Western movies focus more on the harshness and isolation of nature. Western movies are also about films from the Western part of America. About how people lived in the West in the 19th century.
Generally, the location for such movies is usually barren and isolated, far away from cities, where lives are rarely found: isolated Ranches, Native American Villages, or the small frontier town with a saloon there.
We will today talk about the 30 best Western movies that are very popular among the audience and are evergreen. So 30 best Western movies are as follows.
30. Black God, White Devil
- Director: Glauber Rocha
- Writer: Glauber Rocha
- Cast :Geraldo Del Rey, Yoná Magalhães, Othon Bastos, Maurício do Valle, Lidio Silva, Sonia Dos Humildes, João Gama, Antônio Pinto, Milton Rosa, Roque Santos.
- Release date: 10 July 1964
- IMDb ratings: 7.2/ 10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
The movie is about how ranch hand Manoel killed his boss over a dispute for money. His wife hoe is Rose flees away from that city and moves to another town instead of finding freedom and happiness.
They fell into the trap of black preachers. These preachers operate their business from the outskirts of the Catholic church that are present on the outskirts of the city.
29. The Mark of Zorro
- Director: Rouben Mamoulian
- Writer: Garrett Fort, Bess Meredyth
- Cast: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Basil Rathbone, Gale Sondergaard, Eugene Pallette, J. Edward Bromberg, Montagu Love, Janet Beecher, George Regas, Chris-Pin Martin, Robert Lowery, Belle Mitchell, John Bleifer, Frank Puglia, Eugene Borden, Pedro de Cordoba, Guy D’Ennery, Stanley Andrews, Fortunio Bonanova, Charles Stevens
- Release date: 8 November 1940
- IMDb ratings: 7.5/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 91%
This Western movie is about poor Californian people who the Governor of California is exploiting. Don Diego was done by seeing and going through all the torture; he decided to protest and fight back.
He masked himself and fought with a sword; everyone called him a masked hero. He named disguised himself in the name of Zorro. He started to fight against the corrupt Governor along with his evil assistant.
The name of the Governor is Quintero, and the name of his assistant is Captain Pasquale. At the same time, Diego also falls for the Governor’s niece, Lolita. He battled to remove Quintero from power, and consequently, he pursued the niece too.
28. The Outlaw Josey Wales
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Cast: Clint Eastwood, Chief Dan George, Sondra Locke, Bill McKinney, John Vernon.
- Release date: 26 June 1976
- IMDb ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 90%
This Western genre film is about a man named Josey Wales who helplessly sees his wife and child being murdered. They were killed by the men who belonged to Union, which Captain Terrill leads, and he could not do anything.
To take his revenge, he joins the Confederate army. After the war ended, he refused to surrender, whereas Terrill assassinated his fellow soldiers. He shoots members of Terrill and escapes to Texas.
In Texas, he tries to start his new life all over again. But his past again puts him and his surrogate family in danger.
27. Shane
- Director: George Stevens
- Cast: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon deWilde, Walter Jack Palance.
- Release date: 23 April 1953
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 97%
Shane is one of the most loved American Western genres. The story is about Shane, a gunslinger who is somehow forced to go against a group and defend them. Defend the group who are the one who are the settlers in the territory of Sparse Wyoming. The film has some fantastic visuals and cinematography. The movie was awarded with Academy Awards.
26. Lonely Are the Brave
- Director: David Miller
- Cast: Kirk Douglas, Gena Rowlands, Walter Matthau, Michael Kane, Carroll O’Connor, William Schaller, George Kennedy, Karl Swenson, Bill Mims, Martin Garralaga, Lalo Ríos, Bill Bixby, George Keymas, Harry Lauter, Bill Raas Deputy Glynn.
- Release date: 24 May 1962
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/ 10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 93%
Brutal, this Western genre movie was not a success in starting. But with time in the genre of the West, it gained a reputation for how well Western America has been shown in the movie. It is also considered one of the best films personally by Kirk Douglas, who is in the lead.
25. A Fistful of Dollars
- Director: Segio Leone
- Cast : Clint Eastwood, Marianne Koch, Gian Maria Volonté, W. Lukschy, Sieghardt Rupp, Joe Edger, Antonio Prieto, Pepe Calvo, Margherita Lozano, Daniel Martín, Benny Reeves, Richard Stuyvesant, Bruno Carotenuto, Aldo Sambreli.
- Release date: 12 September 1964 in Italy, 5 March 1965 in West Germany, 27 September in Spain
- IMDb ratings: 7.9 / 10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 96%
This best Western film story is extraordinary. A stranger travels to a town that is very famous for being dangerous. The city is known for its Rivalry between The Baxters and The Roji groups.
