Don’t be fooled, casual filmgoer. Not every movie has to have big explosions, superhero landings, or computer graphics that could set data centers on fire. Way back, Hollywood was run on steely-eyed close-ups and standoffs between good and bad guys shooting from the hip. Yes, there’s no doubt that the Western genre is laced with some absolute classics that die-hard fans would no doubt recommend, but you’re not a die-hard fan, are you? Well, at least we reckon that’s why you’re here. Isn’t that right, partner?
Should you fancy riding out west and getting a taste of just what kind of great movies are available in the Western genre, we’ve got a great collection of entry points to help you on the way. Tales of revenge, justice, and team-ups that got cheers long before even the Avengers assembled. Here is our carefully curated compilation of Westerns for those who aren’t fans of the genre but are likely to love it after giving these movies a chance. We’ll get things going with one of the greatest Westerns ever made, which comes with a harmonica solo that will be embedded in your brain by the time you’re finished.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Don’t let the nearly three-hour runtime of “Once Upon a Time in the West” (1968) intimidate you. If you really want to see what is so great about Westerns, then this Sergio Leone epic masterpiece is the perfect place to start. Charles Bronson wanders into town with a harmonica and a debt to settle, just as a plot of land is being fought over between a land baron and a bandit. From here, bullet-riddled hell breaks loose in what is one of the greatest Westerns ever made, all while the score from composer Ennio Morricone, Leone’s regular partner-in-crime, haunts the movie.
There’s no doubt that those well-versed in Sergio Leone’s filmography would probably pick one from the Clint Eastwood-centric “Dollars” trilogy as a must-watch. “Once Upon a Time in the West,” however, is a love letter from the masterful filmmaker, bidding what feels like a farewell to a genre that was quite literally coming to the end of the line. With love poured into every dusty, sun-scorched frame and poetry in every line of dialogue, “Once Upon a Time in the West” is a showdown of an ancient kind of hero, villain, and everything in between, and proof that they really don’t make them like this anymore. But honestly, who would even dare to try?
The Magnificent Seven
Do you love a team-up movie? Or get hyped when you see the “Fast and Furious” family or the Avengers unite against a common threat? Then you’ll love seeing how the West was fun in John Sturges’ star-studded “The Magnificent Seven.” In this remake of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece, “Seven Samurai,” Sturges tasks Chris Adams, played by Yul Brynner, with finding six men to join him on a mission to protect a town that is struggling to hold off a squad of bandits led by the enigmatic but brilliantly evil Calvera, played by Eli Wallach.
Joining Adams on this do-or-die mission are Steve McQueen (Vin Tanner), Charles Bronson (Bernardo O’Reilly), Robert Vaughn (Lee), Brad Dexter (Harry Luck), knife-throwing James Coburn (Britt), and clap-happy Horst Buchholz (Chico) as the youngest recruit hungry to play hero. Together, “The Magnificent Seven” displays a brilliant dynamic — Brynner and McQueen, in particular — and gives us seven heroes who fought like seven hundred. After the film was released in 1960, three sequels followed, along with a 2016 remake starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, and Ethan Hawke. MGM is now also playing with the idea of having “The Magnificent Seven” ride out onto television screens in a show in the not-too-distant future (via Deadline). No matter the star power, though, it will still struggle to compete against the original, which fires on all seven cylinders.
Unforgiven
The legendary squint of Clint Eastwood had to appear somewhere on this list, and it’s in the film that earned four Oscars. He worked in front of and behind the camera on “Unforgiven,” a 1992 Western he dedicated to Sergio Leone and director Don Siegel. Eastwood fittingly plays like a hybrid of the two as Bill Munny, the retired gunslinger who, after pleas from his old buddy Ned Logan, played by Morgan Freeman, takes up arms to avenge a woman. The task sees him ride back into town and face off against Gene Hackman’s Little Bill Daggett, eventually becoming the Angel of Death for those who suspected there wasn’t any fight left in this old dog.
Supported by Hackman, Freeman, and Richard Harris as the scheming shooter English Bob, “Unforgiven” is Eastwood’s return to the genre he helped mold. It’s an incredible comeback that doesn’t just show glimpses of his early appearances as Blondie (or The Man with No Name), but also the gnarled, scene-chewing charisma he found in the “Dirty Harry” movies. Mixing those character types, “Unforgiven” sends us into dark and deadly territory that Eastwood navigates brilliantly. It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man, but the legendary actor and director makes it look easy.
Tombstone
Easily the most trigger-happy tale on this list, the 1993 film “Tombstone” is also the most rewatchable, boasting an impressive collection of facial hair and a brilliant band of talent brandishing it. Kurt Russel, who James Cameron worked with on “Escape from New York,” leads the charge as Wyatt Earp, the legendary retired lawman who gets himself a new badge when the band of cowboys of “Curly Bill” Brocius (Powers Boothe) starts terrorizing the town of Tombstone. From there, an epic war unfolds as Wyatt, his brothers Virgil and Morgan (Sam Elliott and Bill Paxton, respectively), and cold-blooded killer Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) go up against Curly Bill’s crew and bring hell along with them.
Well documented for having issues behind the scenes, that didn’t stop this stone-cold hit from delivering when it finally arrived. Russell does a fantastic job as the legendary lawman, and Kilmer’s career-best performance as the gunslinger who regularly delays his meeting with death will go down as one of the greatest. Credit must also go to Michael Biehn’s cowboy Johnny Ringo, who turns out to be no daisy at all, but plays his part in applying the tension for some epic gunfights that still hit their mark. At the time of its release, there were two Wyatt Earp movies hitting theaters, with this one rightfully coming out on top. This isn’t just a Western; it’s top-level popcorn entertainment. If you want a really fun watch tonight, this is your Huckleberry.
3:10 to Yuma
The youngest Western on this list, but an oldie given how long it’s been since its 2007 release, “3:10 to Yuma” is the second adaptation of the 1953 short story, which had already been sent to the screen in 1957. Directed by James Mangold, who also directed the brutal and gutsy “Logan,” the film sees rancher Dan Evans, played by Christian Bale, take up the job of escorting a notorious outlaw, Russell Crowe’s Ben Wade, to the 3:10 train on time. The transportation becomes even more treacherous when Wade’s gang tries to break their leader free, with his short-fused second-in-command, Charlie Prince (Ben Foster), heading up the rescue mission that is guaranteed a high body count.
As with any great Western, “3:10 to Yuma” works thanks to the blurring of hero and villain by the blistering horizon all the characters are forced to traverse. Crowe does a great job as the likable villain who charms the man determined to stay on the right side of justice, even if it kills him. Meanwhile, Bale does a great job of the worn-down hero who’s determined to prove his worth — and even still, it took us 10 years to see Bale work on another Western. It’s worth staying for the two leads’ chemistry alone in a film that, if you don’t know the story already, doesn’t go how you’d expect. For all this, “3:10 to Yuma” is worth catching if you can.
