Western films are a true cornerstone of American cinema, not only expanding and improving their own style for decades but advancing filmmaking as a whole through and past the ‘Golden Era’ of Hollywood. Westerns have often been on the cutting edge of storytelling, filming techniques, and choreographed action sequences that have all blazed the trail for the iconic films and franchises that are still being released to this day. The best Western films of all time combine intense action with a narrative packed with themes about justice, betrayal, philosophy, and societal issues.
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There are many tropes that define the Western genre, such as resilient heroes or complex and layered villains, epic tales of showdowns at high noon, or more focused and nuanced portrayals of cowboy characters, these are Westerns that open the door to so many others. Movies like Unforgiven and The Good, The Bad, And The Uglycapture a snapshot in time of Wild West brutality, while others like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid provide a look into the lives and camaraderie of Western relationships. The best Western movies leave you hooked on the genre and wanting to see more.
10 Silverado (1985)
Starring Kevin Kline And Scott Glenn
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8/10 Silverado PG-13WesternAction
Four unlikely heroes, Emmett, Paden, Jake, and Mal, band together to bring justice to the lawless town of Silverado. Each character, with their unique skills and backgrounds, faces personal vendettas and moral dilemmas as they confront the corrupt Sheriff Cobb and ruthless rancher Ethan McKendrick. The film combines elements of classic Westerns with dynamic action sequences and a rich ensemble cast, highlighting themes of friendship, loyalty, and the fight against tyranny in the Wild West.
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*Availability in US Director Lawrence Kasdan Release Date July 10, 1985 Writers Lawrence Kasdan Cast Kevin Kline , Scott Glenn , Rosanna Arquette , John Cleese , Kevin Costner , Brian Dennehy , Danny Glover , Jeff Goldblum , Linda Hunt Runtime 133 Minutes Main Genre Western Expand
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Produced and directed by Lawrence Kasdan, Silverado is a true ‘modern’ homage to the Western classic of old, which follows a group of four misfit cowboys who put grievances aside for the greater good. The four men, played by Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and Kevin Costner, help track down a pack of thieves for a group of settlers before descending on the titular troubled town, which has been corrupted and controlled by a greedy rancher and unscrupulous sheriff.
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John Wayne is best known for the Western genre, but surprisingly, some of his least-known Westerns best highlight his depth & versatility as an actor.
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With a rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.2 on IMDb, Silverado has been critically acclaimed and reached a cult classic status since its release. It is a fantastic entry for new Western fans, as it has a blistering pace and intriguing storyline that keeps the action flowing. Its slightly more modern feel and cast of A-list actors make it the perfect film for younger fans who want to experience their first Western shootouts.
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9 Tombstone (1993)
Starring Kurt Russell And Val Kilmer
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62 9.3/10 Tombstone RWesternBiographyDrama
Tombstone is a Western film loosely based on true events. When a group of outlaws known as the Cowboys ride into a town and slay several police officers for revenge for the death of two of their gang members, word of their misdeeds reaches the ears of a retired lawman. Gathering a group together, the new vigilantes will defend the town and aim to end the terror of the Cowboys.
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*Availability in US Director George P. Cosmatos , Kevin Jarre Release Date December 25, 1993 Writers Kevin Jarre Cast Bill Paxton , Charlton Heston , Sam Elliott , Powers Boothe , Val Kilmer , Kurt Russell , Michael Biehn , Jason Priestley Runtime 130 minutes Main Genre Western Expand
An iconic Western film directed by George P. Cosmatos partially based on true events of the time, including the infamous O.K. Corral gunfight. Tombstone tells the story of the legend of Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) as they all aim to settle down and start a legitimate business in the town. Before long, trouble springs up, and they find themselves embroiled in a growing war against a hostile Cowboy gang who want to settle a score.
Tombstone
is the perfect balance of action and character development that makes up the foundation of an iconic Western.
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The chemistry between the lead actors, particularly Russell and Kilmer, is truly brilliant to watch, and the fact it’s based on real-world events adds another layer of intrigue. Tombstone is the perfect balance of action and character development that makes up the foundation of an iconic Western. Filled with witty one-liners and action throughout, including one of the coolest saloon scenes in any Western, it builds suspense perfectly to the epic finale and fiery shootout at the O.K. Corral. Newcomers to the genre will get to grips with all the key elements of a classic Western, expertly executed.
