Since the dawn of American cinema, the Western has been one of the most revered corners of Hollywood, ushering in classics like A Fistful of Dollars and Shane. While the genre is a famously acquired taste, with many disliking its slower, character-driven approach to storytelling, some movies have emerged as unanimously beloved masterpieces.
For a genre that has slipped into almost complete obscurity during the 21st century, the fact that some films retain a perfect rating among audiences is nothing short of impressive. As the whole world has moved on to superheroes, horror, and mindless action, those who can appreciate a great gunslinger story are well rewarded. Between timeless ’60s classics and contemporary masterpieces, these are all must-see gems.
Logan Is a Superhero Reinvention of Shane
In 2017, James Mangold gave the Fox X-Men universe version of Wolverine the ending he deserved when he made Logan. Using Mark Millar and Steve McNiven’s “Old Man Logan” story for inspiration, Mangold moved away from the comic’s Unforgiven vibes and instead embraced Shane as the basis for his story. Set in 2029, it follows an aged Logan dying of adamantium poisoning as he steps in to protect both his female clone, Laura, and Charles Xavier, as he loses control of his powers.
Logan is the ultimate genre mash-up, modernizing the best themes of the West for a gritty superhero thriller. It would be dishonest to evaluate audience-favorite Westerns without mentioning Mangold’s masterpiece and how it won over fans of an entirely different genre. Simultaneously one of the greatest superhero and neo-Westerns of all time, it took everything great about Shane and turned it into a poignant, emotional send-off for a beloved character. As great as George Stevens’ 1953 movie was, it can’t contend with the place Logan has in the hearts of modern audiences.
The Mask of Zorro Is a Masterful Legacy Sequel
In 1998, Martin Campbell revived the Zorro name for a new generation of moviegoers when he directed The Mask of Zorro. Continuing from the story of Diego de la Vega, the film follows an aged Zorro as he trains the young thief Alejandro to become his successor. Bent on revenge for the loss of his family, the original hero seeks to bring an end to the rule of Don Rafael Montero and the liberation of the people of California.
The Western that helped a generation fall in love with swashbuckler adventure all over again, The Mask of Zorro embraces the fun side of its genre at every turn. Between the steamy tango dance scene and the story’s mastery of the passing-of-the-torch trope, it’s as perfect a legacy sequel as there ever was. It endeared Antonio Banderas to millions of moviegoers and capped off a decade of Hollywood pulp-inspired projects beautifully.
Django Unchained Is the Definitive 21st Century Revenge Western
In 2012, Quentin Tarantino paid homage to Franco Nero’s classic Spaghetti Western hero Django when he cast Jamie Foxx as the lead in Django Unchained. Telling the story of a German bounty hunter as he liberates Django from slavers, it follows the unlikely companions in their work as bounty hunters. Things boil over when Django sets out to free his wife from a brutal plantation owner, leading to a blood-soaked revenge spree.
From the moment it broke box office records, it became clear that Django Unchained broke into the mainstream in a way no Western had since Tombstone. This was in no small part thanks to Tarantino’s direction, which brought in countless viewers who never thought of themselves as fans of the genre. One of the grittiest, most action-driven movies the genre has seen, it was elevated further by its dark humor and fantastic cast, transcending its niche brilliantly.
Young Guns Assembled 80s Icons For a Coming-of-Age Adventure
In 1989, some of the hottest “Rat Pack” stars of the decade came together for a fitting Western action movie, Young Guns. After a wayward William H. Bonney is taken in by the kind rancher John Tunstall, who mentors several young farmhands, the boys ride out for revenge following his murder by a rival. Together, the newly deputized lawmen use the cover of the law to avenge their surrogate father.
The best way to describe Young Guns is a mash-up of Stand By Me and a Western adventure, adding a much-needed coming-of-age element to the frontier. Billy and the Regulators’ story centers around them heading out on their own, applying the mentorship of Tunstall, and proving they have what it takes to avenge their friend. An icon of a decade that struggled to keep the Western alive, it showed that a good ’80s cast and revenge story could coax a generation into the West.
True Grit Is the Ultimate Gunslinger Adventure
Charles Portis’ True Grit emerged as a genre-defining revenge story immediately after its 1968 publication, inspiring a John Wayne adaptation. In 2012, the story was done true justice by the Coen Brothers, who cast Jeff Bridges as iconic lawman Rooster Cogburn. The film follows the arrival of fourteen-year-old Mattie Ross to Fort Smith, where she hires Rooster to help avenge her murdered father. Along with a Texas Ranger, they set out into the wild to seek justice.
