Best Western film from the year you were born
Best Western film from the year you were born
Westerns are one of the oldest genres of cinema, with many of the earliest big-screen adventures recounting tales of rough-and-tumble life in the Old West. The first Western film ever produced wasn't made in the Wild West itself but in the countryside of England. That short 1899 film, "Kidnapping by Indians," was just a minute long (and filled with stereotypes about Native Americans, which had been conveyed through tales brought back to the U.K. by cotton workers).
That was followed by 1903's "The Great Train Robbery," inspired by Butch Cassidy and considered the movie that brought the genre into public view. From there, these yarns progressed from simply amusing stories about cowboys and Native Americans to deeply compelling motion pictures in which the lines between lawman and outlaw are blurred. They also launched the careers of some of film history's most iconic actors—from John Wayne to Roy Rogers to Clint Eastwood.
In the latter half of the 20th century, there was a steep decline in Westerns Hollywood released each year. Still, other countries like Italy, Korea, Russia, Germany, and Australia picked up the mantle providing their own unique contributions to the genre. These days, we're beginning to see a resurgence in Western films big studios are greenlighting as audiences express a craving for more grounded and authentic films. Westerns also provide a good vehicle for tackling the cultural reckoning America has been facing for the last few years, namely our realization the national myths and histories we've established haven't always been honest and have often come at the expense of many of our fellow citizens' lived experiences.
From silent films to recent Hollywood blockbusters, Stacker has compiled a list of the best Western films—one representing each year since 1924. Data was pulled from IMDb (as of Aug. 16, 2024), with the rankings based on user votes. To make this list, movies had to be both the highest-rated Westerns in their given release years and had to have more than 2,000 IMDb user votes. For years when no Western movie had 2,000 votes on IMDb, the film with the highest user rating was included, regardless of the number of votes.
Now it's time to giddy up and begin a journey through the Wild West. Along the way, you will find not only the best Western film from the year you were born but also a few ace-high Westerns with which you may have yet to be acquainted. Head 'em up and move 'em out: This is one chronological hoedown that will turn even a tenderfoot into a true buckaroo.
1924: Greed
- Director: Erich von Stroheim
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 140 min
In "Greed," Gibson Gowland plays a dentist whose fiancee (ZaSu Pitts) wins a $5,000 lottery. The situation spurs jealousy in the woman's ex-boyfriend (Jean Hersholt), who reports the dentist for operating without a license. This sends the newlyweds into poverty and kickstarts a series of events that eventually lead to a murder and a final confrontation in Death Valley. Turner Entertainment reconstructed the silent film in 1999 to create an extended 250-minute version.
1925: The Gold Rush
- Director: Charles Chaplin
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 95 min
In this silent comedy, Charlie Chaplin plays a prospector named Little Tramp who joins the Klondike Gold Rush, gets trapped in a blizzard with another prospector (Mack Swain) and a fugitive (Tom Murray), and falls for a barmaid (Georgia Hale). Some of the movie's famous scenes include Chaplin making dinner rolls dance on the end of his forks, and another where he tries to eat a boiled shoe.
1926: By the Law
- Director: Lev Kuleshov
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 80 min
Based on a Jack London short story called "The Unexpected," "By the Law" is a Soviet silent film that follows a small group of gold miners in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush. Fed up by how poorly other members of the group have treated him, the film's protagonist, Michael Dennin (Vladimir Fogel), murders two of his fellow prospectors, which results in his fate being placed in the hands of the survivors who have differing opinions on how to handle his transgressions. While the movie was widely claimed across Europe and in the U.S., it was poorly received in its home country for its lack of propaganda.
1927: White Gold
- Director: William K. Howard
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 73 min
A young rancher brings his new bride home, only to have their relationship threatened by his unhappy, meddling father and a nomadic shepherd in the 1927 silent film "White Gold." The movie, which has a decidedly unhappy ending, won critical praise for its scripting technique (scenes were written sequentially and based entirely upon the actors' reactions to the preceding narrative turns) which made it feel closer to "realism than anything ever before attempted in motion pictures" according to the Ottawa Citizen.
1928: The Wind
- Director: Victor Sjöström
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 95 min
In "The Wind," Lillian Gish plays an impoverished young woman from Virginia who moves in with her cousin (Edward Earle) in Texas and has trouble adapting to life in the Wild West. The silent film was originally set to end with Gish's character being driven to insanity and wandering off into the desert. However, MGM ordered a happy ending before the movie's release.
1929: Hell's Heroes
- Director: William Wyler
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 68 min
Directed by William Wyler (who also directed "Ben-Hur," "The Best Years of Our Lives," and "Funny Girl"), "Hell's Heroes" chronicles a crew of bank robbers (Charles Bickford, Fred Kohler, and Raymond Hatton) who promise a dying woman they'll take her son to his father—who just happens to be the bank cashier they killed. This film was originally released in two alternate formats: silent and "talkie."
1930: The Big Trail
- Director: Raoul Walsh, Louis R. Loeffler
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 125 min
John Wayne's first big role came with "The Big Trail," in which he played a fur trapper who sought revenge for his friend's death and took to the Oregon Trail to track the potential killers. Director Raoul Walsh told Wayne, then an inexperienced actor, that he only had to "sit good on a horse and point." Though the Library of Congress deemed the film of historical importance, it wasn't the film that launched Wayne to mega-stardom; credit for that goes to 1939's "Stagecoach."
1931: Cimarron
- Director: Wesley Ruggles
- IMDb user rating: 5.8
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 123 min
The plot of "Cimarron" spans 40 years, beginning with the Oklahoma land rush of 1889. A newspaperman (Richard Dix) and his young wife (Irene Dunne) move to the town of Osage. They begin a life there, one marked by outlaws, conflict, and oil drilling. In recent years, the film has come under fire for its portrayal of racist stereotypes.