8 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Starring John Wayne And James Stewart
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The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance ApprovedWesternDrama
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is a 1962 Western film directed by John Ford. Starring James Stewart as an idealistic senator and John Wayne as a rugged rancher, the story explores themes of justice and legend as they confront the outlaw Liberty Valance, played by Lee Marvin. The film examines the conflicts between law, order, and personal morality in the American West.
Director John Ford Release Date April 22, 1962 Writers James Warner Bellah , Willis Goldbeck , Dorothy M. Johnson Cast James Stewart , John Wayne , Vera Miles , Lee Marvin , Edmond O’Brien , Andy Devine , Ken Murray , John Carradine Runtime 123 Minutes Main Genre Western Expand
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In this 62-year-old iconic Western, John Wayne and James Stewart team up for their best movie, directed by the legendary John Ford. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance tells the flashback tale of Ransom Stoddard (Stewart), now a U.S. Senator, who arrives in a small Western frontier town and faces off against notorious criminal Liberty Valance. John Wayne plays Tom Doniphon, a gritty and rugged cowboy who holds traditional Western values close and who helps Stoddard in his war with Valance.
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In one of John Wayne and John Ford’s most epic acting and directing collaborations, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is an iconic tale and the director and actors are some of the biggest and most famous figures in Western cinema. The story itself is a classic story of the moral complexities involved in many old West standoffs, with the good guys vs the bad guys, and it is absolutely essential viewing for anybody looking to explore more into the genre.
7 A Fistful Of Dollars (1964)
Starring Clint Eastwood And Marianne Koch
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A Fistful of Dollars pg-13WesternDrama
A Fistful of Dollars is a spaghetti Western film from director Sergio Leone starring Clint Eastwood. A Fistful of Dollars is notable for being Clint Eastwood’s big break in Hollywood and also for being the beginning of the “Dollars Trilogy.” The film was followed by For a Few Dollars More in 1965 and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly in 1966.
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*Availability in US Director Sergio Leone , Monte Hellman Release Date January 18, 1964 Studio(s) United Artists Distributor(s) United Artists Writers Ryûzô Kikushima , Akira Kurosawa , A. Bonzzoni , Víctor Andrés Catena , Sergio Leone , Jaime Comas Gil Cast Clint Eastwood , Marianne Koch , Gian Maria Volonte , Wolfgang Lukschy , Sieghardt Rupp , Joseph Egger Runtime 99minutes Expand
In this 1964 spaghetti Western, legendary figure Clint Eastwood stars in one of his best films, in his first major breakthrough role as the infamous “The Man With No Name”, a mysterious and confident gunslinger who cleverly instigates two smuggler families against each other to capitalize on the chaos. This is one of the first films to really spotlight the ‘Spaghetti Western’ (Westerns shot and produced in Italy) and have it garner critical acclaim through the mainstream.
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A Fistful Of Dollars, directed by icon Sergio Leone, is one of three ‘The Dollars Trilogy’ movies that can be connected and watched together to further the enjoyment and interest of each and all featuring the character made famous by Eastwood. This film put a fresh look on the genre, with its antihero leading star and more minimalist approach. Rather than over-the-top theatrics and stories, it instead has more rich visuals, less dialogue, and more realistic action that is a right of passage for any Western fan to see.
6 The Searchers (1956)
Starring John Wayne And Jeffrey Hunter
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7.3/10 The Searchers pg-13WesternDrama
The Searchers is a 1956 Western drama starring John Wayne. Wayne stars as Ethan Edwards, who goes searching for his missing niece after his brother’s family is killed by the Comanche tribe. Helmed by director John Ford, The Searchers is now considered one of the greatest American Westerns ever made.
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*Availability in US Director John Ford Release Date March 13, 1956 Studio(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Distributor(s) Warner Bros. Pictures Writers John Ford Cast John Wayne Runtime 119minutes Expand
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The Searchers stars John Wayne who gives one of the best performances of his career as Ethan Edward, a man who returned home from Texas after the Civil War and finds his home and family have been ransacked, murdered and kidnapped by a group of Comanche Native Americans. In a retelling of a similar plot of the first Western ever made, Edwards embarks on the incredibly dangerous mission to enter enemy territory and rescue his surviving family.
