10 Westerns You Must Watch After You’ve Seen The Classics

When it comes to feature-length Westerns, there are more than a dime a dozen out there. For decades, it was the most popular genre in Hollywood, which churned them out faster than audiences could get to the theater. Still, if you’ve been interested in the genre for any length of time, you’ve likely already consumed the classics. The Searchers, Tombstone, Shane, and Unforgivenall come to mind, but there are a host of other familiar flicks that come standard with a classical horse opera education.

Instead of the classic Westerns that everyone needs to see at least once, we’ve put together a list of films you ought to pick up after first viewing the best the genre has to offer. These are some lesser-known pictures that span from the Golden Age of the genre to modern day, but all of them have enough merit to warrant a watch. So, without further ado, here are 10 more Westerns you should give a chance after viewing the classics.

10

‘The Naked Spur’(1953)

Not everyone knows that James Stewart played in his fair share of Westerns during his extensive filmmaking career, and one of the most slept-on of the bunch is The Naked Spur. Directed by Stewart’s frequent collaborator Anthony Mannfrom an Oscar-nominated screenplay by Sam Rolfe and Harold Jack Bloom, the film doubles as both a traditional Western and an intense psychological thriller, as Stewart’s Howard Kemp attempts to bring an outlaw to justice through the harsh Rocky Mountain wilderness.

With a small cast that also includes Janet Leigh and Robert Ryan, The Naked Spur delivers on all fronts. However, the most notable aspect of the film is easily the exceptional performance delivered by Stewart, who is at the top of his game as a former lawman doing his best to maintain his composure — and avoid romance. With a darker approach to the genre that (at the time) was nothing short of groundbreaking, this 1953 picture remains one of Stewart’s best Westerns.

9

‘Johnny Guitar’ (1954)

If you’ve never heard of Johnny Guitar, don’t beat yourself up too badly, it’s not exactly a popular film. This 1954 Western starred Joan Crawford as Vienna and Sterling Hayden as the titular Johnny himself, and isn’t your typical gunslinging fare. After saloon owner Vienna gets involved in a robbery gone bad, the whole Arizona town turns on her after being riled up by her longtime rival Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge). Violence ensues as Vienna tries to hold onto everything she’s worked so hard for.

With striking similarities to the noir genre, Johnny Guitar is tense, stylish, and full of riveting characters who keep you more interested than the plot. While many consider the independently made feature to be nothing more than a Western B-flick, there’s a lot to commend about such a feat. It may not be what you’ve come to expect from the genre, but maybe that’s a good thing. No wonder Roger Ebert recommended it.

8

‘Appaloosa’ (2008)

What happens when Ed Harris sets his mind to making a Western? Appaloosa is the answer. Directed, produced, co-written by, and starring Harris as lawman Virgil Cole, this 2008 flick has been largely overshadowed by some of the other Westerns that came out around the same time, but it’s every bit as good. As Cole and his deputy Everett Hitch (Viggo Mortensen) attempt to restore the basic notions of law and order in their titular New Mexican town, things get tricky for the duo when a young widow, Allie French (Renée Zellweger), strolls in.

Chock-full of action, suspense, and a powerful chemistry between its leading men, Appaloosa attempts to make a more traditional Western at a time when the revisionist approach is far more popular. Still, Harris does a fine job of commanding the whole thing together, and, along with Lance Henriksen and Jeremy Irons (who more than pull their own weight here), makes a stunning film that we can’t help but love. This is one modern piece of Western filmmaking you shouldn’t deprive yourself of any longer.

7

‘The Missouri Breaks’(1983)

Jack Nicholsonand Marlon Brando are probably not the two names that come to mind when you think of the Western. Gangster pictures and noir thrillers, maybe, but not horse operas. And yet, The Missouri Breaks is a strange yet captivating take on the Montana Territory of the 1880s that, for those names alone, you ought to give a shot. After horse thief Tom Logan (Nicholson) tries to settle down on the open range, a frustrated rancher hires “regulator” Lee Clayton (Brando) to see that these outlaws are put deep in the ground.

Unsurprisingly, Nicholson and Brando both show off their masterful talents on the screen here — even if Brando plays one of the weirdest and most uncomfortable Western antagonists out there — but The Missouri Breaks stands out for its countercultural take on the genre. Admittedly, this take may not suit everybody, but it’s an interesting film that at least deserves a single watch.

6

‘Pale Rider’ (1985)

If you love the iconic Western imagery and plot of Shane, then you’ll probably adore Pale Rider. The only Western that Clint Eastwood made in the ’80s, the film follows an unnamed “Preacher” (Eastwood) who drifts into town in the middle of a skirmish between the local gold miners and homesteaders and the mining baron lording over them. As you might expect, Eastwood’s drifter soon gets involved, and even falls in love as he protects those who cannot do so themselves. Yes, it’s a pretty basic plot, but it’s easily one of Eastwoods most underrated installments.