Dispensing with the traditional bounty hunter antiheroes who typically dominate the West, True Grit instead offers up the perfect lawman in Rooster Cogburn. Headlined by a cast of A-listers, the film is as much an adventure as it is a revenge piece, combining the best of both parts of the West. Between its immersive look at the West, its treatment of the lawman archetype, and its fantastic score, there’s little room for criticism of this flawless epic.
No Country For Old Men Revived the Neo-Western For a Generation
In 2007, Joel and Ethan Coen created the defining crime movie of their career when they adapted Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men to the silver screen. A faithful, word-for-word take on the story, it follows Vietnam War vet Llewelyn Moss on the run across Texas with a bag of cash as an assassin chases him down. A perfect game of cat and mouse, once the movie gets going, it never relents, something that earned it a devoted following.
No Country for Old Men is among the few Oscar-worthy, slow-burning Westerns that appealed to fans and critics in equal measure. The handful of people who dislike the story still acknowledge it as a crime masterpiece, especially for Javier Bardem’s performance as Anton Chigurh. The film’s success made the neo-Western a cultural phenomenon, and it remains a masterclass in building tension and modernizing themes of the Old West.
Blazing Saddles Is a Perfect Parody of the Wild West
After establishing himself as a king of parody, Mel Brooks brought his unique comedy voice to the Western when he made Blazing Saddles. Set in the frontier town of Rock Ridge, it follows a Black sheriff named Bart as he faces racism from the very townspeople he’s trying to protect from a land-grabbing plot. Joining forces with a has-been gunslinger named Waco Kid, his duties as sheriff lead to one mishap after another.
Less a conventional Western than it is a perfect spoof movie, Blazing Saddles has endured beyond its era beautifully. From audiences of the ’70s to the younger generations of today, virtually everyone recognizes it as the definitive parody film. What’s even better is its use of comedy ensures its appeal extends well beyond the West, winning over just about everyone who isn’t easily offended.
Tombstone Introduced a Generation to the Western Genre
The story of Wyatt Earp and the Gunfight at the OK Corral has influenced many a Western, but none so prominently as George P. Cosmatos’ Tombstone. The film focuses on the Earp brothers as they become the lawmen of Tombstone, Arizona, where they ignite a violent feud with “Curly Bill” Brocius’s Cowboy gang. After tensions turn ugly, it falls to Wyatt to mount a full-blown war against the gang.
Despite only being a modest success at the box office, time has been a friend to Tombstone, allowing it to age into the greatest action-driven Western. This comes in no small part thanks to Val Kilmer’s revered performance as Doc Holliday, which became so iconic that it defined his career even more than playing Batman. A mythologized retelling of Wyatt Earp’s vendetta ride, its quotable script is what makes it a genuine cultural touchstone.
Unforgiven Gives the Gunslinger Mythology a Sober Ending
In 1992, Clint Eastwood earned his first Oscar when he helmed Unforgiven. Playing the role of retired gunfighter William Munny, he explored the final days of an aged outlaw getting back in the saddle for one last bounty job. When Munny crosses paths with a morally-compromised Wyoming sheriff named “Little Bill” Daggett, he’s forced to return to his violent ways for righteous vengeance.
Unforgiven is cited by many a Western fan as the film that got them hooked on the Old West, in no small part thanks to its treatment of the genre. Rather than glorifying the gunslinger as just another action archetype, it serves up a somber reexamination of the frontier and a meditation on moral ambiguity and violence. Eastwood doesn’t play a lovable hero; instead portraying a man whose story brings the gunfighter mythology to a dark conclusion, one riddled with regret and pain.
Of course, many fans see it as the ultimate revenge piece and love watching Munny get his groove back to punish Little Bill for his violent deeds. Even though the message sometimes gets lost in the weeds, everyone appreciates this Oscar winner in their own way, some as a vengeful thriller, others as the ultimate revisionist Western.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Is King of the Western
In 1966, Sergio Leone brought his “Dollars Trilogy” to a close with The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It continues the Man With No Name saga, following Clint Eastwood’s antihero as he teams up with a dastardly outlaw named Tuco to find a stash of Confederate gold. Standing in their way is the chaos of the Civil War and a ruthless mercenary who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure for himself.
More than just one of the greatest Westerns ever made, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is often cited as one of the greatest films of all time. A favorite of directors like Steven Spielberg and Quentin Tarantino, it marked the dawn of modern Hollywood, leaving the moral clarity of the golden age movies in its dust.
Leone’s 1966 movie is a triumph of filmmaking on every level, from pacing and use of adventure to the stunning Civil War backdrop. Scenes like the destruction of Branston Bridge and Tuco’s search for the tombstone showed the director had an eye for the epic side of the genre. If the first two films built up the Man With No Name as the ultimate Western antihero, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly turned the “Dollars Trilogy” into the perfect piece of action-adventure.
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