The Marshals Cast Reveals Their Characters' Classic Movie Picks | Sorry Not Sorry

Created by Taylor Sheridan, for five seasons, Yellowstone was so popular that it earned itself a spin-off series, Marshals. 

The series follows Yellowstone fan favourite Kayce Dutton as he leaves life on the ranch behind to become part of an elite US Marshals unit based in Montana. Still in its first season, Marshals has already had a second season greenlit. The spinoff follows in the footsteps of its neo-Western predecessor and is packed full of battles with violent criminals, as well as Kayce trying to juggle his duties with family life. But what film might Kayce stick on once he’s back home after a hard day's marshalling? 

WATCH: Marshals Cast Picks Which Classic Movies Their Characters Would Watch! #marshals #yellowstone 

Speaking to Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce on Marshals, as well as several other key members of the cast, JustWatch got to the bottom of that question. During our interview with Grimes, Arielle Kebbel, Ash Santos, and Brecken Merrill, each of them shared what they thought their on-screen characters' favourite movies might be. 

Unforgiven And a Film That Shouldn’t Be Mentioned Are Top Picks For The Marshals Cast

Brecken Merill, who plays Tate Dutton in Marshals, was the first to answer, “probably Fight Club.” The response appeared to be a knee-jerk one, as no sooner had he mentioned the 1999 David Fincher classic than he realised he didn’t have a reason. He continued, “I don’t really know the reasoning, just cause it’s a good movie. It’s one of my favourites.” Reason or not, we can see teenage Tate being charmed by the anti-establishment twisty thriller that stars Brad Pitt and Edward Norton as they start a club whose members must never talk about.  

Arielle Kebbel went next. The actress has starred in many hit shows, including The Vampire Diaries and Gilmore Girls, with Marshals being her latest successful project. She joins the show as Belle Skinner, a tough Montana native who works alongside Kayce. Kebbel’s choice for Belle is the little-known The Man From Snowy River. The 1982 Australian Western stars Kirk Douglas, who tells of a man forced to go to work to earn money to get the family farm back on his feet after the death of his father. Arielle Kebbel explained what she loves about The Man From Snowy River, “There is this epic scene in the movie where he’s like scaling a mountain with his horse. It was a moment, and I was, ‘oh my God!’”

Andrea Cruz is another new character for the Yellowstone universe. Played by Ash Santos, Cruz is Kayce’s work partner. Santos opted to go for the modern-day crime masterpiece Heat. “I feel like Cruz would have loved Heat. She just would have loved Robert De Niro and Al Pacino going at it in that film.” 

Having played Kayce Dutton for a number of years now, Luke Grimes is very familiar with the character, and his choice reflects his understanding of the role. When it was his turn to provide an answer, he went with one of Clint Eastwood’s directorial efforts, “I’d say Unforgiven for Kayce. There are a lot of parallels in the storyline.” Those who have watched both Yellowstone and Marshals will be very aware of the connections between both characters, and one has to wonder whether Eastwood’s movie inspired Taylor Sheridan. 

More Taylor Sheridan To Watch After Marshals And Yellowstone

Fans of Yellowstone and Marshals can discover more of the show’s lore and history in the prequel series’ 1883 and 1923. 1883 stars Sam Elliott and follows the original patriarch of the Dutton dynasty, James Dutton (played by Mr One Tree Hill theme song man, Tim McGraw), as he establishes the Yellowstone Ranch. Similarly, 1923 chronicles the next generation of Duttons as they navigate prohibition and the Great Depression. 1923 also boasts Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. 

For stories that are not connected to Yellowstone from Taylor Sheridan, check out either Wind River or Those Who Wish Me Dead. Both movies are directed by Sheridan. Of the two, Wind River is the most fascinating; it stars Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner as they investigate the death of a young woman on an American Indian reserve. Olsen and Renner have rarely been better, and the crime mystery is brutal, intense, and will have your heart pounding throughout. In contrast, Those Who Wish Me Dead is higher octane and sees Angelina Jolie’s smokejumper trying to keep both herself and a young star witness alive during a wildfire.  

If television shows are more your tempo, then Landman is another show to seek out. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Landman shares a lot of themes with Yellowstone, but transplants them from Yellowstone Ranch to the cutthroat business of oil tycoons. Two seasons of the show already exist, with a third due to shoot later in 2026.