6 Best Quarry and Windmill Movies

By Vlad Zakh · April 6, 2026

Chain-gang quarries and tilting windmills make striking backdrops for stubborn defiance. Man of La Mancha has an imprisoned playwright acting out Don Quixote, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote has a cynical filmmaker caught in an old man’s delusions, and Cool Hand Luke puts a stubborn rebel on a chain gang. There Will Be Blood, Miller’s Crossing and Breaking Away round out the six.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

TMDB ★ 5.8

A cynical filmmaker gets tangled in the delusions of an old man convinced he is Don Quixote.

Directed by Terry Gilliam · 2h 13m · Rated NR

Where to watch

Stream: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Man of La Mancha (1972)

TMDB ★ 6.4

An imprisoned playwright acts out the tale of a delusional knight who famously tilts at windmills.

Directed by Arthur Hiller · 2h 12m · Rated PG

Where to watch

Stream: fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus · Rent or buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

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

Miller's Crossing (1990)

IMDb ★ 7.7 RT 93% Metacritic 66

A political fixer's loyalty is tested as two rival gangs go to war over a bookie.

Directed by Joel Coen · 1h 55m · Rated R

4 wins & 16 nominations

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Breaking Away (1979)

TMDB ★ 7.4

A working-class teenager obsessed with Italian cycling dreams of racing against privileged college students.

Directed by Peter Yates · 1h 41m · Rated PG

Where to watch

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

▶ Trailer Letterboxd

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

TMDB ★ 8.1

A rebellious prisoner's repeated escape attempts from a brutal chain gang make him a legend among his fellow inmates.

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg · 2h 07m · Rated PG

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

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 Quarry and Windmill Movies

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018)

Man of La Mancha (1972)

There Will Be Blood (2007)

Miller's Crossing (1990)

Breaking Away (1979)

Cool Hand Luke (1967)

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