The Best Westerns You Probably Haven’t Seen

In “The Professionals,” four experts are hired by a rancher to rescue his ‘kidnapped’ wife from a former revolutionary leader. The twist comes when the team discovers the wife is not a captive but the leader’s willing lover, leading to a moral standoff at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid” is a revisionist Western exploring the tumultuous friendship between aging lawman Pat Garrett and his former friend, Billy the Kid. Directed by Sam Peckinpah, the film is known for Bob Dylan’s Grammy-nominated score, and became notorious for behind-the-scenes battles leading to a re-edited version disowned by the cast and crew.

When his ranch hands abandon him for a gold rush, rancher Wil Andersen (Wayne) is forced to hire local schoolboys for a 400-mile cattle drive. The boys prove themselves, even as they face threats from a gang of cattle rustlers led by Asa “Long Hair” Watts.

In this gripping tale of law, loss, and retribution, Douglas and Quinn star as old friends turned enemies due to a horrific crime. Douglas plays a U.S. marshal seeking justice for his murdered Cherokee wife, who learns that the son of the wealthy cattle baron played by Quinn is the perpetrator.

This Australian Western features Douglas in dual roles, playing brothers Harrison and Spur. The film, based on a Banjo Paterson poem, follows Jim Craig, a young man who must prove his worth after his father’s death. He deals with familial secrets, forbidden love, and wild horse mobs, ultimately capturing an elusive prize colt, demonstrating his mettle.

In this contemporary Western, a newly divorced woman, Roslyn Tabor (Marilyn Monroe), navigates relationships with a cowboy, his best friend, and a rodeo rider. Despite its initial commercial failure, the film, which was the last completed work for both Gable and Monroe, is now regarded as a 1960s masterpiece.

Set in the closing days of the frontier era, “The Ballad of Cable Hogue” is an unconventional Western comedy characterized by its comedic narrative rather than the violence more typical of Westerns. Cable Hogue in a prospector who survives in the Arizona desert by finding water and starting a business – hardly the usual hero of the genre.

Newman portrays John Russell, an Apache-raised white man confronting prejudice in late 19th-century Arizona. The film explores Russell’s moral struggle as he finds his way through a hostile world, leading to a tragic, yet heroic finale. The film presents a unique perspective on Native American issues.

This family-themed Western centers around a boy named Jodie who adopts a troublesome young deer. The narrative explores Jodie’s relationship with his parents, his struggle to keep the deer, and the hardship that comes when he’s forced to kill his beloved pet.

In “The Far Country” has a unique setting for a Western: Alaska. In a film with a plot rich in gold rush intrigue and cattle drives, a self-minded adventurer, Jeff Webster, confronts a corrupt judge while driving cattle down to Dawson City in the Yukon. This marks the fourth collaboration between director Mann and actor Stewart.

In the iconic “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon,” one of nine Westerns in which Ford directed Wayne, a retiring cavalry veteran is assigned a final mission to thwart a potential frontier war. Amidst the tumult, romantic tensions rise among the troops. The film, part of Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy,” was well-received and notably earned an Academy Award for Best Cinematography.

“McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” is an anti-Western, subverting genre conventions. John McCabe is a gambler in 1902 Washington state who builds a successful brothel with a madam, Constance Miller. Their prosperity attracts dangerous attention, leading to a tragic end.

Once informally dubbed “Othello on the Range,” “Jubal” is about a cowboy, Jubal Troop, who is given shelter on a large ranch, where he finds himself entangled in a web of deceit, jealousy, and violence involving the ranch owner, his wife, and a resentful cattleman.

Stewart plays a bounty hunter seeking justice for a murdered marshal. Forced to rely on two untrustworthy strangers, he embarks on a tumultuous journey through the Rocky Mountains. The film, noted for its original screenplay, marks the third Western collaboration between director Mann and Stewart.

“Hud” depicts the tension between a moral patriarch, Homer Bannon, and his self-centered son, Hud, amidst a threatening cattle disease outbreak. The film was celebrated for its revisionist take on the Western genre, and won three Academy Awards.

Keaton plays a drifter named Friendless in this silent Western comedy. He tries cattle wrangling, bronco-busting, and even dairy farming, and eventually finds himself driving a herd of cattle through the streets of Los Angeles.

Based on an Elmore Leonard short story, “3:10 to Yuma” tells the tale of a struggling rancher tasked with delivering a notorious outlaw to justice in the Arizona Territory. The film was remade in 2007 with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

This Western marked John Wayne’s last film performance. The plot centers around a former sheriff and gunfighter, diagnosed with terminal cancer, who settles down in a quiet boarding house. His peaceful life is disrupted as his past catches up, leading to confrontations with those looking to capitalize on his infamy.

“Bend of the River” is about a cowboy who risks his life to deliver supplies to settlers after gold is discovered. The film, set in Oregon, grapples with themes of redemption and trust. It marked the second Western collaboration between director Mann and actor Stewart.

