There are plenty of Western movies out there that we would all consider the all-time greatest. John Wayne‘s The Searchers and Clint Eastwood‘s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly first come to mind. Then there are hits like Tombstone, Unforgiven, and The Magnificent Seven. But if you’re looking for movies that are fantastic on their own but don’t quite live up to the “masterpiece” title, we’ve got some classics for you.
No doubt, every film on this list is a triumph in its own right. From more recently made pictures to those released during the genre’s “Golden Age,” we’ve put together a list of Westerns that almost deserve masterwork status. From Eastwood and Wayne to Kevin Costner and Randolph Scott-led features, you won’t want to miss out on any of these.
‘Silverado’ (1985)
Lawrence Kasdan‘s brilliant, action-packed take on the Western puts Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, Danny Glover, and a young Kevin Costner (in his first entry in the genre) together for Silverado. When these four misfits band together on the trail of justice, they become the type of genre heroes that we always knew they could be. As the poster reads, “Get ready for the ride of your life.”
Of course, some already consider Silverado to be a forgotten Western masterpiece, but what typically keeps the Kasdan-directed feature from being well-known as one is its overreliance on genre clichés. Likewise, many consider Bruce Broughton‘s score to be a bit manipulative in its attempts to rouse the audience. The truth is, the brilliant cast is simply as charismatic as they seem.
‘Slow West’ (2015)
You don’t typically put A24 and the Western genre together, but when you do, John Maclean‘s Slow West is the result. A tragic love story about Scottish immigrant Jay Cavendish (Kodi Smit-McPhee), who travels to America in search of his lost love Rose (Caren Pistorius), he soon pairs up with Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender) on his journey. The results are not as slow as the title (or some critics) might suggest.
Clocking in at just 84 minutes, the film is a masterclass in tension and technique as the sprawling landscape and harsh historical realities are blended. Fassbender is great here, and Smit-McPhee leads the charge valiantly as the love-lorn protagonist. While perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, Slow West is a brilliant take on the Western that elevates itself above most modern attempts to revisit the genre.
‘Death Rides a Horse’ (1967)
Although he’s arguably best known for his work in the second and third installments of The Dollars Trilogy, Lee Van Cleef is just as stellar as a leading man. Of all his solo Spaghetti Western adventures, Death Rides a Horse is the closest he comes to a true follow-up to his work alongside Clint Eastwood. As the aged gunslinger Ryan, Van Cleef goes on a revenge mission to take out those who betrayed him.
While some consider Death Rides a Horse to be a bit clichéd by comparison to some of the subgenre’s other notable offerings, that’s part of what makes it a near-masterpiece. With electric action sequences and a flashback-motivated plot that comes together effortlessly in the end, this is one Italian-made horse opera that deserves some love. Fans of Eastwood’s earliest Westerns will love it.
‘The Missouri Breaks’ (1976)
After hitting the classics, don’t sleep on one lesser-known ’70s Western that brought the unsuspecting duo of Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando together. The Missouri Breaks follows a group of cattle rustlers led by Nicholson’s Tom Logan, who are pursued to the death by Brando’s Lee Clayton. An intimate horse opera, it’s the frighteningly effective performances that make this picture an almost-masterpiece.
Not only does The Missouri Breaks break new ground in its deconstruction of the traditional Western outlaw, but Brando’s seemingly heroic character turns out to be nothing of the sort. Despite the film’s clear distinctions between law and order, the lines blur as an unhinged Clayton pushes the boundaries of what is acceptable in the name of upholding the law. While not your usual shoot-’em-up, it’s a phenomenal examination of the lawlessness and romance found in the Old West.
‘3:10 to Yuma’ (1957)
No, we’re not talking about the 2007 remake here, but rather the original. 3:10 to Yuma is a 92-minute triumph that proves the short story is the perfect template for Western action. Based on the short story by Elmore Leonard, the picture follows rancher Dan Evans (Van Heflin) as he escorts outlaw Ben Wade (Glenn Ford) across the frontier to make the titular train.
Even if you adore the Christian Bale and Russell Crowe remake, no one can deny that the original 3:10 to Yuma is one of director Delmer Daves’ very best. With a tight script, dynamic characters, and still plenty of action and suspense, this ’57 picture is the epitome of a classic. Ford and Heflin are a fabulous duo that shines brightly on the black-and-white screen.
