As the movie company sets up shop in small-town Oklahoma, they encounter resistance from the locals who believe that glorifying bank robbery is unethical and harmful to the community's reputation. However, the film's director, William S. Hart, believes that capturing real outlaws on camera will add an element of realism to the movie and make it a box office hit.
The bank robbers in question are the notorious Doolin-Dalton gang, led by the charismatic Bill Doolin. Bill Tilghman, a retired lawman and friend of Doolin's, assumes the role of a lawman in the film and begins working closely with the director and crew.
However, as filming progresses, Tilghman begins to realize that the line between reality and fiction has become blurred. He witnesses firsthand the violent and dangerous nature of the outlaws he once considered friends, and begins to question the morality of his involvement in the film.
As tensions mount, Tilghman and his family become targets of the Doolin-Dalton gang, and the lines between the film and reality become even more muddled. With the help of his fellow lawmen and the film crew, Tilghman must navigate a dangerous and unpredictable situation that threatens to tear apart everything he holds dear.
In the end, Bill Tilghman and the Outlaws becomes not just a movie, but a cautionary tale about the blurred lines between entertainment and reality, and the consequences that can come from crossing them.