The Western genre has existed as long as cinema has, and has taken dozens of forms over the 123 years since it officially began with the 1903 silent film The Great Train Robbery. Containing everything from mindless action fodder to Oscar-worthy psychological dramas, the Western genre remains supremely malleable. Given its extensive history and variety of forms, it’s also a particularly influential genre, as Western tropes, aesthetics and archetypes have been bleeding into other genres for decades.
However, in examining the most essential Westerns, I wanted to focus on two things: the movie’s overall quality, and its level of influence on the Western genre itself. The movies on this list are not only riveting adventures or dramas, they also had a major impact on the trajectory of how audiences perceive Westerns. Whether in breathing new life into classic tropes or rejecting them entirely to birth a new direction, each of these near-perfect Westerns left an indelible mark on the genre, and in many cases on filmmaking in general.
Why You Should Trust Me: From the neo-Westerns of Taylor Sheridan to the greatest performances of the Duke, I’ve spent 30 years enamored with the Western genre. I’ve come to appreciate just how influential the Western genre has been in the development of American cinema across all genres. I’ve been fortunate enough to analyze dozens of the best of the best Westerns from the last century in a professional capacity for both Screen Rant and MovieWeb. I know what makes for a truly groundbreaking Western adventure.
10
‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ (1966)
Perhaps the most influential spaghetti Western ever made.
Many of the tropes or aesthetic choices that the average moviegoer thinks of when they think “classic Western” can be traced back to Sergio Leone’s seminal spaghetti Western. The ultra-tense showdowns, Ennio Morricone’s iconic score, and Leone’s juxtaposition of extreme close-ups and sweeping wide-angle shots all helped define how the Western genre was perceived by the general audience. Its fingerprints can be found across all genres in both movies and TV, whether in parody, homage, or style. It’s impossible to take your eyes off the three charismatic and ruthless leads (led by Clint Eastwood in one of his career-defining roles), and it truly embodies the comfort and entertainment of the traditional Western.
9
‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)
A landmark film in the neo-Western genre.
Taylor Sheridan earned an Oscar nomination for his work on this foundational neo-Western, and for good reason. In lieu of any sort of romanticized version of the modern West, Hell or High Water deals with the economic pressures of post-recession America, where the line between good and evil becomes a question mark. It asks how far is too far when it comes to breaking free of generational poverty, especially while being swallowed up by corporate greed as opposed to a classic Western robber baron. The engrossing narrative features exceptional performances, but the movie’s handling of morality and desperation makes it essential viewing.
8
‘Tombstone’ (1993)
The infinitely-quotable defining Western of the 1990s.
Tombstone is considered groundbreaking in that it honors classic Western archetypes while maintaining a much more modern sense of fun, action, and excitement. Driven by some of the most wonderfully over-the-top performances from the talented stars of the 1990s, it has evolved into an essential “Dad movie” thanks to a parade of phenomenal one-liners and memorable gun battles. Val Kilmer’s turn as Doc Holliday is, for my money, the greatest character in the Western genre, or at least the most entertaining. There are more stars than you can count scattered across the cast, all sporting glorious mustaches. What more could you ask?
7
‘Red River’ (1948)
The John Wayne-led adventure that altered the standard psychological profile of the Western genre.
Early Westerns were by and large considered a lower form of filmmaking, as they relied on conventional action and very little substance when it came to storytelling or character development. That began to change with John Wayne’s breakout movie Stagecoach in 1939, where moral ambiguity and a well-developed ensemble narrative proved that Westerns could be high art if done correctly. Red River took another step forward, as it traded in the black-and-white, noble Western hero for a ruthless anti-hero in John Wayne’s dictatorial cattle drive leader Thomas Dunson. Howard Hawks’ game-changing practical work when it came to the epic cattle drive sequences also pushed the genre forward with effects, as did Montgomery Clift’s subtle, less boisterous starring performance, which would become a new standard in the 1950s.
6
‘The Harder They Fall’ (2021)
A stylish modern Western that centers on real historical Black figures from the American frontier.