1932: The Big Stampede
- Director: Tenny Wright
- IMDb user rating: 5.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 54 min
A near shot-for-shot remake of the 1927 film "The Land Beyond the Law," "The Big Stampede" recycles much of the footage from the original and spends little time or effort ensuring that the two projects blend well together. But audiences didn't seem to be too bothered by the discrepancies, distracted as they were by John Wayne's lively performance as a deputy sheriff tasked with scaring off a band of cattle rustlers.
1933: Secrets
- Director: Frank Borzage
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 90 min
"Secrets" tells the story of a New England debutante (Mary Pickford) who accompanies her husband (Leslie Howard) to California on a quest to build a fortune and a family. Once there, the couple is challenged by the Wild West's way of life but finds success and happiness. A remake of a 1924 silent film by the same name, Pickford was originally set to star in an adaptation three years earlier, but was unhappy with the results and ordered the footage to be destroyed.
1934: Viva Villa!
- Director: Jack Conway, Howard Hawks, William A. Wellman
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 115 min
This fictional retelling of the life of Pancho Villa stars Wallace Beery as Villa and Fay Wray, fresh off of "King Kong," as a character named Teresa. The movie opens in 1880s Mexico with a young Villa avenging his father's death and spans his entire life through to his assassination. At the time, the film was criticized for its violence—not because its plot strays far from reality.
1935: Ruggles of Red Gap
- Director: Leo McCarey
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 90 min
In "Ruggles of Red Gap," Charles Laughton plays a Gentleman's Gentleman (aka a valet) who becomes the property of an American cowboy following a poker bet gone awry. His transition from the formal, traditional culture of English manor houses to the laid-back, egalitarian culture of the Wild West isn't always an easy one. Still, it sure served up lots of laughs for the audience. The film was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1936, and Laughton's performance also helped him earn the Best Actor award at the inaugural New York Film Critics Circle Awards.
1936: The Plainsman
- Director: Cecil B. DeMille
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 113 min
Opening at the end of the Civil War, "The Plainsman" is a fictionalized account of the relationship between the Western heroes Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Buffalo Bill Cody, and General Custer. Starring Gary Cooper, Jean Arthur, James Ellison, and John Miljan, the film is a classic mix of romance, rousing cowboy and Indian battle scenes, and sweeping shots of wide-open plains. A massive hit with audiences, the movie was the first collaboration between director Cecil B. DeMille and Gary Cooper. However, the pair would go on to do three more projects together.
1937: Way Out West
- Director: James W. Horne
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 66 min
This comedy film stars the iconic duo of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. The film follows the pair attempting to deliver the deed to a valuable gold mine to the rightful heir, only to have it stolen by a scheming saloon owner. Other stars include James Finlayson and Sharon Lynn. Although the film received no major awards then, it was considered one of Laurel and Hardy's best works.
1938: Of Human Hearts
- Director: Clarence Brown
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 103 min
This film adaptation of the book, "Benefits Forgot," chronicles a family comprised of a preacher father (Walter Huston), a kind mother (Beulah Bondi), and a petulant son named Jason, who is played by a young James Stewart—more famously known as Jimmy Stewart. When Jason goes off to fight in the Civil War, abandoning his mother without writing to her for years, President Lincoln (John Carradine) tells the young man he's ungrateful and inspires him to return home.
1939: Stagecoach
- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 96 min
A group of strangers rides a stagecoach through dangerous Apache territory in "Stagecoach." John Wayne and Claire Trevor lead a cast that also includes Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, and Donald Meek, with Andy Devine playing the stage driver and George Bancroft playing his shotgun guard. Director John Ford was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the film, which was also nominated for Best Picture and scored a Best Supporting Actor win for Mitchell.
1940: The Mark of Zorro
- Director: Rouben Mamoulian
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 94 min
Tyrone Power plays a swordsman who masquerades as a bandit to save California's common folk from an oppressor (J. Edward Bromberg) in "The Mark of Zorro." During his quest to restore justice, he falls in love with the oppressor's daughter (Linda Darnell). The movie is a remake of a 1920 silent film with the same title, and various other movies and properties based on the characters have been created.
1941: They Died with Their Boots On
- Director: Raoul Walsh
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 140 min
"They Died with Their Boots On" is a fictionalized account of Gen. George Custer's life, beginning with his training at West Point United States Military Academy, continuing through his time in the American Civil War, and culminating with his death at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. General Custer was portrayed by Errol Flynn in this, his last of eight roles opposite actress Olivia de Havilland.
1942: The Ox-Bow Incident
- Director: William A. Wellman
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 75 min
In "The Ox-Bow Incident," members of a posse capture three men suspected of killing a local farmer and debate whether or not to lynch them. Henry Fonda plays one of the posse members, while Dana Andrews plays one of the men suspected of murder. Other stars include Mary Beth Hughes, Harry Morgan, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy, William Eythe, George Meeker, Anthony Quinn, and Francis Ford (brother of film director John Ford).
1943: The Outlaw
- Director: Howard Hughes, Howard Hawks
- IMDb user rating: 5.4
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 116 min
Fictionalized versions of Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) and Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) appear in yet another Western, this time as rivals-turned-partners who find themselves both ganging up against a corrupt sheriff and bickering over the same woman. The woman in question was played by none other than Jane Russell in her breakout role. Russell's performance was considered so sultry that the Hayes office launched a massive campaign against the movie, which ultimately led to director Howard Hughes making some significant changes to the original cut.
1944: Tall in the Saddle
- Director: Edwin L. Marin
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 87 min
Starring John Wayne, "Tall in the Saddle" tells the story of a quiet cowboy who arrives in Arizona to begin his new job as a ranch hand, only to discover that his employer has been murdered. Ella Raines plays Wayne's love interest, the fiery owner of a neighboring ranch, and other stars include Ward Bond, George "Gabby" Hayes, Audrey Long, Elisabeth Risdon, and Donald Douglas.
1945: Along Came Jones
- Director: Stuart Heisler
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 90 min
In "Along Came Jones," Gary Cooper plays an easygoing man who is mistaken for an outlaw. Meanwhile, the real criminal (Dan Duryea) hides out in the home of his girlfriend (Loretta Young), who slowly but surely develops feelings for Cooper's character. It is the only film for which Cooper served as a producer during his long movie career.