‘Hang ‘Em High’ (1968)
Hot off The Dollars Trilogy, Clint Eastwood returned to the big screen for another Western romp, though this time for an American-made production rather than an Italian one. Hang ‘Em High gives Eastwood’s Jedediah Cooper a hankering for justice after he is wrongly accused and hanged, putting him on the warpath to finding those responsible. Allying himself with Judge Adam Fenton (Pat Hingle), he patrols the Oklahoma Territory with a frontier-style moral code that demands results.
What makes Hang ‘Em High so grand isn’t simply Cooper’s pursuit of justice, but also what it has to say about the futility of vengeance and the limitations of the law. The harsh reality of the revisionist Westerns that sparked up in the ’60s is that not every hero rides faithfully into the sunset after getting his man — and those that do sometimes wish they hadn’t. Eastwood plays that character with ease.
‘The Man from Snowy River’ (1982)
One of the best Westerns of the ’80s, The Man from Snowy River isn’t your typical genre fare. Okay, in some ways, it’s absolutely your traditional Western. Full of all the typical trimmings and trappings that built the genre, this Kirk Douglas picture is absolutely worth its salt and more. But what makes The Man from Snowy River different from the rest of the flicks on this list is that it’s an Australian take on the Wild West Down Under.
Set in the heart of the Snowy Mountains in the 1880s, the film follows young cowboy Jim Craig (Tom Burlinson) as he seeks to make a name for himself after taking work on a well-known cattle station. With the help of an old prospector, Spur (Douglas), Jim not only falls in love with the daughter of his new boss, Harrison (also played by Douglas), but finds his place in the world. It’s a familiar tale, but one highlighted by its breathtaking scenery and a dual performance by Douglas, himself no stranger to the genre.
‘The Shootist’ (1976)
A poignant display of the bond between art and reality, The Shootist was not only John Wayne’s final motion picture, but it was the sort of send-off that feels a bit too close to home. As was the case off-screen, the Duke’s character, J.B. Brooks, is a long-time gunfighter with a notorious reputation who has succumbed to a terminal cancer diagnosis, hoping only to die in peace. Of course, this being a Western, that’s about as likely to happen as an unbroken Indian treaty.
Wayne is as big as the Rio Grande here, performing mostly opposite the lovely Lauren Bacall and savoring every minute of it. With a supporting cast that includes Ron Howard and Have Gun — Will Travel star Richard Boone, The Shootist is a Western finale you won’t soon forget. Even if The Cowboys is arguably a better send-off for Wayne’s career, it’s The Shootist that hits closest to home.
‘Seraphim Falls’ (2007)
Revenge Westerns are a dish best served cold. But while Seraphim Falls begins in the harsh wintry tundra, it slowly leads Pierce Brosnan‘s Gideon and Liam Neeson‘s Col. Carver to the middle of the desert, where they’re forced to come to terms with their shared history. All that they experience along the way is just a preamble to their final confrontation, which pushes the limits of what they can handle.
In addition to being a revenge Western, Seraphim Falls doubles as a survivalist thriller. As Gideon seeks to evade the pursuit of Carver and his hired men, he is forced to put his body through living hell to get out alive. The film’s examination of post-Civil War America and the spiritual weight that comes with revenge is underrated in the genre canon and certainly begs the viewer to stick with it until the very end.
‘Ride the High Country’ (1962)
Although there are plenty of great Randolph Scott Westerns that could be considered masterpieces, one of his most notable is a picture that doubled as his cinematic send-off. Ride the High Country stars Scott and Joel McCrea as two old friends who are reunited for a job that ultimately puts that very bond to the test. When deception and betrayal become apparent, the whole dynamic changes.
Directed by Sam Peckinpah several years before The Wild Bunch, Ride the High Country dares to push Scott to his limits at the latest stage in his career. After being a B-list star for many years, it feels far more like an A-production worthy of his caliber. The film’s meditations on how a man’s moral code and breaks over the right (or wrong) circumstances are some of the strongest in this era of the genre, and Scott and McCrea are downright spectacular.