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The 10 Best Western FIlms For Newcomers On This List: |
IMDb Rating: |
|---|---|
|
Silverado (1985) |
7.2/10 |
|
Tombstone (1993) |
7.8/10 |
|
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) |
8.1/10 |
|
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) |
7.9/10 |
|
The Searchers (1956) |
7.8/10 |
|
Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969) |
8.0/10 |
|
Rio Bravo (1959) |
8.0/10 |
|
Unforgiven (1992) |
8.2/10 |
|
Once Upon A Time In The West (1968) |
8.5/10 |
|
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) |
8.8/10 |
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The film was an incredible commercial and critical success, being hailed as a masterpiece of modern cinema and put forward as the greatest American Western ever made by the American Film Institute. It touches on serious topics such as racism, loyalty, and revenge and offers a unique look into frontier life. The story is expansive and consistently intriguing throughout, the acting is layered and executed perfectly, and the action is fast-paced with excellent choreography and is everything you want in a Western film.
5 Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
Starring Paul Newman And Robert Redford
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9.6/10 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid PGWesternAdventure
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid follows the exploits of two notorious outlaws as they navigate the challenges of a changing American West. Starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, the film combines elements of adventure and buddy comedy, capturing their attempts to evade capture while maintaining camaraderie. Directed by George Roy Hill, it explores themes of friendship and survival against the backdrop of early 20th-century societal shifts.
Director George Roy Hill Release Date September 24, 1969 Studio(s) 20th Century Distributor(s) 20th Century Writers William Goldman Cast Paul Newman , Robert Redford , Katharine Ross , Strother Martin , Henry Jones , Jeff Corey , George Furth , Cloris Leachman , Ted Cassidy , Kenneth Mars , Donnelly Rhodes , Jody Gilbert , Timothy Scott , Don Keefer , Charles Dierkop , Pancho Córdova , Nelson Olmsted , Paul Bryar , Sam Elliott , Charles Akins , Eric Sinclair Runtime 111 Minutes Main Genre Western Expand
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In one of the most well-known and classic Westerns ever made, Paul Newman and Robert Redford play two train-robbing outlaws, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, who flee a posse attempting to track them down and bring them to justice for their crimes. They play one of the most iconic duos in cinema history, and their friendship and antics throughout the runtime give the film a beautiful balance of acting and relationships.
Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid
won Academy Awards for Best Story and Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score For A Motion Picture, and Best Song.
In one of Paul Newman’s best films ever, the chemistry he shares with Redford throughout the film makes it worth watching by itself. The dialogue is charming and witty, with many laugh-out-loud moments throughout, and from minute one, it is full of intrigue and action, with one of the best opening scenes in Western history. The film perfectly encapsulates the ambiguous nature of heroes and villains and balances tense, brutal moments with levity, making it an excellent choice for those new to watching Westerns.
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4 Rio Bravo (1959)
Starring John Wayne And Dean Martin
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Rio Bravo PassedDramaWestern
Rio Bravo is a Western film directed by Howard Hawks and starring John Wayne and Dean Martin. The 1959 release sees Wayne playing a local sheriff that must hold a local criminal in jail until a U.S. Marshall can arrive to pick him up.
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*Availability in US Director Howard Hawks Release Date April 4, 1959 Studio(s) Armada Productions Distributor(s) Warner Bros Writers Jules Furthman , Leigh Brackett , B.H. McCampbell Cast John Wayne , Dean Martin , Ricky Nelson , Angie Dickinson , Walter Brennan Runtime 141 Minutes Main Genre Drama Expand
John Wayne plays plucky and courageous Sheriff John T. Chance, who, alongside a makeshift crew including other iconic actors like Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson, must defend their town and jail from a powerful group who hope to break their leader from hold-up after Chance arrests the brother of a local rancher for murder. The film has a star-studded cast and has been acclaimed as one of John Wayne’s finest-ever Westerns.
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Rio Bravo is the first installment in the Rio Bravo trilogy, an epic series of three Western films that spans over decades. For any newcomers to the Western genre, Rio Bravo shows the spirit of the Old West with a group coming together for the common good and hoping to stand up for law and order, even against oppressive forces. Rio Bravo is still inspiring films with its narrative to this day and makes it one of the most talked about Westerns in history.
3 Unforgiven (1992)
Starring Clint Eastwood And Gene Hackman
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Unforgiven RWesternDrama
Unforgiven, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood, is a Western that delves into the myths of the American West. The film follows William Munny, a retired and widowed outlaw, who takes on one last job with his old partner and a young gunslinger. They aim to avenge a disfigured prostitute in a corrupt town controlled by a brutal sheriff. The film explores themes of redemption, the brutal realities of frontier justice, and the consequences of violence.
