Western epics have a way of either riding into the sunset as legends or crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. Just ask Kevin Costner, whose ambitious Horizon: An American Saga recently became a cautionary tale. But long before Costner's costly gamble, there was a film that set the gold standard for Hollywood flops: Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate. Now, this infamous Christopher Walken-starring Western has officially been removed from free streaming on Plex, leaving curious viewers scrambling for alternatives.
Released in 1980, Heaven's Gate was supposed to be Cimino's follow-up to his Oscar-winning The Deer Hunter. Instead, it became a byword for excess and disaster. The film went wildly over budget, ballooning to over $40 million—a staggering sum at the time. At the box office, it earned a paltry $3.4 million worldwide, effectively bankrupting its studio, United Artists. The fallout was so severe that it reshaped how Hollywood approached big-budget productions.
But the financial catastrophe was only part of the story. The production was plagued by on-set controversies, including reports that horses were harmed or killed for authenticity. This sparked public outrage and eventually led to the now-standard “No animals were harmed” disclaimer in film credits. For all its flaws, Heaven's Gate inadvertently pushed the industry toward more ethical filmmaking practices.
Despite its rocky start, time has been surprisingly kind to Heaven's Gate. Re-edited versions have been praised for their ambition and visual grandeur, and the film was even included in BBC Culture's 2015 list of the 100 greatest American films of all time. Today, it's often described as a misunderstood masterpiece, a sprawling epic that was ahead of its time. For those who want to see what all the fuss is about, you can still find other classic Westerns streaming—like the greatest Western ever made, which is currently available for free.
If you're looking for more Western gems, check out 10 Westerns that get better every time you watch them. And for fans of Christopher Walken, his performance in Heaven's Gate remains a fascinating piece of cinema history. While the film may no longer be on Plex, its legacy as both a cautionary tale and a cult classic endures.
Stay tuned for more updates on where to stream your favorite movies and shows. In the meantime, saddle up for other free Westerns—like Russell Crowe and Christian Bale's masterpiece '3:10 to Yuma', which hits free streaming this June.
