10 Best Gritty Dramas Like Landman

Landmanon Paramount+ is a neo-Western masterpiece created by Taylor Sheridan. The show continues a storytelling tradition that emphasizes realism, volatile power dynamics, and flawed authority figures. Thanks to the likes of Sheridan, gritty neo-Western television has a powerful seat at the streaming table.It’s redefining how stories about power, crime, and survival are told on the small screen.

Neo-Westerns and crime dramas have increasingly embraced stories about individuals pushed to their limits. The characters often blur the line between law and lawlessness. While fans wait for Landman season 3, there are plenty of shows to start watching. These are the best series that capture the same mix of gritty tension and regional authenticity that defines Landman.,

Yellowstone

2018-2024

You can’t think of Landman without Yellowstone. Also created by Taylor Sheridan, both series reflect his fascination with modern American industries and the people who protect them at all costs.

Centered on the Dutton family and their Montana ranch, the show examines land disputes, political corruption, and generational power struggles through a ruthless lens.

The series became a pop-culture phenomenon, consistently ranking among the most-watched scripted shows on cable during its run. Kevin Costner’s performance redefined his television legacy, while supporting actors like Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser gained massive followings. Yellowstone also launched an entire franchise, further cementing Taylor Sheridan’s influence on modern Western TV and movies.

Justified

2010-2015

FX’s Justified transports classical Western values into modern-day Kentucky. The story follows U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens as he navigates crime, feuds, and personal history. While not set in the oil fields or plains of Texas, its rugged tone and focus on regional power dynamics align closely with what makes Landman so compelling.

Critically acclaimed throughout Justified‘s six-season run, the showearned multiple Emmy nominations. This included Margo Martindale’s win for Best Supporting Actress.

Timothy Olyphant’s Raylan remains one of TV’s most iconic lawmen, helping solidify Justified as a Western that keeps getting better with time. Its influence is strong enough that FX revived the series years later with Justified: City Primeval.

Deadwood

2004-2006

Another must-watch featuring Timothy Olyphant, Deadwood redefined the Western genre, and is often cited as one of the greatest television dramas ever made. Set during the lawless Gold Rush era, the series strips romanticism from the Old West, replacing it with brutal realism, sharp dialogue, and moral decay.

Using modern words to emphasize the distasteful language of the time added to the ferocity of the characters. This helped Deadwood stay grounded and believable for the audience.

Though its initial run was brief, Deadwood received widespread critical praise, winning multiple Emmys and leaving a lasting legacy. It elevated Timothy Olyphant’s career alongside Ian McShane and Molly Parker. The show’s eventual 2019 sequel film proved just how enduring its impact remains on prestige TV storytelling.

Joe Pickett

2021-2023

Joe Pickett centers on a Wyoming game warden facing corruption and crime beneath the state’s rural quiet. Like Landman, the Paramount+ drama explores how powerful interests collide with working-class individuals, ultimately underscoring how isolation intensifies every threat.

Rather than relying on spectacle, the series builds tension through procedural realism and ethical compromise. It presents rural crime as deeply personal and unavoidable.

With a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, Joe Pickett is a must-watch. It’s earned praise for its authenticity and grounded tone. Critics and fans alike have labeled Joe Pickett one of Paramount+’s most underrated dramas. Its success highlights a growing appetite for slower, character-driven thrillers that favor realism over spectacle.

Mayor Of Kingstown

2021-Present

Created by Taylor Sheridan and Hugh Dillon, Mayor of Kingstown explores the grim reality of a Michigan town built around the prison industry. Jeremy Renner stars as Michael McLusky, a fixer navigating gangs, law enforcement, and institutional corruption.

The series has drawn attention for its unflinching look at incarceration, injustice, and moral compromise. Renner’s performance anchors the show, earning critical recognition for its intensity.

As part of Sheridan’s expanding TV universe, Mayor of Kingstown on Paramount+ reinforces his reputation for creating bleak, socially relevant dramas centered on survival within broken systems. Fans still deem the crime thriller a masterpiece, and though it’s set to end, Mayor of Kingstown season 5 may be its best yet.

Tulsa King

2022-Present

Continuing Taylor Sheridan’s domination of Paramount+ shows, Tulsa King blends crime drama with neo-Western sensibilities. It follows Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a Mafia capo exiled to Oklahoma. Starring Sylvester Stallone in his first leading TV role, Tulsa King combines dark humor with the rugged grit fans of Landman willappreciate.

Despite its occasional humor, Tulsa King never strays far from grounded violence and real consequences. The series portrays organized crime not as glamorous, but as messy, transactional, and deeply rooted in exploitation.

The series proved to be a commercial success for Paramount+, quickly becoming one of its most-watched originals. Stallone’s charismatic performance helped draw in both longtime fans and new audiences, while Sheridan’s involvement ensured tonal consistency with his other works.

American Primeval

2025

It doesn’t get much grittier than American Primeval — Netflix’s gripping American western miniseries. The series delivers a brutal portrayal of early American expansion. Set during the Utah War, it emphasizes survival, faith, and violence in equal measure.

American Primeval quickly stood out for its stark visual style and relentless commitment to depicting frontier life without romanticism. The series leaned into the harshness of scarcity and moral ambiguity. By presenting westward expansion as a survivalist struggle rather than a heroic adventure, it brought realism to the Western genre.

Fargo

2014-2024

FX’s Fargo turns quiet Midwestern settings into pressure cookers for crime, corruption, and moral collapse, solidifying its status as a prestige crime drama. Inspired by the Coen brothers’ film of the same name, Fargo is set up as an anthology crime series. Each standalone season explores how ordinary people are pulled into escalating criminal worlds. Its subject matter mirrors Landman’s fascination with power and unintended consequences.

Fargo’s sharp writing and dark, unsettling humor reinforce its reputation as a prestige crime drama that thrives on tension rather than spectacle. The series has been a critical juggernaut, winning numerous Emmys and Golden Globes. Performances from actors like Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, and Allison Tolman helped propel Fargo to success.

Lawman: Bass Reeves

2023

Lawmen: Bass Reeves is based on the real-life U.S. Marshal who became one of the most legendary lawmen in American history. The show blends historical storytelling with modern grit, with the narrative grounded in Reeves’ pursuit of justice across the post–Civil War frontier. This helps emphasize the dangerous reality of law enforcement in a largely ungoverned Old West.

Critics praised Lawmen: Bass Reeves for finally telling the story of a Black lawman whose legacy had long been overlooked in popular culture. David Oyelowo’s performance as Bass Reeves was widely celebrated. Beyond entertainment, Lawmen: Bass Reeves is not shy about tackling the truth behind the rose-tinted view of American history.

Goliath

2016-2021

Goliath stars Billy Bob Thornton as Billy McBride, a disgraced lawyer taking on corrupt corporations. Set in California, its themes of institutional rot and personal redemption strongly overlap with Landman’s own subjects.

Not for the faint-hearted, Prime Video’s Goliath has its fair share of gruesome storylines. This is especially true of season 2, where the show deviated from its legal drama setup in season 1.

The Prime Video series earned critical acclaim, with Thornton winning a Golden Globe for his performance. Goliath became known for its bold storytelling and unpredictable tone shifts. Its success reaffirmed Landman‘s Thornton as a commanding TV lead and demonstrated how gritty dramas thrive when centered on damaged, determined protagonists.