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*Availability in US Director Clint Eastwood Release Date August 7, 1992 Cast Clint Eastwood , Gene Hackman , Morgan Freeman , Richard Harris , Jaimz Woolvett , Saul Rubinek , Frances Fisher Runtime 130 Mins Main Genre Western
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Directed and starring Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven is a dark and brooding Western about William Munny (Eastwood), who, after settling down and working at his farm for many years, is pulled back into his old outlaw and criminal life. He takes on one last job, hunting down a group of men who attacked and permanently disfigured a prostitute. The film, like many iconic Westerns, finds the balance between good guy turned bad or bad guy turned good and presents a morally complex character and story overall.
Related This 2013 Movie With 94% On RT Turned A Classic Clint Eastwood Western Into A Samurai Movie
Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven is a classic of the genre, but its Japanese remake takes some interesting creative liberties with the narrative.
A film that many people rank among Clint Eastwood’s best movies, Unforgiven has a storyline and narrative structure that transcends the genre. The acting throughout is absolutely superb, and it’s a film that goes further into character development and personal philosophy, which offers a more unique and mature take on the Western genre. The film’s tone, atmosphere, and spectacular visuals make it another essential view for anybody interested in Westerns.
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2 Once Upon A Time In The West (1968)
Starring Claudia Cardinale And Henry Fonda
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Once Upon a Time in the West pg-13WesternDrama
Once Upon a Time in the West is a critically acclaimed Italian Western released in 1968. Directed by Sergio Leone, the film stars Henry Fonda as Frank and Charles Bronson as Harmonica, two men who work together to protect widow Jill McBain (Claudia Cardinale) from an assassin. Sergio Donati and Leone wrote the screenplay for the film based on a story by Dario Argento.
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*Availability in US Director Sergio Leone Release Date December 20, 1968 Studio(s) Rafran Cinematografica , San Marco , Paramount Pictures Distributor(s) Paramount Pictures Writers Sergio Leone , Sergio Donati , Dario Argento , Bernardo Bertolucci Cast Henry Fonda , Charles Bronson , Claudia Cardinale , Jason Robards , Gabriele Ferzetti Runtime 166 Minutes Main Genre Western Expand
In another classic Western by Sergio Leone, Once Upon a Time in the West, one of the integral parts of the Once Upon a Time trilogy is an epic narrative that tells the story of a precious piece of land in Flagstone that is worth its weight in gold and blood. With the film exploring many themes, such as land disputes, murder, and surviving against the odds in the gritty and often-times lawless American Frontier.
The film is endlessly quotable with many amazing back-and-forth one-liners and it is one of the most visually stunning pieces of cinema ever created.
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With all-out action and an ensemble cast that sees iconic moments like Henry Fonda getting into a conflict with Charles Bronson, it’s not hard to see why this film ranks so highly amongst so many people. Once Upon A Time In The West is a slow-burner that consistently builds the tension and atmosphere until it explodes in action and excitement. The film is endlessly quotable with many amazing back-and-forth one-liners, and it is one of the most visually stunning pieces of cinema ever created. It is almost the number one film that any newcomer to the genre must watch to get fully immersed in it.
1 The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (1966)
Starring Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, And Lee Van Cleef
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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Western
In the United States, a mysterious gunfighter tries to work together with a bandit and a bounty hunter to find a hidden treasure. The men are forced to forge a difficult alliance as each knows only part of the location. The big problem is that none of them has any intention of sharing the wealth once they’ve found it.
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*Availability in US Director Sergio Leone Release Date December 29, 1967 Cast Clint Eastwood , Eli Wallach , Lee Van Cleef , Aldo Giuffrè , Luigi Pistilli Runtime 161 minutes Main Genre Western
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Known as the best Spaghetti Western of all time, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly tells the infamous story of three gunslinging outlaws, portrayed by Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef. After begrudgingly forming a necessary partnership during numerous violent and clever escapades, the men have to re-team in order to find gold that a soldier has buried in the desert, creating one of the best stories and character combinations in history.
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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is one of the most iconic Westerns ever, and includes six deleted scenes in its extended edition that add to the story.
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Without doubt, this film is the perfect introduction for anybody at all interested in the Western genre. It has absolutely everything that makes the Western genre one of the cornerstones of American cinema, with an iconic cast of unforgettable characters, an expansive, ever-intriguing storyline, and iconic action and shoot-outs throughout. It is part of a trilogy that has done what no trilogy has ever done before and is not just one of the best Westerns of all time, but one of the greatest films in cinematic history.
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