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.