Ben Foster's performance in 3:10 To Yuma is severely underrated. The western genre was one of the most popular in the early days of Hollywood and helped make icons out of actors like John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, and Clint Eastwood (A Fistful Of Dollars). The popularity of western's seriously wanted around the 1960s, with audiences seeking out more modern-day stories and by the 1970s, Eastwood was one of the few stars still making them with the likes of The Outlaw Josey Wales and High Plains Drifter.
While it will likely never regain its original popularity, the genre has still produced lots of great films in recent years. Examples include Bone Tomahawk, The Hateful Eight, and The Sisters Brothers. The Red Dead Redemption video game franchise has also received acclaim for its sprawling narrative and open-world gameplay. One of the more underrated westerns of recent times is 2007's 3:10 To Yuma, which was helmed by Logan director James Mangold.
3:10 To Yuma is based on Elmore Leonard's short story of the same name, which previously adapted in 1957. The remake stars Christian Bale (The Dark Knight) as a crippled Civil War vet who takes a job escorting dangerous outlaw Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) to a train that will take him to Yuma prison. The film received great reviews during release thanks to Mangold's sturdy direction and the performances by Bale, Crowe, and Peter Fonda, but unfortunately, it only does modest business.
Even in a cast filled with great actors, Ben Foster still manages to steal 3:10 To Yuma from everyone else. Foster's Charlie Prince is instantly iconic thanks to his cool jacket and twin Schofield revolvers, which is one reason he tends to be the only character featured on most of the movie's posters. Foster had a habit of stealing movies with smaller roles before 3:10 To Yuma, such as The Stranger in 30 Days Of Night, but Prince really showed what he could do.
3:10 To Yuma's Charlie is the right-hand man of Crowe's Ben Wade and is shown to be murderously loyal to his boss. He and his men are relentless in their quest to rescue Wade, with Foster dominating every scene he appears in. Prince is a crack shot with his revolvers too and is shown taking down multiple men in a matter of seconds. He's also willing to kill anyone who stands in his way - and even those who don't. Far from being a one-note villain though Foster gives the role lots of nuance, especially in the final look of betrayal he gives to Wade in the finale. Sadly, both 3:10 To Yuma and Foster's performance seem to have been largely forgotten, which is a shame since stealing a film from Christian Bale and Russell Crowe is no mean feat.