1946: My Darling Clementine
- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 97 min
"My Darling Clementine" starred Henry Fonda as Wyatt Earp, who takes a job as the sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona, to bring in the men who stole his family's cattle and killed his brother. John Ford directed the motion picture, which was inspired by the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. The cast also included Victor Mature, Linda Darnell, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Cathy Downs, and Ward Bond.
1947: Pursued
- Director: Raoul Walsh
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 101 min
In "Pursued," Robert Mitchum plays a man who is haunted by the memory of the night his whole family was murdered. Having grown up with a neighboring family, he falls in love with his adoptive sister (Teresa Wright), much to the dismay of her brother (John Rodney) and dangerous uncle (Dean Jagger). Film historians refer to the film as a "psychological" Western.
1948: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
- Director: John Huston
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 98
- Runtime: 126 min
In "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," Humphrey Bogart and Tim Holt play unemployed drifters who convince an old prospector (Walter Huston) to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains. Huston won an Academy Award for his performance in the film, as did his son John for his writing and directing duties. The movie was also nominated for Best Picture, but it lost to "Hamlet."
1949: She Wore a Yellow Ribbon
- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 87
- Runtime: 104 min
John Wayne plays an aging U.S. Cavalry captain who, on the eve of retirement, takes out one final patrol to stop an impending attack by Native Americans, in "She Wore a Yellow Ribbon." Director John Ford initially did not want to cast Wayne as the motion picture's protagonist, due to the age difference between the actor and the character. However, once production had been completed, Ford was far and away impressed with Wayne's performance—as was Wayne himself.
1950: The Gunfighter
- Director: Henry King
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 85 min
Gregory Peck is Jimmy Ringo, a gunslinger haunted by the cycle of violence perpetrated by his very existence. Though the script was written with John Wayne in mind, he turned it down because he refused to work for Columbia Pictures. The film is considered a classic, in part, because it was among the first in the subgenre of "psychological Westerns," which prized character development over action scenes.
1951: Westward the Women
- Director: William A. Wellman
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 118 min
In "Westward the Women," Robert Taylor plays a wagon master hired to escort 140 women from Chicago to a ranching community in California, to marry the men there. Along the way, he falls in love with one of the women looking to start a new life (Denise Darcel). Frank Capra, who wrote the story, was originally set to direct the film, with Gary Cooper in the lead. However, Capra later sold the story to his neighbor, William A. Wellman.
1952: High Noon
- Director: Fred Zinnemann
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 85 min
Gary Cooper plays a town marshal who resigns his post to please his new wife (Grace Kelly) in "High Noon." However, as the town is threatened by the arrival of an outlaw and the new marshal fails to show up, Cooper's character makes plans to face the foe himself at high noon. Cooper scored an Academy Award for his performance in the film, which won a total of four out of the seven Oscars for which it was nominated.
1953: Shane
- Director: George Stevens
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 118 min
In "Shane," Alan Ladd plays a weary gunfighter whose hopes of settling down with a family are dashed when a settler-rancher conflict forces him to take action. Brandon De Wilde and Jack Palance earned Academy Award nominations for their supporting performances in the film, and director George Stevens and screenwriter A.B. Guthrie, Jr. were also nominated. The movie was also nominated for Best Picture, but ultimately walked away with just one Oscar, for cinematography.
1954: Johnny Guitar
- Director: Nicholas Ray
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 83
- Runtime: 110 min
In "Johnny Guitar," Joan Crawford plays a strong-willed saloon owner who helps a wounded gang member (Sterling Hayden) but is then framed for murder and bank robbery by a rival rancher (Mercedes McCambridge). Film historians claim the movie is particularly notable because it reverses the roles of the standard Western.
1955: Bad Day at Black Rock
- Director: John Sturges
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 81 min
Spencer Tracy stars in "Bad Day at Black Rock" as a one-armed veteran who arrives in an isolated desert town only to discover that its residents will go to violent lengths to keep its past a secret. Tracy earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the film, while John Sturges and Millard Kaufman scored nominations for their direction and writing, respectively.
1956: The Searchers
- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 119 min
In "The Searchers," John Wayne plays a Civil War veteran who tracks down the Native American tribe that slaughtered his family and abducted his niece (Natalie Wood). The movie was a financial success, but it failed to score any Academy Award nominations. However, it has since been the subject of multiple documentaries and earned a score of accolades, including at the top of the American Film Institute's list of the 10 best Western films ever made.
1957: 3:10 to Yuma
- Director: Delmer Daves
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 92 min
In "3:10 to Yuma," Van Heflin plays a broke rancher who is hired for the simple task of putting a captured outlaw (Glenn Ford) on the 3:10 train to Yuma. However, things get far more complicated for him when the outlaw's gang attempts to free him. Ford was originally tapped to play the protagonist but turned down the role for a chance to try his hand as the film's villain. The movie was remade in 2007, with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe in Heflin's and Ford's roles, respectively.
1958: The Big Country
- Director: William Wyler
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 166 min
Gregory Peck plays a Maryland shipping magnate and former sea captain who travels west only to become embroiled in two families' feud over a patch of land in "The Big Country." Other key cast members include Jean Simmons, Carroll Baker, Charlton Heston, and Burl Ives, the last of whom won an Academy Award for his supporting performance in the film.
1959: Rio Bravo
- Director: Howard Hawks
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 141 min
In "Rio Bravo," John Wayne plays a small-town sheriff who enlists the help of a handicapped man (Walter Brennan), an alcoholic (Dean Martin), and a young gunslinger (Ricky Nelson) to keep the brother of a ruthless cattle baron behind bars. Angie Dickinson, Ward Bond, John Russell, and Claude Akins round out the cast. Wayne and director Howard Hawks later collaborated on two companion pieces to the motion picture: 1966's "El Dorado" and 1970's "Rio Lobo."
