Howdy, partner! I don't reckon we've seen your face before. What's that? You're looking for a selection of the best western movies ever made? Well, you've come to the right place. Apologies, it's easy to get a little in character when we write about the best westerns. After all, this is a genre like no other. Set in the vast and dusty landscapes of the Wild West, where danger lurks around every corner and excitement is never more than a day's ride away, the greatest cowboy films have left an indelible mark on the history of cinema.
As such, it can be hard to know where to begin, but that's where we come in. So saddle up as we journey across the untamed cinematic plains and reveal the ten best Western movies ever made. Along the way, we'll ride by a comedy classic or a cautionary sci-fi tale and maybe even spot a Clint Eastwood or Sergio Leone picture or two.
10. Westworld
Director: Michael Crichton
Released: 1973
If you've seen the TV series inspired by this exciting blend of science fiction and deliberately over-the-top cowboy kitsch, you already know what happens in Westworld. Our heroes find themselves trapped in a theme park full of malfunctioning cowboy robots and must battle the deadly Gunslinger (Yul Brynner) to escape. Written and directed by Michael Crichton, the man behind Jurassic Park (he clearly loves it when theme parks turn deadly), there's a charming silliness to Westworld, and Brinner adds just manic menace to keep things thrilling. If you've not seen it, you should definitely give it a go; I mean, what could possibly go wrong… go wrong… go wrong.
9. Three Amigos
Director: John Landis
Released: 1986
Westerns are typically gritty affairs about tough men doing tougher things on the edge of polite society. Needless to say, Three Amigos is not that. In fact, this zany screwball comedy about three silent movie stars who end up on a real-life cowboy adventure is about as far from the grim-faced work of Leone and Eastwood as you can get. Still, what the film lacks in edge, it more than makes up for in laughs, largely thanks to the comedic talent and goofy charm of its three leading men: Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Chevy Chase.
8. Shane
Director: George Stevens
Released: 1953
Directed by George Stevens, Shane has been hailed as a masterpiece by critics for its incredible technical achievements and superb story about the nature of masculinity. Indeed, many have claimed this film, about a gunslinger defending a farm from a greedy cattle rancher, is the archetype all other Westerns have followed. What marks this film out as particularly impressive is the way Stevens and his cinematographer, Loyal Griggs, captured the sweeping beauty of the Wild West. Credit must also be given to Alan Ladd's enigmatic performance as the titular cowboy, Shane. Still, the true power of Shane lies in A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s screenplay, the influence of which can be seen in modern films like Logan and arguably even Yojimbo, which, of course, would then inform Sergio Leone's Dollars Trilogy.
7. True Grit
Director: Joel and Ethan Coen
Released: 2010
Joel and Ethan Coen's spellbinding and bleak remake of the 1969 film of the same name, True Grit, is a masterfully constructed film about the folly of revenge. The movie follows 14-year-old Mattie Ross (Hailee Steinfeld in her breakout role) as she hires Deputy U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to help her hunt down the man who killed her father. While the story is a simple one, the film's central theme of justice vs revenge adds a degree of complexity that cuts through the gunsmoke and violence. Combine that with the deft direction of the Coens, Roger Deakins' sensational cinematography, as well as Steinfeld and Bridges' incredible chemistry and it's easy to understand why this is often named the brothers' best movie.
6. The Magnificent Seven
Director: John Sturges
Released: 1960
An action-packed remake of one of the best samurai movies – Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai – The Magnificent Seven balances exciting spectacle with a surprising degree of heart and humor. As such, the film follows a remarkably similar plot but swaps the misty mountains of Japan for the dry deserts of Mexico. Our hero is Chris Adams, who puts together a group of gunslingers to stop a group of bandits who are terrorizing a Mexican village. While the film is well known for its exceptionally strong cast – which includes the likes of Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson – you shouldn't underestimate the skill director John Sturges and his editor Ferris Webster show in giving each of the ensemble just enough time to shine. Still, we all know that it was Elmer Bernstein and his iconic score that put the magnificent in this cowboy classic.
5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Director: George Roy Hill
Released: 1969
A film of contradictions, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, is at the same time a lighthearted romp about two outlaws on the run while also a tremendously sad story about the end of an era. In the hands of a lesser director, these opposing tones would probably give anyone watching a headache, but George Roy Hill manages to mesh these contradictory ideas together with stylish grace. Of course, it helps that he had two of the most talented actors in the world, Paul Newman and Robert Redford, playing the titular outlaws. The pair's strong chemistry and natural charm helped make Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid into movie legends.
4. Blazing Saddles
Director: Mel Brooks
Released: 1974
Not one to watch if you're easily offended, Blazing Saddles is an anarchic and anachronistic black comedy that's willing to do anything to make its audience laugh. As a result, the film's a complete mess, featuring characters so thin they could fit through an unopened saloon door. Still, honestly, most people will be laughing too hard at the carefully constructed chaos to notice that. Directed Mel Brooks, the legend behind so many of the best comedy movies, Blazing Saddles starts off as a deliberate pastiche of classic Western stories – bandits attack a town, and only two gunmen can stop them – but by the end, it's broken down (quite literally) into an outright musical farce.
3. Hell or Highwater
Director: David Mackenzie
Released: 2016
Written by Taylor Sheridan — before he found success with your dad's favorite TV show, Yellowstone — Hell or Highwater is a tightly made thriller about two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) who turn to crime to try and save their family farm. While that might sound a little cliched, this is a film that's gripping enough to convince even the biggest of 'cowboyphobes' (is that a word) to give the dustiest genre in Hollywood a go. A lot of that comes down to Jake Roberts' remarkably suspenseful editing and Sheridan's layered script – which offers both an exhilarating story and excellent character work. While Pine and Foster are both outstanding as Toby and Tanner Howard, the film's real secret weapon is Jeff Bridges' reliably grouchy greatness.
2. Once Upon A Time in the West
Director: Sergio Leone
Released: 1968
Sergio Leone's triumphant return to the Spaghetti Western genre, Once Upon A Time, tells the story of several gunslingers brought together by circumstance to defend a ranch from a greedy rail baron. A marked change of pace from the man who essentially created the genre, Once Upon A Time strikes a far more somber tone than the pulpy films Leone made with his old friend Clint Eastwood. Still, while it's definitely slower-paced and less sardonic than the likes of Dollar films, it's no less exciting, and the occasional explosions of violence are made all the more shocking by Leone's less stylised direction and Nino Baragli's reserved approach to editing.
1. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Director: Sergio Leone
Released: 1966
The final installment in the Dollars Trilogy has been labeled one of the finest, if not the finest, western ever made, and it's easy to see why. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is everything a good western should be, it's got compelling, morally gray characters, breathtaking visuals, and enough bloodshed to paint an entire fleet of wagons red. While critics were initially sniffy about the film on its release time has been kind to Sergio Leone's film, and its legacy speaks for itself. While the film boasts a relatively small ensemble cast, the real star of the show is, of course, Clint Eastwood as The Man With No Name, aka Blondie. It's a role that allows Eastwood's raw charisma to shine and despite his character's taciturn nature he steals almost every scene he's in. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly is one of the best films from the '60s, and is still worth your time today.
While we don't see all that many Westerns anymore, you can check to see all of the upcoming movies and new TV shows on the near horizon.
