferguson
Jim Davis
as Sheriff Potter
Ramon Bieri
as Jack Ferguson
Ted Eccles
as Bobby Lathrop
Mitchell Ryan
as Lowell

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Honkers?

Movies like The Honkers include Junior Bonner (1972) and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada (2005), both westerns.

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

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Honkers?

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