In 1878 New Mexico, rancher John Tunstall (Terence Stamp) hires young gunmen to work on his property while teaching them to read and civilize themselves. When men working for rival rancher Lawrence Murphy (Jack Palance) shoot and kill Tunstall, the young gunmen take the law into their hands and soon earn monikers such as "Billy the Kid" (Emilio Estevez). Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen and Dermot Mulroney also star.