He is a strange man who is not feared for his life; instead, for his benefit, he plays from both sides. Just for his advantage, he is not scared of the consequences.
24. Winchester ’73
- Director: Anthony Mann
- Writer: Stuart N. Lake
- Cast: James Stewart, Shelley Winters, Dan Duryea, Stephen McNally, Millard Mitchell, Charles Drake, John McIntire, Will Geer, Jay C. Flippen, Rock Hudson, John Alexander, Steve Brodie, James Millican, Abner Biberman, Tony Curtis, James Best.
- Release date: 7 June 1950
- IMDb ratings: 7.6 / 10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
Lin Mc Adam comes and outlaws the notorious Henry “Dutch” Brown into the city of Dodge, called Kansas. He made all his efforts to remove crime from all over the city. Mc Adman also decides to go for a sharp shooting competition and wins the first prize.
23. Blazing Saddles
- Director: Mel Brooks
- Writer: Andrew Bergman
- Cast: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Alex Karras, Mel Brooks, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn.
- Release date: 7 February 1974
- IMDb ratings: 7.7/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 89%
Unlike any other Western film, this film is a genre parody. This movie is full of humor with little hint of racism. The story is of a corrupt politician. A politician is from the Wild West, and he has a wish in which he wants that evict the whole town.
Further, he makes the new railroad. To accomplish his dream, he appoints the Governor. And Governor is the Sheriff, who is African – American.
22. For a Few Dollars More
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Writer: Sergio Leone, Fulvio Morsella
- Cast : Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Gian Maria Volonté, Mara Krup, Luigi Pistilli, Klaus Kinski, Josef Egger, Panos Papadopulos, Benito Stefanelli, Robert Camardiel, Aldo Sambrell, Luis Rodríguez, Mario Brega
- Release date: 30 December 1965
- IMDb ratings: 8.2/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 92%
In Western films, this movie is known for the murderous outlaw named El Indio. El Indio and his gang members are known for their robbing the region.
One day two bounty comes to collect their prize. When they first meet the El Indio, they look at each other with Rivalry. At last, they agree to become partners and to work together.
21. True Grit
- Director: Ethan Coen brothers
- Writer: Ethan Coen brothers
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, Hailee Steinfeld, Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper, Domhnall Gleeson, Bruce Green, Ed Lee Corbin, Roy Lee Jones, Paul Rae, Nicholas Sadler, Dakin Matthews, Elizabeth Marvel and Ruth Morris, Leon Russom, Jake Walker, Don Pirl, Jarlath Conroy, J. K. Simmons
- Release date: 22 December 2010
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 95%
This Western film is released precisely after 40 years of releasing the classic Western by John Wayne. The story of this Western film is about a 14-year-old girl who farm works, named Mattie Ross. She hires the lawman, who is booze-soaked.
He helps in finding Chaney and takes revenge for who killed her father. This film is rated among the best film in Western cinema.
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20. Johnny Guitar
- Director: Nicholas Ray
- Cast: Joan Crawford, Mercedes McCambridge, Scott Brady, Ward Bond, Ben Cooper, Ernest Borgnine, John Carradine, Royal Dano, Frank Ferguson, Paul Fix, Rhys Williams, Ian MacDonald, Robert Osterloh.
- Release date: 27 May 1954
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 94%
The story of this Western film is that on the outskirts of town, a saloon owner comes in front in support of a railroad that will join the village to the city.
Somehow this construction is not suitable for a few of the locals. Emma Small, who is the rival, is also against it. This clash leads to a significant fight and turns out to be a gunfight. It also gave an unconventional plot to the people of the West.
19. The Ox-Bow Incident
- Director: William A. Wellman
- Writer: Lamar Trotti
- Cast: Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews.
- Release date: 8 May 1943 in New York, 21 May 1943 in USA.
- IMDb ratings: 8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 91%
This movie is the top-rated among all Western films. The story of this film is about two drifters who have recently joined a posse. This posse is formed so that killers can be caught. Killers who had killed the farmer when the cattle of the same farmer were being stolen.
This poise is formed by the townsfolk for the betterment of the town. One day, they finally caught three men who were having the farmer’s cattle. Then they decide to kill them without any legal action.
18. Hell or High Water
- Director: David Machenzie
- Writer: Taylor Sheridan
- Cast: Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Gil Birmingham, Marin Ireland, Katy Mixon, Dale Dickey, Kevin Rankin, Melanie Papilla, Amber Midthunder, Taylor Sheridan.
- Release date: 12 August 2016
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 97%
This Western film is the latest on the list. The story of this Western movie is very cliché. A tale of a divorced father whose name is Chirs Pine.