Some consider the 1985 film to be more akin to High Plains Drifter, especially given the almost supernatural ending, but Pale Rider doesn’t give us any explicit information about the Preacher’s past. Due to the quotations read from the Book of Revelation (referenced also in the title), some believe he may be Death himself, but who exactly he is doesn’t matter so much as what he does. If you’re in the mood for a classic shoot-em-up with Eastwood at the center, Pale Rider should be your go-to.

5

‘Seraphim Falls’ (2006)

The Western is a genre that is generally fixed in time due to its distinct ties to the American Civil War. It was in the aftermath of that conflict that many moved westward to start over, including those who fought in the war. Seraphim Falls takes that idea and turns it into a survivalist revenge thriller, as a former Confederate, Morsman Carver (Liam Neeson), chases after the ex-Union Captain Gideon (Pierce Brosnan), no matter if its through the snow-tinged forests or the sandy desert. This is about as intense as a Western like this can get.

Although many have forgotten about Seraphim Falls over the years, the film has one of the best twists on this list. It is constantly challenging the audience’s perceptions of events and character motivations, giving Neeson and Brosnan plenty of meaty material to devour on-screen. The whole thing is full of stunning character moments and intense action sequences that no doubt set the stage for something like The Revenant years later.

4

‘Big Jake’ (1971)

We had to get the Duke on here somehow, and what better (underrated) John Wayne Western to pick from than Big Jake? This one is notable for many reasons. For one thing, it’s one of the most violent movies that Wayne ever made. That’s right, Wayne didn’t typically love graphic violence on the screen, and even criticized The Wild Bunch for that reason, but Big Jake pushed the limits of his comfortability at the tail end of his career. Perhaps it was due to the fact that the film was a Wayne family affair, with three of his sons involved either in front of or behind the camera.

Big Jake follows the titular Jake McCandles (Wayne) as he fights to reclaim his grandson from a band of outlaws (led by Richard Boone) holding him for ransom. The “Big” Jake teams up with some of his sons as they ride through the Old West in search of his grandchild, wasting no time to get to the boy before the unthinkable happens. It’s a great picture, and a love letter of sorts to the fading era of traditional Hollywood Westerns. Plus, Wayne is just great.

3

‘The Gunfighter’ (1950)

If you’ve been around here for a while, then you’ve already heard this author sing the high praises of the 1950 classic The Gunfighter. Despite its exceptional leading man, Gregory Peck, many still have never seen this incredible tale of gunplay, revenge, love, and regret, and it’s a true shame. This is one of those Westerns with an endless rewatchability factor, largely due to Peck’s remarkable performance as the understated and tired Jimmy Ringo, who only wants to hang up his guns for good.

There’s a lot to love about The Gunfighter, especially its slow-paced, nuanced take on Old West gunfighting and its unavoidable ending. As Ringo tries to leave that part of himself behind, he wrestles with the responsibilities he has to the next generation and his own desires for a life beyond the outlaw way of living. It’s somber, complex, and a real engaging take on the genre that has been slept on for long enough.

2

‘Death Rides a Horse’(1967)

If you love the Spaghetti Western subgenre and can’t get enough of Sergio Leone‘s Dollars Trilogy, then Death Rides a Horse is the perfect follow-up for you. Starring Lee Van Cleef as the gunfighter and former outlaw only known as “Ryan,” the 1967 Italian Western partners him up with a young gunfighter itching for revenge against those who horrifically murdered his family. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly scribe Luciano Vincenzoni penned this intense round of gunplay, giving Van Cleef the solo debut he deserved apart from his work with Eastwood.

Van Cleef takes to being the leading man remarkably well, making us wonder why Death Rides a Horse didn’t start his own brand of “Man With No Name” pictures. Everything that works about his previous Spaghetti Westerns is in full force here, with Ryan framed as a morally complex hero with some skeletons buried deep. Death Rides a Horse is a great Western for anyone looking for some intense action bits and a thrilling (yet unconventional) leading man to rally behind.

1

‘Dances with Wolves’ (1991)

You might be wondering why Dances with Wolves is even on this list. Isn’t this a classic that should’ve been watched first to begin with? For some, perhaps, but the truth is that Dances with Wolves isn’t your typical shoot-em-up Western with classical archetypes and distinct moral structures in place. It’s probably not one of the first Westerns you’ve ever watched, but it certainly deserves its time in the spotlight, if not simply for Kevin Costner‘s visionary take on the epic genre, which aims to be as historically accurate as possible.

One of the very few Westerns to ever be awarded Best Picture at the Academy Awards, Dances with Wolves is a triumph of filmmaking that offers a balanced and introspective take on post-Civil War America. It’s hard to believe that this was Costner’s directorial debut, but it remains a truly remarkable piece of filmmaking that just gets better with age. Mary McDonnell and the late Graham Greene also star in this one-of-a-kind historical drama that feels ripped from the pages of the American experience.