Cowboys & Aliens 2011

In the scorching Arizona Territory of 1873, a mysterious loner (Daniel Craig) emerges from the desert dust, his identity shrouded in mystery as much as his face. The stranger’s only companions are the metal shackle encircling his wrist and the fragmented memories that refuse to surface. As he navigates the dusty streets of Absolution, the local preacher, Meacham (Clancy Brown), tends to his wounds, unaware that this drifter is actually Jake Lonergan, a notorious outlaw with a price on his head. The law, in the form of Sheriff Taggart (Keith Carradine), soon arrives, intent on apprehending Jake for past transgressions. But before he can be taken into custody, the stranger unleashes his fury upon Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano), a volatile drunk who has been terrorizing the town.

Percy’s father, Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), a ruthless cattle baron with a reputation for getting what he wants, descends upon Absolution, demanding the release of his wayward son and exacting revenge on Jake, whom he accuses of stealing his gold. As tensions simmer, an otherworldly threat materializes in the form of alien craft, their long, whip-like feelers snatching unsuspecting townsfolk, including Percy, Sheriff Taggart, and many others. Amidst the chaos, Jake’s mysterious wrist shackle unfolds into a deadly weapon, taking down one of the ships with a single, precise shot.

As the town lies in ruins, Dolarhyde, Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde), and a handful of survivors form a makeshift posse to track an injured alien that has escaped from the downed ship. Meanwhile, Jake’s memories begin to resurface as he recalls his fateful visit to an abandoned cabin with Alice (Abigail Spencer) just before they were abducted by the very same aliens. With his recollections restored, Jake joins the posse, which is soon decimated when they’re attacked by a group of outlaws.

As night falls, the survivors take refuge in an upside-down paddle-wheel steamboat, where Meacham sacrifices himself to save Emmett (Noah Ringer), Sheriff Taggart’s grandson. The next morning brings little respite as most of the posse abandons ship, leaving Jake and his remaining comrades to face off against their former gang. The aliens, sensing vulnerability, launch a new attack, capturing Ella in the process.

In a desperate bid to rescue her, Jake commandeers an alien ship, engaging its pilot in a fierce battle that culminates with the vessel crashing to the ground. Tragically, Ella is mortally wounded in the chaos, leaving Jake to face the consequences of his actions as the dust settles on Absolution.

As the dust settles on the desolate landscape, the posse finds itself in a precarious predicament, having been apprehended by the Chiricahua Apache Indians who hold them responsible for the devastating alien attacks. In a haunting moment, Ella’s lifeless body is cast into the flames by a remorseless warrior, only to be reborn with an otherworldly vigor. As her consciousness returns, Ella reveals herself to be an extraterrestrial being who traveled to Earth to aid in the resistance against the invaders after they ravaged her homeworld. Her people, she explains, have been abducting humans for experimentation and exploiting the planet’s natural resources to fuel their technological arsenal.

Ella claims that Jake holds the key to uncovering the aliens’ true intentions and whereabouts, emphasizing that time is of the essence in halting their destruction of humanity. As the posse leader, Dolarhyde, administers a soothing elixir to Jake, his memories begin to resurface, including the harrowing ordeal he endured when Alice was brutally euthanized after an alien experiment gone wrong. The recall of these painful events also stirs within him the knowledge of the aliens’ central command hub.

With this crucial information in hand, Dolarhyde’s posse readies itself for a daring assault on the grounded mothership, while Jake reunites with his old gang and persuades them to join forces against their common enemy. In a bold, stealthy operation, they breach the alien vessel by targeting its shuttle bay, forcing the extraterrestrial invaders into a ground battle. As the conflict rages, Ella and Jake infiltrate the ship, liberating captives and exacting revenge on their tormentors.

However, during the chaos, Jake is captured, and Dolarhyde must mount a daring rescue mission to free him. Together, they escape the crippled mothership, having exacted a measure of vengeance by killing the alien responsible for Alice’s brutal demise. As the remaining extraterrestrial forces flee in their damaged craft, Ella makes the ultimate sacrifice, utilizing Jake’s gauntlet to destroy the ship and shatter any hope of further alien aggression.

With his memories slowly returning, Jake is left to ponder the devastation he has witnessed and the weight of his own survival. As a wanted man, he decides to leave the ravaged town behind, opting instead to allow the sheriff and Dolarhyde to spread the rumor that he was killed in the invasion. The townsfolk, however, are determined to rebuild their community, buoyed by the promise of a newly discovered gold mine that will soon attract new settlers. Jake politely declines Dolarhyde’s offer to help with the reconstruction efforts and rides off into an uncertain future.