He has an older brother who was an ex-con named Ben Foster. They rob banks to save their family. They also only deny after they have no choice and cannot pay their mortgage.
17. Way Out West
- Director: James W. Horne
- Writer: Stan Laurel, James W. Horne, Arthur V. Jones
- Cast: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, Sharon Lynn, James Finlayson, Rosina Lawrence, Stanley Fields, Vivien Oakland, The Avalon Boys, Dinah the Mule.
- Release date: 16 April 1937
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
Way Out West is a comedy western film. The story is of two people whose names are Stan and Ollie. They are given a task to deliver a deed.
They are asked to pay for gold mines, and delivery is to be done to the proper owner. As soon as they start their job, they learn that the work which looked easy is not easy and is full of challenges.
16. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- Director: George Roy Hill
- Writer: William Goldman
- Cast: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin, Henry Jones, Jeff Corey, George Furth, Cloris Leachman, Ted Cassidy, Kenneth Mars, Donnelly Rhodes, Timothy Scott, Charles Dierkop, Paul Bryar, Sam Elliott, Jody Gilbert
- Release date: 23 September 1969
- IMDb ratings: 8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 89%
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is a beautiful Western movie based on the facts of the lives of people of western. It is a classic movie with anti-heroes.
The story is about two leaders of a criminal gang who are free-spirited. Once their plan to rob a bank fails, they escape to Bolivia. So that they can escape from the law and they are not punished.
15. McCabe & Mrs. Miller
- Director: Robert Altman
- Cast: Warren Beatty, Julie Christie, René Auberjonois, William Devane, John Schuck, Corey Fischer, Shelley Duvall, Keith Carradine, Michael Murphy, Hugh Millais.
- Release date: 24 June 1971
- IMDb ratings: 7.6/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 83%
This Western film is offbeat. This movie is a revisionist Western movie. The movie’s story is that the gamble attends a mining community where he decides to open a brothel. Local residents were quite impressed with how he talked and his confidence.
But one person who is Con, stance Miler, could see through all the words he was saying. Miller realized that McCabe is not the same as his words are. They both team up together and work to run the plan, McCabe. Soon they started to get threats for the work they were doing
14. Red River
- Director: Howard Hawks
- Cast: John Wayne, Montgomery Clift, Walter Brennan, Joanne Dru, Coleen Gray, Harry Carey, John Ireland, Noah Beery Jr., Harry Carey Jr., Chief Yowlachie, Paul Fix, Hank Worden, Ray Hyke, Wally Wales, Mickey Kuhn, Robert M. Lopez.
- Release date: 17 September 1948
- IMDb ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
This Western movie story is about a cattle empire that Tom Dunson built. He has adopted a son whose name is Matthew. But due to a clash between the father and son on how they perform their work. Matthew decides to move away. He took the herds away from Tom and shifted to a new place in Kansas.
13. Rio Bravo
- Director: Howard Hawks
- Cast: John Wayne, Dean Martin, Ricky Nelson, Angie Dickinson, Walter Brennan, Ward Bond, John Russell, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Estelita Rodriguez, Claude Akins.
- Release date: 18 March 1959
- IMDb ratings: 8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 98%
Rio Bravo is a Western movie full of star power. The film’s story is about the Sheriff who comes forward and helps a kid, an older man, and a drunk man. He helps them in fighting the cattle, has lost control and is a ruthless baron.
12. My Darling Clementine
- Director: John Ford
- Writer: Samuel G. Engel, Winston Miller
- Cast: Henry Fonda, Linda Darnell, Victor Mature, Cathy Downs, Walter Brennan, Tim Holt, Ward Bond, Don Garner, Grant Withers, John Ireland, Alan Mowbray, Roy Roberts, Jane Darwell, J. Farrell MacDonald, Russell Simpson, Charles Stevens
- Release date: 3 December 1946
- IMDb ratings: 7.7/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
The story is about three brothers. They chose to take a break from traveling and stopped in a town. The next day they see that one of the brothers is dead. As well as, cattle are stolen. That makes them decide to take revenge on whosoever did it.
11. True Grit (1969)
- Director: Henry Hathaway
- Writer: Marguerite Roberts
- Cast: John Wayne, Glen Campbell, Kim Darby, Robert Duvall, Jeff Corey, Dennis Hopper, Strother Martin, H.W. Gim, John Fiedler.
- Release date: 11 June 1969
- IMDb ratings: 7.4/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 89%
The story of this Western film is about the revenge that Mattie wants. So that she can give justice to her father, she seeks the help of a US Marshall and a ranger from Texas to fulfill her revenge.