Director Jeymes Samuel’s bold and energetic Western truly stands out from other modern Westerns for so many reasons. First and foremost is its focus on actual Black cowboys and outlaws from the American West. With an absolutely stacked, almost entirely Black cast, Samuel pulled many of the time period’s most well-known Black lawmen, renegades, and pioneers into a riveting classic Western revenge tale. Even more striking than the excellent story and engrossing visual style is Samuel’s vibrant score, which blends the Western genre with hip-hop, reggae, and rap music that fits so beautifully into the sounds of the Old West. In The Harder They Fall, the upbeat cadence of those music genres perfectly complements the beating of horse hooves and the clanging of gunfire, making this movie a unique but essential experience for any Western fan.
5
‘Unforgiven’ (1992)
Clint Eastwood’s visually stunning classic that trades the noble Western hero archetype for gritty, morally gray realism.
Unforgiven‘s defining feature is its utter rejection of any semblance of reverence for Western violence and action. Clint Eastwood’s notably older and arthritic antihero William Munny is haunted by the violence and lawlessness of his past, and there is absolutely no glory to be found in the way Western tropes are depicted. The movie acts as a tombstone for the traditional Westerns, and instead embraces how ugly the West truly was when you look past the noble heroes and exciting action to see the true psychological trauma at play. It won four Academy Awards for a reason, and remains a passionate lament not only for the classic Western, but for the Western hero that Clint Eastwood himself popularized for decades.
4
‘The Searchers’ (1956)
A dark Western epic driven by what many consider to be John Wayne’s greatest performance.
The Searchers is widely recognized as John Wayne’s finest classic Western, as his performance was dark and complex to a level that he hadn’t yet explored. While his protagonist Ethan Edwards is searching for his kidnapped niece, he is a racist and violent Civil War veteran driven by a twisted, Captain Ahab-like obsession. Although he presents his pursuit of his niece as his main motivation, it’s clear that what he really wants is terrible vengeance on the Comanches that she is living with for the murder of his brother and his family. There is very little heroism to be found in Ethan Edwards, and he acts as the foundation of an archetype that still exists today (Marvel’s Punisher, Frank Castle, is a perfect example). The Searchers is considered one of the most influential movies of all time, and it’s utterly essential for Western fans.
3
‘No Country For Old Men’ (2007)
A brutal modern Western that sees Joel and Ethan Coen strip away the romance from the genre.
The Coen brothers’ No Country For Old Men feels completely unique in the neo-Western space. With virtually no score, a near-stubborn refusal to build to classic Western showdowns (and even the standard three-act structure), and a nihilistic perspective on life in general, it’s undeniably bleak. However, that makes it completely engrossing, especially given the power of Javier Bardem’s monstrous Anton Chigurh, who is seemingly driven only by chaos and violence as opposed to traditionally villainous objectives like money or power. In its subversion of Western tropes, No Country For Old Men creates something entirely new out of the basic clay of the Western genre.
2
‘Old Henry’ (2001)
Featuring Tim Blake Nelson’s career-best performance, it honors classic Western tropes while avoiding clichés.
This is probably the least-seen movie on this list, as it debuted as an independent film with virtually no fanfare and no wide theatrical release. However, it’s essential viewing because of how perfectly it blends traditional Western tropes with a gripping, intimate mystery of identity. Tim Blake Nelson delivers a jaw-dropping performance as a farmer with a haunted past who seeks to protect his son from a band of outlaws, which isn’t exactly a stand-out central concept even with how well-executed it is. What makes the movie essential viewing is its explosive third act, which reveals that Nelson’s tired old farmer is actually the famous outlaw Billy the Kid, who faked his death and sought a peaceful life. With an exciting final gun battle that sees him mow down the outlaws, Old Henry is a nearly perfect slow-burn Western.
1
‘Silverado’ (1985)
A classic that revitalized the Western genre with crackling energy and high adventure.
Silverado was released at a time when studios had mostly abandoned Westerns, believing them to be commercially unviable and played out. Lawrence Kasdan’s pulse-pounding action adventure movie proved just how wrong that notion was. Featuring Kevin Costner in a high-energy breakout role that is certainly against the more conservative character type he established later in his career, Silverado has true blockbuster style, energy, and chemistry between its four-man lead ensemble. Its rollicking score and sound both earned Academy Award nominations, and it remains eminently rewatchable for those seeking an exciting classic Western movie experience.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
