1. No Country for Old Men (2007) The Coen Brothers’ adaptation of Cormac McCarthy‘s novel follows a man who stumbles upon drug money, pursued by a relentless killer. Why it’s great: 2. Hell or High Water (2016) Two brothers rob banks to save their family ranch while being pursued by a soon-to-retire Texas Ranger. Why […]

1. Fort Apache (1948) John Ford‘s film explores tensions between a rigid new commander and his more experienced officers at a frontier outpost. Why it’s great: 2. She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) Another John Ford cavalry film, following a retiring captain on his last patrol. Why it’s great: 3. The Horse Soldiers (1959) John […]

1. Rio Bravo (1959) A small-town sheriff must keep a powerful rancher’s brother in jail with only a ragtag group of allies. Why it’s great: 2. The Tin Star (1957) A bounty hunter reluctantly mentors an inexperienced sheriff in this Anthony Mann Western. Why it’s great: 3. Lawman (1971) A marshal pursues a group of […]

1. High Noon (1952) A town marshal must face a gang of killers alone when the townspeople refuse to help. Why it’s great: 2. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) This film examines the dangers of mob justice through the story of a posse pursuing suspected cattle rustlers. Why it’s great: 3. Bad Day at Black Rock […]

1. Dances with Wolves (1990) Kevin Costner‘s epic follows a Union Army lieutenant who befriends a Lakota tribe. