Study of a creep.
I don't want to be a spoiler, but that's what the movie is. And it's done in a very flowing way. We have four main characters, although the woman, played by Patricia Neal, soon leaves.
The others are Hud, played by Paul Newman, his father, played by Melvyn Douglas, and his nephew played by Brandon de Wilde.
Hud is vicious and selfish to the max. His father tries to get him to reform. At first we see this through the nephew's yes of innocence, thinking Hud is just a misunderstood rogue, but Hud is no Shane for Brandon de Wilde.
They have a ranch, and Hud's brother had a bad ending, for which Hud doesn't seem to care about much. We soon learn Hud isn't hiding feelings. He tells his father that if the herd is infected with a disease, to sell the meat and not tell anyone, when they both know full well that the herd would infect every herd in the area if that happens. As the father says, "hud is an unprincipled man.
The film is mostly about how the nephew learns the truth about Hud. It's disappointing to the nephew, but he becomes a better man for it. It isn't exactly a feel good movie, but it isn't exactly a feel bad movie, either, because the nephew is a beacon of hope.