1960: The Magnificent Seven
- Director: John Sturges
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 128 min
Seven American gunmen join together to protect a Mexican peasant village from bandits in "The Magnificent Seven," a remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film "Seven Samurai." The movie's all-star cast includes Yul Brynner, Eli Wallach, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson, Robert Vaughn, Brad Dexter, James Coburn, and Horst Buchholz. The property spawned three sequels, a 1990s television series, and a 2016 remake.
1961: The Misfits
- Director: John Huston
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 77
- Runtime: 125 min
Marilyn Monroe stars in "The Misfits" as a divorcée who falls in love with an aging cowboy who is used to a life free from romantic entanglements (Clark Gable). The movie was both Monroe's and Gable's final film. Gable passed away less than two weeks after production ended and Monroe just over a year later.
1962: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- Director: John Ford
- IMDb user rating: 8.1
- Metascore: 94
- Runtime: 123 min
"The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" marked James Stewart and John Wayne's first pairing on the big screen. Stewart played a senator famous for shooting a notorious outlaw. He attends the funeral of a rancher (Wayne) and recounts the true story of the incident. Unlike many other Westerns of the era, the movie was shot and released in black-and-white instead of color.
1963: Hud
- Director: Martin Ritt
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 112 min
Paul Newman headlines as Hud Bannon, a heavy-drinking, womanizing man angling to seize control of his father's cattle business. Patricia Neal won an Academy Award for her lead role as a housekeeper, and actor Melvyn Douglas won for his supporting role as Newman's aging father. Chinese American cinematographer James Wong Howe also won one of his two Oscars for his camerawork on this film.
1964: A Fistful of Dollars
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 7.9
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 99 min
Spaghetti Westerns became popularized with this Clint Eastwood film, directed by Italian Sergio Leone. "A Fistful of Dollars" birthed Eastwood's famous character, the "Man with No Name," which he went on to play in "For a Few Dollars More" and "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." Interestingly, the film was an unlicensed remake of the Japanese samurai film "Yojimbo"; director Akira Kurosawa successfully sued in return for some of the film's rights.
1965: For a Few Dollars More
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 74
- Runtime: 132 min
In the second part of the "Man with No Name" trilogy, Eastwood returns as a bounty hunter on the hunt for a villainous bank robber. "For a Few Dollars More" was an international co-production between Italy, Spain, and West Germany. Eastwood's character wears the same poncho throughout the trilogy—a close viewing reveals bullet holes and mended sections from "wounds" inflicted during the first film.
1966: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.8
- Metascore: 90
- Runtime: 178 min
In "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, and Lee Van Cleef play men who form an uneasy alliance to track down a fortune in gold that has been buried in a cemetery. The movie's theme song is widely considered one of the most recognizable and popular movie themes ever, even climbing as high as #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
1967: Hombre
- Director: Martin Ritt
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 111 min
Paul Newman stars in this revisionist Western about a White man raised by Apaches who becomes a group's only hope of survival when their stagecoach is robbed. The film was widely praised for Newman's performance—he has comparatively little dialogue but manages to convey a lot through his mannerisms and posturing—and marks the final time he would work with Martin Ritt (who famously directed him five other times, including in "The Long, Hot Summer").
1968: Once Upon a Time in the West
- Director: Sergio Leone
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 82
- Runtime: 166 min
A mail-order bride (Claudia Cardinale) arrives in Arizona to discover that her new husband has been killed by a gunman (Henry Fonda). He was hired by a mogul (Gabriele Ferzetti) who wants the land this distraught bride has inadvertently inherited. When another gunman (Charles Bronson) comes on the scene—carrying a vendetta against Fonda's character—the three personalities become entangled, and violence ensues. Fonda famously plays against type in this film, taking on a villainous role.
1969: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- Director: George Roy Hill
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: 66
- Runtime: 110 min
In "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," Paul Newman and Robert Redford play the title characters, the leaders of a band of outlaws. When their attempt to rob a train goes awry, they find themselves on the run with the hope of escaping to Bolivia. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It ultimately won four of those awards, including Best Original Song for Burt Bacharach and Hal David's "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head."
1970: White Sun of the Desert
- Director: Vladimir Motyl
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 84 min
"White Sun of the Desert" breaks the mold for Western films, taking place amid the Russian Civil War. Set in what's now Turkmenistan, a Red Army soldier (Anatoly Kuznetsov) travels home, only to be caught up in a melee between the Red Army and Basmachi guerillas in the desert. Russian astronauts are known to watch the film before preparing for liftoff, as a sort of good luck ritual.
1971: McCabe & Mrs. Miller
- Director: Robert Altman
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 93
- Runtime: 120 min
Described by director Robert Altman as an "anti-Western," "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" turns many of the genre's traditional tropes on their heads. It follows a mysterious gambler (Warren Beatty) and a sex worker (Julie Christie) as they team up to create a thriving business in the sleepy town of Presbyterian Church, Washington, only to have their success threatened by a greedy mining company. Named one of the American Film Institute's Top 10 Western Movies, the film also earned Christie an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
1972: The New Land
- Director: Jan Troell
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 102 min
This is part of a Swedish epic, which takes place over two movies and tells the story of a farming family that immigrates to America. "The New Land" followed "The Emigrants," focusing on the family's life in Minnesota. Lead actor Max von Sydow would later become famous for "The Exorcist," while his co-star Liv Ullman became known as a muse of director Ingmar Bergman.
1973: High Plains Drifter
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 105 min
Clint Eastwood directed and starred in "High Plains Drifter," a revisionist Western in which a mysterious gunslinger arrives in a small settlement and helps its residents hold off three approaching outlaws. Eastwood drew much of his inspiration for the film's direction from his previous collaborations with directors Sergio Leone and Don Siegel, and he gives them an honorary nod during the movie's final scene, in which their names can be seen on tombstones in a graveyard.