10. Django Unchained
- Director: Quentin Tarantino
- Writer: Quentin Tarantino
- Cast: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Michael Parks, Don Johnson.
- Release date: 22 March 2013
- IMDb ratings: 8.4/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 86%
This best Western movie is about an enslaved person who is named Django. He has recently joined the force so that he can save his wife. His wife has been kept as an enslaved person by Calvin; he is a plantation owner with no kindness or humanity inside him.
9. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
- Director: John Ford
- Writer: Dorothy M. Johnson
- Cast: John Wayne, James Stewart, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin, Edmond O’Brien, Andy Devine, Ken Murray, John Carradine, Jeanette Nolan, John Qualen, Willis Bouchey, Carleton Young, Woody Strode, Denver Pyle, Strother Martin, Lee Van Cleef, Robert F. Simon, O. Z. Whitehead, Paul Birch, Joseph Hoover
- Release date: 28 May 1962
- IMDb ratings: 8.1/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 94%
The story of this movie is about the ideal lawyer who believes in justice over violence. There is a clash between the gunman, who has experience years with a peace lover lawyer.
8. High Noon
- Director: Fred Zinnemann
- Writer: John W. Cunningham
- Cast: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly, Otto Kruger, Lon Chaney, Henry Morgan.
- Release date: 30 July 1952
- IMDb ratings: 8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 95%
This movie broke all the conventions of Western films; in this film, except for gun fighting, there were emotional dialogues too. The story is about a man who will leave town to start a new life with his new bride. But soon, he learns that the local criminal he sent in has been released and is coming to take revenge.
7. The Wild Bunch
- Director: Sam Peckinpah
- Writer: Walon Green, Roy N. Sickner
- Cast : William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O’Brien, Warren Oates, Jaime Sánchez, Ben Johnson, Emilio Fernández, Strother Martin, L. Q. Jones.
- Release date: 18 June 1969
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 90%
This movie is about a troop of aging people. They want to plot the biggest heist before retiring from the crime world. They travel to Texas so that they can rob the local offices.
6. Unforgiven
- Director: Clint Eastwood
- Writer: David Webb Peoples
- Cast: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman, Morgan Freeman, Richard Harris.
- Release date: 7 August 1992
- IMDb ratings: 8.2/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 96%
Story of a widower with two young kids who gave up all their illegal work. One day Scofield brings an offer that couldn’t be said no.
5. The Searchers
- Director: John Ford
- Writer: Alan Le May
- Cast: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles, Ward Bond, Natalie Wood.
- Release date: 13 March 1956
- IMDb ratings: 7.9/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 94%
This Western film is about a civil war veteran. He is tracking the group that killed his family and kidnapped his niece. This movie was considered a masterpiece.
4. Stagecoach
- Director: John Ford
- Writer: Ernest Haycox
- Cast: Claire Trevor, John Wayne, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, Louise Platt, George Bancroft, Donald Meek, Berton Churchill, Tim Holt
- Release date: 2 February 1936
- IMDb ratings: 7.8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
The story of the movie is based on a group of people traveling. They all face threats, and everyone has their lessons to learn.
3. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
- Director: John Huston
- Writer: John Huston
- Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Walter Huston, Tim Holt, Bruce Bennett.
- Release date: 6 January 1948
- IMDb ratings: 8.2/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 100%
This is the best Western movie which is an Oscar-winning drama. The story is about greed and suspicion.
2. The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Writer: Luciano Vincenzoni, Sergio Leone
- Cast : Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef, Aldo Giuffrè, Antonio Casas, Rada Rassimov, Aldo Sambrel, Enzo Petito, Luigi Pistilli, Livio Lorenzon, Al Mulloch, Sergio Mendizábal, Molino Rojo, Lorenzo Robledo, Mario Brega
- Release date: 23 December 1966
- IMDb ratings: 8.8/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 97%
This movie is an Italian Western film. The story is from a time in the West when the civil war happened. Two men form a group to find a treasure though they are uncomfortable with each other.
1. Once Upon A Time In The West
- Director: Sergio Leone
- Writer: Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Sergio Leone.
- Cast: Claudia Cardinale, Henry Fonda, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti, Woody Strode, Jack Elam, Lionel Stander, Paolo Stoppa, Frank Wolff, Keenan Wynn.
- Release date: 21 December 1968
- IMDb ratings: 8.5/10
- Rotten tomato ratings: 95%
This Western movie is one of the highest-rated Western films and is considered the best. The story is about a widow who takes the help of a mystery man to protect her land from a ruthless man who is after her land. They are not interested in what the civil war will do; they all want a treasure