Another Mann-Stewart collaboration, this film follows a stranger who challenges a local cattle baron and his cruel son by working for a long-standing rival, with tensions escalating into a deadly feud. Shot in CinemaScope, the movie captures the grandeur of the Western landscape.

“Shenandoah” resonates with strong antiwar and humanitarian themes. The plot unfolds during the Civil War, focusing on the Anderson family’s struggles to avoid the conflict until it hits home, forcing them into a desperate search for their youngest son, mistakenly taken as a prisoner of war.

Featuring Randolph Scott’s final screen performance, this film revolves around ex-lawman Steve Judd who is hired to transport gold, and his companions’ plot to steal it. The film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1992.

Set in Texas, this film revolves around the four adult sons of ranch owner Katie Elder who reunite for their mother’s funeral. They battle hostility from the townsfolk and a villainous gunsmith, Hastings, who falsely claims the Elders’ ranch. Amidst violence and betrayal, they strive to restore their mother’s honor and reclaim their family’s possession.

“This contemporary Western portrays the life of an injured former rodeo star struggling with poverty and health issues in South Dakota. The film, critically acclaimed for its raw storytelling and performances, features non-professional Lakota actors playing fictional versions of themselves.

One of the great classic Westerns, “Shane” is about a skilled gunfighter who aids settlers against a ruthless cattle baron’s intimidation tactics. Notable for its award-winning cinematography and performances, the film is a significant contribution to the Western genre and is preserved in the National Film Registry.

“Johnny Guitar,” a seminal Western, revolves around Vienna, a resilient saloonkeeper, and her tumultuous relationships with the local townsfolk and her ex-lover, Johnny Guitar. The movie poignantly explores themes of love, rivalry, betrayal, and survival in a harsh Arizona frontier town.

In this captivating adaptation of Edward Abbey’s novel “The Brave Cowboy,” set in modern times, Douglas stars as Jack Burns, a man out of sync with modern society, who gets himself arrested to help his friend Bondi escape jail. Despite facing an extensive manhunt, Burns remains resilient, embodying the spirit of the Old West.

The plot of this Western comedy revolves around the formidable Tom Destry Jr., who helps restore law and order in a corrupt Western town, despite initially refusing to use his gun. The film is culturally significant, earning a place in the National Film Registry.

“Giant” centers around wealthy Texas rancher Bick Benedict and his wife, Leslie. The story explores their marital struggles, the tension with ranch hand Jett Rink, and the family’s complex dynamics amid societal changes. The film provided the last leading role for Dean before his tragic early death.

In “The Tall T,” a former ranch foreman and an heiress are kidnapped for ransom by three outlaws. This gripping tale of survival and defiance was one of five Boetticher movies starring Scott.

“Fort Apache” is the acclaimed first installment of John Ford’s “Cavalry Trilogy”. The film offers a sympathetic view of Native Americans, earning it the title of one of the first ‘pro-Indian’ Westerns. Tensions rise at an isolated U.S. cavalry post when an inexperienced and arrogant officer takes command, leading to a disastrous battle with local tribes.

This a genre-bending Western stars Dustin Hoffman as a white man raised by the Cheyenne nation in the 19th century, and follows him as he attempts to reintegrate into white American society. The film cleverly parodies the Western genre, contrasting life for white settlers and Native Americans, while indirectly criticizing America’s involvement in the Vietnam War.

“Jeremiah Johnson” depicts the life of a Mexican War veteran who becomes a mountain man. After learning survival skills from a fellow mountain man, adopting a son, and marrying an Indian chief’s daughter, his peaceful existence is shattered by the killing of his family by the Crow tribe, setting him on a path of revenge.

This classic Western is about the main character’s pursuit of a murderer and a prized rifle across iconic Western landscapes. It traces the rifle’s journey between owners, while integrating themes of betrayal and redemption.

Mitchum plays an alcoholic sheriff and Wayne is his old friend, a gun-for-hire. The plot involves the efforts of the two to defend a rancher who is being forced off his land.

“The Ox-Bow Incident” follows two cowboys who join a hastily formed posse to avenge a local rancher’s murder. The posse wrongfully lynches three men found with the stolen cattle, only to discover later their tragic mistake. The film, nominated for Best Picture, remains a stark depiction of mob justice.

Fonda plays Wyatt Earp in this Ford classic. The plot unfolds during the period leading to the infamous gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

“Red River” tells a fictional story of the first cattle drive from Texas to Kansas. The narrative centers on a feud between the rancher who started the drive and his adopted adult son.

Peck plays the notorious title character in “The Gunfighter,” as he struggles to escape his violent past, his yearning for reconciliation with his estranged wife, and facing relentless pursuit by those seeking revenge and fame.

In this epic Western, a former sea captain, James McKay, travels to the American West to marry his fiancée Patricia. In a world of ranch rivalries and cowboy antics, McKay navigates conflicts, tames wild horses, and makes strategic alliances.