1974: Blazing Saddles
- Director: Mel Brooks
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 93 min
In "Blazing Saddles," Harvey Korman plays a corrupt politician who convinces a dimwitted governor (Mel Brooks) to appoint a Black railroad worker (Cleavon Little) as the new sheriff of an Old West town to create chaos. An alcoholic gunslinger (Gene Wilder), however, helps the new sheriff beat the odds and bring law and order to the town. Madeline Kahn earned an Academy Award nomination for her supporting performance in the comedic Western, which was also nominated for Best Film Editing and Best Original Song.
1975: Rooster Cogburn
- Director: Stuart Millar
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 108 min
In "Rooster Cogburn," John Wayne stars as the title character, an aging U.S. Marshal who joins a minister's daughter (Katharine Hepburn) on a quest to track down the band of outlaws who killed her father. Wayne reprised the character he originally played in 1969's "True Grit"—a role for which he won his only Academy Award.
1976: The Outlaw Josey Wales
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 135 min
In "The Outlaw Josey Wales," Clint Eastwood plays a peaceful farmer who joins a Confederate guerrilla unit when his family is murdered by Union soldiers during the Civil War. After the war, he is branded an outlaw and pursued by bounty hunters. Eastwood directed the film himself after firing writer and director Philip Kaufman, who adapted the story from a book written by Asa Earl Carter.
1977: A Man Called Blade
- Director: Sergio Martino
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 101 min
Maurizio Merli plays Blade, a hatchet-wielding bounty hunter. When he arrives in a mining town, the mayor hires him for a hit. In the process, he disrupts the system of power and unleashes a cascade of violence. The film is also known by its original title, "Mannaja."
1978: Lucky Luke: Ballad of the Daltons
- Director: René Goscinny, Henri Gruel, Morris
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 82 min
This French animated film chronicles the comic book character Lucky Luke, a cowboy known for shooting faster than his own shadow. The comic book series was created by the Belgian cartoonists René Goscinny and Morris, who based Luke's enemies, the Daltons, on the real Dalton brothers, a Wild West family of train and bank robbers.
1979: The Electric Horseman
- Director: Sydney Pollack
- IMDb user rating: 6.4
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 121 min
Robert Redford plays a washed-up rodeo champion-turned-cereal spokesman who kidnaps the breakfast company's horse after realizing they've been mistreating it in this late '70s Western. Jane Fonda adds to the fun as the reporter covering the story, as does country legend Willie Nelson who has a small role. A huge commercial success—it was the 11th highest-grossing film the year it came out—the movie received mixed critical reception. Still, the general consensus today is that it's a fun, classic romp with outsized bad guys and overly moralized good ones.
1980: The Long Riders
- Director: Walter Hill
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 68
- Runtime: 100 min
Director Walter Hill sympathetically explored the origins, the adventures, and the ultimate fate of the James-Younger gang in 1980's "The Long Riders." The film follows two bands of brothers who join forces to become bank robbers, and the actors who played the brothers were themselves related: James and Stacy Keach portrayed Jesse and Frank James, while David, Keith, and Robert Carradine played Cole, Jim, and Bob Younger. Dennis and Randy Quaid also played brothers in the film, as did Christopher and Nicholas Guest.
1981: Death Hunt
- Director: Peter R. Hunt
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 40
- Runtime: 97 min
In "Death Hunt," Charles Bronson plays a trapper whose feud with a dog owner escalates to him being wrongfully accused of murder. Suddenly finding himself a fugitive, his expert knowledge of the frigid Canadian wilderness allows him to survive and evade the law amidst the manhunt. Robert Aldrich was initially hired to direct the movie, originally titled "Arctic Rampage," but he was fired and replaced by Peter R. Hunt.
1982: The Grey Fox
- Director: Phillip Borsos
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 92 min
"The Grey Fox" is based, in part, on the true story of Bill Miner, a stagecoach robber who spent 30 years behind bars before being released in the early 1900s and taking up a career as a train robber. Richard Farnsworth, decades into a Hollywood career that had thus far been not all that noteworthy, played the titular character in what Roger Ebert called "the loveliest adventure of the year." The role was perhaps the biggest of Farnsworth's career, earning him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance in a Drama.
1983: Lone Wolf McQuade
- Director: Steve Carver
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: 65
- Runtime: 107 min
In "Lone Wolf McQuade," Chuck Norris plays a Texas Ranger and martial arts expert whose attempt to catch a dangerous drug lord (David Carradine) selling U.S. military weapons to Central American terrorists results in the kidnapping of his daughter. He teams up with an FBI agent (Leon Isaac Kennedy) to bring a stop to the criminal and save his kidnapped daughter. The movie was shot in Texas, in locations including a desert with a high rattlesnake population. There are even reports of a rattlesnake crawling into bed and interrupting a love scene between Norris and his love interest in the film, Barbara Carrera.
1984: Lust in the Dust
- Director: Paul Bartel
- IMDb user rating: 5.9
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 84 min
Divine stars in this Western spoof as Rosie Velez, a dancer who meets a gunman (Tab Hunter) who brings her to a local town called Chili Verde. Things heat up when she discovers that the local saloon owner has half of a treasure map tattooed on her buttocks—the other half of which is, coincidentally, tattooed on Rosie. A song by Divine, "These Lips," was featured on the film's soundtrack.
1985: Pale Rider
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 61
- Runtime: 115 min
In "Pale Rider," Clint Eastwood plays a mysterious preacher who helps defend the residents of a small village against a greedy mining company trying to take their land. The movie grossed $41 million against a $6.9 million production budget, earning it the title of the highest-grossing Western released in the 1980s.
1986: Three Amigos
- Director: John Landis
- IMDb user rating: 6.5
- Metascore: 52
- Runtime: 104 min
In "Three Amigos," Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, and Martin Short play a trio of silent movie stars who inadvertently find themselves mixed up with a ruthless Mexican gang leader (Alfonso Arau). Martin, who co-wrote the screenplay, was always attached to the project. However, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi were at one time tapped to costar—as were Bill Murray and Robin Williams at a later date—before Chase and Short signed on to the project.
