The 30 Best Western Films Ever Made

After paying respects to their deceased mother, four sons find themselves in the middle of a bitter land dispute and a murder conspiracy. Star John Wayne was recovering from cancer during the shoot but he nevertheless insisted on performing his own stunts.

Before “Nomadland” and “Eternals,” director Chloé Zhao delivered this award-winning Western drama. In the wake of a career-ending accident, a young rodeo cowboy (Brady Jandreau) searches for personal meaning in the modern world. The story is loosely based on Jandreau’s own experiences.

Not exactly a Western, but with a Western setting, this drama, one of numerous adaptations of Steinback’s timeless novella, takes place at the height of the Depression era. Gary Sinise directs and stars as nomadic farmer George Milton, whose pursuit of a better life is waysided by his slow-witted companion (John Malkovich). Both actors had previously played the same roles in a lauded theater production.

Clint Eastwood drew upon his iconic Man With No Name persona for this gritty Western, which he also directed. It follows a gun-toting stranger (Eastwood) to a small town, where he’s tasked with protecting the locals from invading outlaws.

This stylish Western incorporates intellectual themes and taut melodrama to stand out from its many contemporaneous peers. Joan Crawford plays a tenacious saloon owner, who gets embroiled in a local controversy involving her former lover.

A weary and mysterious gunfighter (Alan Ladd) seeks a quieter life but finds only more violence in this classic Western. Brought to life in stunning Technicolor, it features one of the most heart wrenching endings in cinematic history.

This legendary remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai” stars an inspired ensemble cast. It tells the story of seven gunmen who must protect a small Mexican village against an army of bandits. Three sequels, a TV series, and a recent 2016 remake were to follow.

James Stewart plays lanky lawman Tom Destry Jr. in this action-packed Western with elements of romantic comedy. Upon his arrival in the small town of Bottleneck, Destry squares off against a powerful saloon owner. This was Stewart’s first film in the Western genre.

Starring James Dean in his final major film role, this sprawling 20th-century Western spans two generations in the life of a Texan rancher (Rock Hudson) and his family. It was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, winning for Best Director.

This adaptation of a Charles Portis novel is the Coen Brothers’ highest-grossing film to date by a wide margin. It sends a precocious teenager (Hailee Steinfeld) and surly U.S. Marshall (Jeff Bridges) on the trail of a rugged criminal (Josh Brolin). A previous 1969 adaptation starred John Wayne in his one and only Academy Award-winning performance.

Mel Brooks’ send-up of the Western genre doubles as a scathing satire of American history itself. Rife with politically incorrect humor, it puts a Black railroad worker (Cleavon Little) in charge of a small racist town. Various barriers are broken, including the fourth wall.

John Ford and frequent collaborator John Wayne re-teamed for this heralded Western, the first in an unofficial “cavalry trilogy.” It takes place after the Civil War at a remote outpost, where two men butt heads while dealing with a local tribe. This was one of the earliest films of its kind to depict Native Americans in a sympathetic manner.

Clint Eastwood once again channels the revisionist Westerns that made him famous in this gritty outing. It follows the title character through a post-Civil War landscape as he tries to escape his violent past. As one might expect, Wales’ pursuit of the quiet life doesn’t exactly go as planned.

Sam Peckinpah’s bloody revisionist Western tells the story of aging outlaws who plan one final job before calling it quits. The action takes place in 1913, when the traditional Old West was in a parallel state of decline. An opening gunfight sets the stage for two-plus hours of relentless violence and rugged characters.

A war veteran (Redford) retreats to the mountains for a life of isolation, only to find himself in the midst of combat against a local tribe. The story may seem vaguely familiar but Redford and director Sydney Pollack imbue it with breathtaking visuals and a quiet intensity. Those who’ve never heard of the film have still surely seen the Internet meme of Redford nodding with approval.

A coveted Winchester rifle lies at the heart of this complex Western, which builds toward a showdown between two men. It helped revitalize James Stewart’s career and kicked off a string of big screen collaborations between him and director Anthony Mann.

Based on a classic novel, this ever-prescient Western doubles as a chilling exploration of the mob mentality. Three men stand accused of killing a small-town farmer and a local posse takes justice into their own hands.

A noble gunfighter (John Wayne) and his peers protect a helpless family against a greedy land grab in this technicolor Western. Writing for Time Out, critic Geoff Andrew called it a “witty, exciting and deeply moving masterpiece.”

This epic adventure follows an obsessive Civil War veteran (John Wayne) as he searches for his abducted niece (Natalie Wood). Darker and more ambiguous than the standard Western, it helped reinvent the genre’s narrative tone and character tropes. On AFI’s list of the 10 TOP 10 Westerns, it holds the #1 spot.

Tarantino’s blood-soaked action dramedy sends a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) and German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) on a perilous rescue mission through the racist South. It was partly inspired by the spaghetti Westerns of Italian director Sergio Corbucci, who’s honored in the recent documentary “Django & Django.”

John Wayne delivers a breakthrough performance as Ringo Kid in this seminal Western, which trails a group of stagecoach passengers through hostile territory. According to philosopher Robert B. Pippin, the characters and story take on a mythical dimension by inhabiting historical archetypes. Many scenes were shot on location in Monument Valley on the Arizona-Utah border, to where director John Ford would return for a number of subsequent films.

Wherever veteran gunslinger Jimmy Ringo (Gregory Peck) goes, trouble follows in this perfectly crafted Western. It set an early template for the weary protagonist with a violent past, whose path to retirement is beset by various obstacles.

This Oscar-winning Western defied tradition by way of its unconventional hero, who experiences fear and doubt as he braces for a deadly gunfight. John Wayne and director Howard Hawks reportedly made the 1959 classic “Rio Bravo” as a machismo rebuttal to Peck’s performance.

Small town hero turned US senator Ransom Stoddard (James Stewart) returns to the place of his (supposed) valiant deed in this poignant drama. As he recounts the story to a local newspaper editor, the truth begins to emerge. The film’s theme of myth-building in politics and media continues to resonate in the modern age.

A land dispute between two rival families lays the foundation for this sprawling Western drama, which features epic set pieces and pacifist themes. William Wyler’s confident direction, an iconic score, and top-notch performances elevate the somewhat contrived premise.

This expertly realized Western finds director Howard Hawks and an ensemble cast at the top of their respective games. John Wayne plays Sheriff John T. Chance, whose arrest of a local gunslinger leads to a deadly showdown against a powerful land baron.

Eastwood’s triumphant return to the Western genre plays like a seamless continuation of his former cinematic persona. He tackles the role of once-ruthless killer William Munny, who comes out of retirement for one final job. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

A hunt for buried treasure becomes a parable about greed and mistrust in this famous Western thriller. Its key themes have been revisited time and again across various films and TV shows, including an episode of “The Simpsons” called “Three Men and a Comic Book.”

Sergio Leone followed his timeless “Dollars Trilogy” with this epic saga, in which rugged characters battle over a plot of land. “Moments of intense realism flow into passages of operatic extravagance; lowbrow burlesque exists side by side with the expression of the most refined shades of feeling,” wrote critic Dave Kehr for Chicago Reader.

The final installment of Leone’s “Dollars Trilogy” chronicles the violent race for a fortune in buried gold. Donning his signature poncho and brown hat, Clint Eastwood imparts a towering presence as The Man With No Name. Unique camerawork and Ennio Morricone’s immortal score bring the film further to life and cement its enduring legacy.