@REEL_DEAL2025-12-22 04:00 UTC
The Rifleman: proof the studio reads its own marketing too literally.
“The devil tomato approves... reluctantly.”
— THE DEVIL TOMATO
ADVERTISEMENTReserved space
1958 · Adventure / Western / Family
The Rifleman
BURN INDEX · PLATFORM AVG
LOCKED29%
COMMUNITY LEDGER · 0 ROASTS REGISTERED
SALT SHAKER · PLATFORM AVG
LOCKED35%
COMMUNITY LEDGER · 0 SALT SHAKES LOGGED
TOTAL LEDGER ENTRIES FOR THIS TITLE · 0 · LIVE
— WHERE TO WATCH
🔥 The Devil Tomato is sniffing out streaming services…
LUKEWARM · INOFFENSIVE
ICE COLD · 0–20%
Masterfully crafted. Un-roastable.
CERTIFIED COOKED · 71–100%
An absolute cinematic disaster.
The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black-and-white, half-hour episodes. "The Rifleman" aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first prime time series to have a widowed parent raise a child.
— THE CRITIC'S ROAST
💀 APPLYING THIRD-DEGREE BURNS…
— AUDIENCE VERDICT TAGS · LIVE10 TAGS
— THE DOSSIER
RELEASE DATE
1958
RUNTIME
—
GENRE
Adventure / Western / Family
PLOT SUMMARY
The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory. The show was filmed in black-and-white, half-hour episodes. "The Rifleman" aired on ABC from September 30, 1958 to April 8, 1963 as a production of Four Star Television. It was one of the first prime time series to have a widowed parent raise a child.
STARRING CAST
Cast information unavailable.
— SUBMIT A ROAST
Public Roast Feed
@ROW_F_REGRET2025-12-11 15:00 UTC
If exposition were a contact sport, The Rifleman would be banned for life.
@ENDING_LEAKS2025-12-21 03:00 UTC
The science in The Rifleman has the same relationship to physics that I have to going to the gym: aspirational.
@SCREEN_SHADE2025-12-25 16:00 UTC
Cried during The Rifleman. Mostly at the ticket price.
— QUICK ANSWERS
People also ask
Why is The Rifleman rated highly on Roasted Tomatoes?+
The Rifleman (1958) is praised with a low burn score on Roasted Tomatoes with a Burn Index of 29/100. The Rifleman is an American Western television program starring Chuck Connors as rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son, Mark McCain. It was set in the 1880s in the town of North Fork, New Mexico Territory.…
What streaming era or audience vibe does The Rifleman fit best?+
The Rifleman works best as a classic vault title for re-roast nights for adventure fans. With a Burn Index of 29/100, pair it with viewers who can handle that heat level.
Is The Rifleman worth watching according to Roasted Tomatoes?+
The Rifleman scores 29/100 Burn — Roasted Tomatoes recommends it as a confident watch.
— MORE BRUTAL ROASTS
People Also Watched
— FROM THE WILD
Unfiltered Reddit Outrage
Simulated r/movies discussion threads · curated commentary timeline.
r/movies · u/ReelTalkRanter🔥 2.8k points
[Serious Discussion] Is anyone else completely checked out by the pacing in The Rifleman?
Just got out of The Rifleman and I'm convinced critics are being paid in residuals. Two genuinely good scenes do not make a film. Convince me otherwise.
💬 91 COMMENTS·SIMULATED THREAD
r/flicks · u/FrameByFrameFred🔥 4.3k points
Unpopular opinion: The Rifleman is the most overrated film of the decade
Look, I wanted to love The Rifleman. The trailer had me hyped. But sitting through the second hour felt like a homework assignment. The dialogue is exposition stacked on exposition and the score keeps telling me how to feel.
💬 757 COMMENTS·SIMULATED THREAD
r/flicks · u/ExpositionDump🔥 2.8k points
Hot Take: The Rifleman's third act ruined what could have been a masterpiece
Rewatched The Rifleman last night and noticed even more plot holes than the first time. The motivations don't track at all once you stop and think about act two.
💬 210 COMMENTS·SIMULATED THREAD
r/movies · u/ScriptDoctor99🔥 4.4k points
Why does no one talk about how mid the writing in The Rifleman actually is?
Everyone praising the The Rifleman performances must have watched a different cut. The lead is sleepwalking through this and the supporting cast can't save it.
💬 371 COMMENTS·SIMULATED THREAD