1987: A Man from Boulevard des Capucines
- Director: Alla Surikova
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 98 min
"A Man from Boulevard des Capucines" stands out in the history of Westerns for two reasons: it's a rare example of a "red Western" produced by the Soviet Union, and it was directed by a woman. It tells the story of a film-loving cowboy who changes the course of one wild town when he introduces them to his favorite movies. While it manages to avoid sermonizing for the most part, the film makes a deft point about the influence and responsibility of the industry.
1988: Young Guns
- Director: Christopher Cain
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 50
- Runtime: 107 min
"Young Guns" stars Emilio Estevez, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips, Charlie Sheen, Dermot Mulroney, and Casey Siemaszko as gunslingers who become deputies to avenge the murder of one of their friends. Estevez portrays Old West gunslinger Billy the Kid in the film, which spawned a 1990 sequel in which Estevez, Sutherland, and Phillips reprised their roles.
1989: Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat
- Director: Anthony Hickox
- IMDb user rating: 6.1
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 104 min
In "Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat," David Carradine plays the leader of a colony of vampires who reside in an isolated desert town. Their peaceful existence is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a descendant of Van Helsing (Bruce Campbell), who is hell-bent on destroying them.
1990: Dances with Wolves
- Director: Kevin Costner
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: 72
- Runtime: 181 min
Kevin Costner plays a soldier who leaves his remote Civil War outpost to join a nearby Sioux tribe in 1990's "Dances with Wolves." Costner also directed the film, which won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, making it the first Western to do so since 1931's "Cimarron." The movie was not just a critical success but a financial one, grossing $184.2 million at the U.S. box office and revitalizing the Western genre.
1991: City Slickers
- Director: Ron Underwood
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 70
- Runtime: 113 min
In this slapstick comedy, three city-dwelling friends (Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, and Bruno Kirby) vacation together on a dude ranch. Though they're enamored with classic Western films of the past, the two-week cattle drive with other city slickers and a band of real cowboys (including Jack Palance playing the trail boss, a role which earned him an Oscar) ends up being more than they bargained for.
1992: Unforgiven
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- IMDb user rating: 8.2
- Metascore: 85
- Runtime: 130 min
Clint Eastwood plays a retired gunslinger who reluctantly agrees to take on a corrupt sheriff (Gene Hackman) in "Unforgiven." Eastwood won an Academy Award for his directing duties on the film, which also won Best Picture. Hackman, meanwhile, won for his supporting performance. Audiences appreciated the movie—which Eastwood decided would likely be his last Western—to the tune of $101.2 million at the U.S. box office.
1993: Tombstone
- Director: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre
- IMDb user rating: 7.8
- Metascore: 50
- Runtime: 130 min
In "Tombstone," Kurt Russell portrays Wyatt Earp, whose hopes of retiring anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona, are dashed when he is called back into action to fight a vicious band of outlaws threatening the town. Val Kilmer costars in the film as Doc Holliday, with Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Michael Biehn, and Dana Delany rounding out the principal cast. Western staple Robert Mitchum agreed to narrate the story after a back injury forced him out of a planned onscreen role.
1994: Legends of the Fall
- Director: Edward Zwick
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 45
- Runtime: 133 min
Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Aidan Quinn, and Henry Thomas play a father and his three sons, respectively, who succumb to the tragedies of war and romantic rivalry in "Legends of the Fall." Pitt's popularity propelled the movie to a total gross of $160.6 million worldwide. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one for cinematography.
1995: Dead Man
- Director: Jim Jarmusch
- IMDb user rating: 7.5
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 121 min
In "Dead Man," Johnny Depp plays a wounded accountant who, while on the run for murder, travels to the Western frontier. Once there, he encounters a Native American (Gary Farmer) who prepares him for his journey into the next life. Director Jim Jarmusch has described his film as a "psychedelic Western."
1996: Lone Star
- Director: John Sayles
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 79
- Runtime: 135 min
Described as a "masterwork" and "a great American movie," "Lone Star" follows lawmen in a small Texas town as they try to learn who's behind the murder of one of their own. Starring Matthew McConaughey, Chris Cooper, Kris Kristofferson, and Elizabeth Peña, the mystery is not only engaging on a surface level but also in the way that it deftly tackles tougher topics like racism and who decides what gets canonized as history. It was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
1997: Once Upon a Time in China and America
- Director: Sammo Kam-Bo Hung
- IMDb user rating: 6.3
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 102 min
Variety's Derek Elley deemed this martial arts Western crossover a "cross-cultural actionfest." It is the sixth film in the "Once Upon a Time in China" series. Jet Li's character, Wong Fei-Hung, travels to San Francisco from China. On the route, and once in the California city, Wild West-style chaos ensues, including a Native American ambush and a bank robbery.
1998: The Mask of Zorro
- Director: Martin Campbell
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 136 min
Antonio Banderas plays a thief seeking revenge for his brother's death in "The Mask of Zorro." He is trained by an aging swordsman (Anthony Hopkins) who shares the same enemy. Catherine Zeta-Jones also stars in the film as the aging swordsman's long-lost daughter and the eventual love interest of the thief. The movie earned $250.3 million worldwide against a $95 million production budget, and Banderas and Zeta-Jones reprised their roles seven years later in a far less successful sequel.
1999: Ravenous
- Director: Antonia Bird
- IMDb user rating: 6.9
- Metascore: 46
- Runtime: 101 min
The sole horror Western on our list, "Ravenous" follows a group of high-ranking Army officials and civilian misfits as they set out on a rescue mission only to find themselves being trailed by a crazed cannibal. Despite its star-studded cast, which consists of Guy Pearce, Robert Carlyle, Jeffrey Jones, and David Arquette, the production of the film was a complete mess with two directors (Milcho Manchevski, Raja Gosnell) being fired before Antonia Bird was brought in to take over mid-shoot. While the film wasn't a massive success at the time, it has since become something of a cult classic, with many critics praising the way it addresses things like Manifest Destiny and capitalism.
