The Last Great Westerns

When the frontier closed, cinema opened

The Western was supposed to die with the frontier. Instead it kept finding new forms — revisionist, tragic, mythological. These are the best films the genre ever produced.

Western
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Created: October 13, 2025

The Collection

Once Upon a Time in the West

Once Upon a Time in the West

1968
1
Once Upon a Time in the West
1968
1
Once Upon a Time in the West
IMDb 8.5 / 10
Director Sergio Leone
Cast Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Claudia Cardinale
Box Office $5,321,508
Why Sergio Leone films Henry Fonda as a villain for the first and last time. The film is the genre sayi…
Unforgiven

Unforgiven

1992
2
Unforgiven
1992
2
Unforgiven
IMDb 8.2 / 10
Director Clint Eastwood
Cast Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman
Box Office $101,167,799
Why Clint Eastwood films himself as the retired killer who returns for one job. The film is the genre's…
The Searchers

The Searchers

1956
3
The Searchers
1956
3
The Searchers
IMDb 7.8 / 10
Director John Ford
Cast John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles
Why John Ford films John Wayne as Ethan Edwards searching for his abducted niece. The doorway shots are…
Django Unchained

Django Unchained

2012
4
Django Unchained
2012
4
Django Unchained
IMDb 8.5 / 10
Director Quentin Tarantino
Cast Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio
Box Office $162,805,434
Why Tarantino films Jamie Foxx's freed slave bounty hunter in 1858 Mississippi. The film is the genre u…
No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men

2007
5
No Country for Old Men
2007
5
No Country for Old Men
IMDb 8.2 / 10
Director Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin
Box Office $74,283,625
Why The Coens film Tommy Lee Jones' sheriff as the genre's witness, not its agent. The dream at the end…
True Grit

True Grit

2010
6
True Grit
2010
6
True Grit
IMDb 7.6 / 10
Director Ethan Coen, Joel Coen
Cast Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld
Box Office $171,243,005
Why The Coens film Charles Portis' 14-year-old Mattie hiring Rooster Cogburn. The film's anachronistic …
Tombstone

Tombstone

1993
7
Tombstone
1993
7
Tombstone
IMDb 7.8 / 10
Director George P. Cosmatos
Cast Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott
Box Office $56,505,065
Why George P. Cosmatos films Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday in 1881 Arizona. The film is the genre's last …
McCabe & Mrs. Miller

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

1971
8
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971
8
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
IMDb 7.6 / 10
Director Robert Altman
Cast Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, Rene Auberjonois
Why Altman's anti-Western: a small-time gambler builds a town and is killed by a corporation. The snow …
The Assassination of Jesse James

The Assassination of Jesse James

2007
9
The Assassination of Jesse James
2007
9
The Assassination of Jesse James
IMDb 7.5 / 10
Director Andrew Dominik
Cast Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, Sam Shepard
Box Office $3,909,149
Why Andrew Dominik films the title in its title. The film is the genre as elegy: Brad Pitt's outlaw is …
Hell or High Water

Hell or High Water

2016
10
Hell or High Water
2016
10
Hell or High Water
IMDb 7.6 / 10
Director David Mackenzie
Cast Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges
Box Office $27,007,844
Why David Mackenzie films Texas brothers robbing the bank that wants their ranch. The film is the genre…
Open Range

Open Range

2003
11
Open Range
2003
11
Open Range
IMDb 7.4 / 10
Director Kevin Costner
Cast Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Diego Luna
Box Office $58,331,254
Why Kevin Costner films free-grazing cattlemen against a land baron. The film is the genre played strai…
Bone Tomahawk

Bone Tomahawk

2015
12
Bone Tomahawk
2015
12
Bone Tomahawk
IMDb 7.1 / 10
Director S. Craig Zahler
Cast Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson, Richard Jenkins
Box Office $475,846
Why S. Craig Zahler films Kurt Russell's posse pursuing cave-dwelling cannibals. The film is the genre …

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