Hud

See there, jerks can be entertaining—so long as you’re not living with them. That’s the big takeaway here, as Paul Newman’s title character spends two hours making an ass of himself and tries the patience of Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal and Brandon De Wilde as Hud's father, housekeeper and nephew, respectively. Newman is exceptional in the role, maintaining a level of charm that belies the bastard underneath and never letting the viewer get disgusted enough to look away. The script is based on a Larry McMurtry story, and that writer’s skill at weaving a tale comes strongly through in this narrative. The movie also gets a big helping hand from the black and white cinematography, which looks gorgeous throughout and comes across as most appropriate for a story with so many shades of gray. Lastly, one can’t help but admire, of all things, the costumes—mostly, standard issue head-to-toe Levi’s—which are as common as what you’d expect in a tale of West Texas ranchers but which these days hit the eyes as absolute classic Americana. Yeah, some guys are jerks for little particular reason—and that makes it all the more remarkable when you’re riveted by their actions. Where's the beef? It’s right here—and it’s definitely worth a watch.