2000: A Dog's Will
- Director: Guel Arraes
- IMDb user rating: 8.6
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 104 min
A surrealistic Brazilian comedy, the original title of the film was "O Auto da Compadecida," which translates to "The Compassionate Woman's Play" in Portuguese. Actors Matheus Nachtergaele and Selton Mello play poor men in Northeast Brazil who, in the afterlife, face judgment for their wrongdoings. It was adapted from a play by Ariano Suassuna and was a major theatrical hit in Brazil.
2001: Manitou's Shoe
- Director: Michael Herbig
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 87 min
This German film was intended to be a parody of Westerns. Not only did Michael Herbig direct the film, but he also wrote the screenplay, produced, and starred in it. He plays an Apache chief who, along with his "blood brother," tries to buy a saloon. However, they end up making a bad deal with a fake investor named Santa Maria. The premise for the movie was based on the "Winnetou" sketches performed on the late-night comedy show "Bullyparade."
2002: The Tracker
- Director: Rolf de Heer
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 71
- Runtime: 90 min
An Australian contribution to the cannon, "The Tracker" follows a group of four men— three white, one Aboriginal— who are on a journey to find the Black killer of a white woman in the early 20th-century outback. While it may seem on the surface like a standard tale of racial politics, director Rolf de Heer takes pains to undermine the expectations of the audience and keep them off kilter enough that they must fully engage with the material.
2003: Open Range
- Director: Kevin Costner
- IMDb user rating: 7.4
- Metascore: 67
- Runtime: 139 min
In "Open Range," Kevin Costner plays a former Civil War soldier living a peaceful life as a hired hand for an open-range cattleman (Robert Duvall). However, that tranquility is interrupted when a corrupt land baron (Michael Gambon) threatens his frontier friends, forcing him to take up arms once again. Costner also directed the film, which co-starred Annette Bening and Diego Luna and earned $58.3 million at the U.S. box office against a $22 million budget.
2004: Hidalgo
- Director: Joe Johnston
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 54
- Runtime: 136 min
In "Hidalgo," Viggo Mortensen portrays cowboy Frank Hopkins, who travels to Arabia with his mustang Hidalgo to compete in a deadly cross-desert horse race. The titular Mustang was portrayed by five American Paint horses, one of which was later purchased by Mortensen. Screenwriter John Fusco, who also worked on 1988's "Young Guns" and 2002's "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," bought the movie's main stunt horse and retired him at his horse conservancy Red Road Farm.
2005: The Proposition
- Director: John Hillcoat
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 104 min
The screenplay for this Australian Outback Western was written by rock musician Nick Cave. A renegade (Guy Pearce) can only save his younger brother from law enforcement officers by hunting down and killing his murderous older brother. The movie takes on themes of racism, family bonds, and colonialism. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe called it "a near-masterpiece of mood and menace, and one that deserves to be seen on the largest screen possible."
2006: Seraphim Falls
- Director: David Von Ancken
- IMDb user rating: 6.6
- Metascore: 62
- Runtime: 115 min
Liam Neeson plays a Confederate colonel who, at the end of the Civil War, hunts down a Union soldier (Pierce Brosnan) against whom he has a grudge. Richard Gere was originally tapped to play Brosnan's role in the film, which received mild praise from critics who appreciated its unique, sans-villain approach. Still, it failed to make much of a dent at the box office. The revisionist Western topped out with a mere $1.2 million gross worldwide.
2007: 3:10 to Yuma
- Director: James Mangold
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 122 min
This 2007 remake of the 1957 film "3:10 to Yuma" tells the story of a broke rancher (Christian Bale) who is hired for the simple task of putting a captured outlaw (Russell Crowe) on the 3:10 train to Yuma. However, things get far more complicated for him when the outlaw's gang attempts to free him.
2008: The Good, the Bad, the Weird
- Director: Kim Jee-woon
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 130 min
This South Korean Western action film was inspired by "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly." The story takes place in Manchuria just before World War II. A bounty hunter (Jung Woo-sung), a thief (Song Kang-ho), and a hitman (Lee Byung-hun) set out on an adventure to find a treasure map dating back to the Qing Dynasty … all while being pursued by bandits and the Imperial Japanese Army.
2009: Lucky Luke
- Director: James Huth
- IMDb user rating: 4.7
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 103 min
Based on a comic strip of the same name, "Lucky Luke" is a French Western that follows a fearless gunslinger who has been tasked by the President with bringing peace to Daisy Town. A fun spoof on the more serious tropes, the screwball comedy has been praised by critics for its visually arresting production design and the performances of its actors, like Jean Dujardin. Unlike many of the other films on our list, this one has some family-friendly tropes, with nothing more risque than a chaste kiss and some "Road Runner" style violence.
2010: True Grit
- Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 80
- Runtime: 110 min
Starring Hailee Steinfeld in her film debut, alongside Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Barry Pepper, "True Grit" follows a grizzled lawman, a precious teenager, and a U.S. Marshal as they set out to track down the outlaw responsible for the murder of the girl's father. An adaptation of Charles Portis' 1968 novel, the film is not the first adaptation of the source material (there was a 1969 version that starred John Wayne, Kim Darby, and Glen Campbell), but it's by far the grittiest. Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, the movie came home with no trophies but won at the box office with over $252 million in global ticket sales.
2011: Rango
- Director: Gore Verbinski
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 107 min
In "Rango," Johnny Depp voices the title character, a pet chameleon who accidentally winds up in a lawless Wild West town in the middle of the Mojave Desert. He is appointed sheriff when he inadvertently kills the hawk terrorizing the town's residents. He quickly discovers, however, that he is in way over his head. The Best Animated Feature winner at that year's Academy Awards was also a hit at the box office, earning $245.7 million worldwide against a $135 million production budget.
2012: Django Unchained
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- IMDb user rating: 8.5
- Metascore: 81
- Runtime: 165 min
Jamie Foxx plays a freed enslaved person who, with the help of a German bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz), sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio) in "Django Unchained." Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the film, which grossed nearly $450 million worldwide, making it the filmmaker's biggest box-office total ever. Tarantino also won an Academy Award for his writing duties on motion pictures and Waltz for his supporting performance.
