6 Best Oil Boom and Black Gold Movies

By Vlad Zakh · June 3, 2026

Fortunes and dynasties built on oil have powered sweeping, intense dramas. There Will Be Blood has a ruthless oilman building an empire, Giant and Written on the Wind tear oil families apart, and Local Hero has an American oil executive falling for a Scottish coastal village. Hud and Boom Town round out the six.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

IMDb ★ 8.2 RT 91% Metacritic 93

A ruthless oil prospector's ambition curdles into obsession and violence in early 20th-century California.

Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson · 2h 38m · Rated R

Won 2 Oscars114 wins & 138 nominations

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Philo · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Local Hero (1983)

TMDB ★ 7.3

An American oil executive sent to buy a Scottish coastal village finds himself falling for its charm.

Directed by Bill Forsyth · 1h 51m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Hud (1963)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A ruthless, amoral rancher's son clashes with his principled father over the family cattle business.

Directed by Martin Ritt · 1h 52m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Written on the Wind (1956)

TMDB ★ 7.2

A wealthy oil dynasty is torn apart by jealousy, alcoholism and self-destructive desire.

Directed by Douglas Sirk · 1h 39m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Giant (1956)

TMDB ★ 7.6

A cattle rancher's marriage and legacy are transformed by the discovery of oil on his sprawling Texas land.

Directed by George Stevens · 3h 21m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Boom Town (1940)

TMDB ★ 7.0

Two wildcatting oilmen's decades-long friendship and rivalry is complicated by fortune, failure and the same woman.

Directed by Jack Conway · 1h 59m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Streaming availability data from JustWatch, via TMDB. Availability changes often, so check the service before you plan a movie night.

Vlad Zakh

Founder, Movieix

Founder of Movieix. He started the site because most recommendation pages felt like noise. Here, lists are sorted by who's in the film, where it's from and what mood you're in tonight.

6 Best Oil Boom and Black Gold Movies

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Local Hero (1983)

Hud (1963)

Written on the Wind (1956)

Giant (1956)

Boom Town (1940)

You might also like

8 Best Movies of 2007

250 Best Movies of All Time

6 Best Golden Globe Best Actor Drama Winning Movies

6 Best Oscar Best Actor Winning Movies

6 Best Cattle Ranch and Ranch Hand Movies

6 Best Gold Rush Movies of All Time