Cowboy Up (2002): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2002, Cowboy Up is an action, drama, romance and western film directed by Xavier Koller, running about 105 minutes. “Professional bullriding... it's not a sport, it's war!” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. "Cowboy Up" is a celebration of the risk-taking, daredevil personalities of modern rodeo. In the world of professional bull riding, newcomer Ely Braxton (Marcus Thomas) is the craziest guy around; his brother Hank (Kiefer Sutherland) is a rodeo clown, and the two use each other to play up their acts. But love may be one thing that tears the brothers apart. When Ely falls for the rodeo's sweetheart (Daryl Hannah), Hank is filled with jealousy and hatred. The brothers try to come to grips with their differences, but the competition gets as fierce as the bulls in the ring.

Who’s in it. Cowboy Up stars Kiefer Sutherland as Hank Braxton, Marcus Thomas as Ely Braxton, Daryl Hannah as Celia Jones and Melinda Dillon as Rose Braxton, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.2/10, Cowboy Up has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Cowboy Up page.

If you liked it. Fans of Cowboy Up tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.