2013: No Man's Land
- Director: Ning Hao
- IMDb user rating: 7.3
- Metascore: Not available
- Runtime: 118 min
A neo-Western thriller in the style of the Coen brothers, "No Man's Land" is a nihilistic tale of a lawyer and two soulless poachers set in the Gobi desert. The film was shot and completed in 2009 but wasn't released for several years, reportedly due to pushback from China's film bureau over how it depicted police officers. Hardly a feel-good movie, it's not an easy watch, but it's well worth viewing for its art-house style and commentary on man's baser instincts.
2014: The Salvation
- Director: Kristian Levring
- IMDb user rating: 6.7
- Metascore: 64
- Runtime: 92 min
Dubbed "a gripping revenge Western" by Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian, "The Salvation" follows a Danish man as he seeks revenge against a notorious gang leader following the murder of his wife and young son. The movie stars Mads Mikkelsen, Eva Green, and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. While it wasn't a huge box-office hit, nor did it garner many award nominations, it's still a beautifully shot, excellently choreographed nod to Westerns of decades past.
2015: The Revenant
- Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu
- IMDb user rating: 8
- Metascore: 76
- Runtime: 156 min
Leonardo DiCaprio plays a frontiersman who is mauled by a bear and left for dead during a fur trading expedition in "The Revenant." He struggles to survive absolutely brutal conditions on his journey home to confront his former friend (Tom Hardy). DiCaprio won an Academy Award for his performance, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu won another for his directing duties on the film, which earned 10 other Oscar nominations and a $533 million box-office haul.
2016: Hell or High Water
- Director: David Mackenzie
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 88
- Runtime: 102 min
In "Hell or High Water," Chris Pine plays a divorced father who reunites with his ex-con brother (Ben Foster) to rob branches of the bank that is threatening to foreclose on their family's ranch. Their plan appears to work until a retiring Texas Ranger (Jeff Bridges), desperate for one last notch in his belt, begins to close in on them. The neo-Western crime thriller scored four Academy Award nominations and a lot of acclaim from critics for its complex narrative, confident pacing, and well-rounded characters.
2017: Wind River
- Director: Taylor Sheridan
- IMDb user rating: 7.7
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 107 min
Set on the Wind River Indian Reservation, "Wind River" follows a Fish and Wildlife Agent (Jeremy Renner) and an FBI Agent (Elizabeth Olsen) as they attempt to solve the murder of a young Indigenous girl. Following its debut at the Cannes Film Festival, the movie received mixed reviews from critics, with some calling it gripping and satisfying while others, namely those from indigenous communities, criticizing director Taylor Sheridan for choosing to tell a story that was not his, as a white man, to tell.
2018: The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
- Director: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 79
- Runtime: 133 min
Two years after their feature-length series of connected Golden Age Hollywood vignettes "Hail, Caesar!," the Coen brothers returned with a more staunchly divided feature-length piece. "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" comprises six short Western films with no plot connections diverse in cinematography, style, and tone. The film's unique style, bombastic characters, sing-songy pleasantries, directorial stamps, and strong thematic throughline rendered it a popular and critical success.
2019: True History of the Kelly Gang
- Director: Justin Kurzel
- IMDb user rating: 6
- Metascore: 75
- Runtime: 124 min
Ned Kelly was an Australian escaped convict, gang leader, and a cultural icon akin to Robin Hood. His life has been fictionalized many times, including in this 2019 film with George MacKay playing the titular character. The movie follows him and his gang trying to escape law enforcement in the 1870s. Other actors in the film include Essie Davis, Charlie Hunnam, Russell Crowe, and Nicholas Hoult.
2020: News of the World
- Director: Paul Greengrass
- IMDb user rating: 6.8
- Metascore: 73
- Runtime: 118 min
In "News of the World," an aging Civil War captain sets out to return a young girl who had been raised by the Kiowa tribe to her birth family. Starring Tom Hanks and Helena Zengel, the movie is predictable at times and fairly thin in terms of its themes. However, the stellar performances of its lead actors and attention to detail in every aspect still managed to set it apart. Nominated for several Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Critic's Choice trophies, the project won none of the accolades but was placed on a few best-of-the-year lists.
2021: Old Henry
- Director: Potsy Ponciroli
- IMDb user rating: 7.2
- Metascore: 69
- Runtime: 99 min
A widower with a mysterious past must defend his son after they get mixed up with a group of double-crossing criminals carrying a load of cash in "Old Henry." Tim Blake Nelson plays the titular character alongside Scott Haze and Gavin Lewis. Following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the movie became a surprise hit for streaming services. It remained on Apple's Top 10 list for two months and landed a spot on the National Board of Review's Top Independent Films of the Year list.
2022: Butcher's Crossing
- Director: Gabe Polsky
- IMDb user rating: 5.6
- Metascore: 55
- Runtime: 105 min
Based on a 1960s novel of the same name, "Butcher's Crossing" follows a late-19th-century Ivy League dropout as he joins a buffalo hunting group in Colorado and learns a lesson about remorseless brutality. Shot on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana, the movie was praised for its near-perfect casting (Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Jeremy Bobb, Paul Raci, Xander Berkeley, and Rachel Keller). Still, it was slammed for failing to capture the tension and psychological drama of its source material. Still, the gorgeous cinematography—and Cage's excellent character work—make it well worth a watch.
2023: Killers of the Flower Moon
- Director: Martin Scorsese
- IMDb user rating: 7.6
- Metascore: 89
- Runtime: 206 min
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards, "Killers of the Flower Moon" tells the story of the murders of several Osage tribal members after oil was discovered on their lands. Based on the 2017 nonfiction book of the same name by David Grann, the movie had a cast jam-packed with big names, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. A massive commercial and critical hit, the movie has been classed as a masterpiece and frequently praised for the way it seamlessly blends several genres and serves as a requiem for a country that, in its greed and desire for dominance, has strayed far from its founding principles.
Additional writing by Madison Troyer. Story editing by Cynthia Rebolledo. Copy editing by Robert Wickwire. Photo selection by Lacy Kerrick.
