Dennis Quaid’s Underseen 91% Rated Western Movie Immediately Surges On Netflix

Dennis Quaid has never exactly been a box office fixture or a headlining actor, but he has been something arguably more impressive: reliable. Over the past four decades, Dennis Quaid has quietly starred in many sports movies, as well as films which straddle genres, always delivering performances grounded in something human, even when the stories around him get strange.

From The Right Stuff to Far From Heaven, Innerspace to The Rookie, Quaid has long specialized in playing men wrestling with failure, pride, or both. While he has had his share of high-profile roles – recently, the actor featured in the body horror hit movie The Substance – many of Quaid’s strongest turns have come in films that slipped past wider attention.

Broke currently sits at number 3 on Netflix’s most-watched movies in the United States today, just behind the sensational KPop Demon Hunters and Fall for Me. The modern Western stars Wyatt Russell as down-hearted bronc rider True Brandywine, who becomes trapped in a blizzard, where he must face the choices which brought him there. Quaid plays True’s estranged father, George.

The film was written and directed by Carlyle Eubank, and features Russell as a producer. With an impressive 91% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes, Broke earned praise for its understated storytelling and atmospheric visuals, but failed to rise to notoriety following its video-on-demand release by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on May 6, 2025. Broke premiered on Netflix on August 21, 2025.

Our Take On Broke’s Streaming Success

Wyatt Russell and Dennis Quaid in Broke — Broke 2025

Considering Broke premiered on Netflix yesterday, it is no surprise that the 2025 film has surged on the streaming site. Broke’s initial video-on-demand release meant that the modern Western didn’t receive much attention the first time round, so its late-breaking success on streaming is a testament to how modern platforms like Netflix can revive films that might otherwise disappear.

Wyatt Russell follows in his father’s footsteps, and it’s hard not to see a likeness to Kurt Russell’s Western movies considering the genre. However, it’s Dennis Quaid’s role – a quietly broken man in the shadow of his son – which stands out to me, adding emotional texture. Although Quaid’s performance is not the lead, it’s certainly the soul of the film.

Broke isn’t flashy, loud, or overly revisionist, and that’s its strength. This is a Western that trades gunfights for regret, sweeping panoramas for tight emotional tension, and archetypes for vulnerability. Therefore, Broke’s success on streaming is a reminder that there is still a place for slow-burning, character-focused Western movies in a content landscape that is heavily dominated by spectacle.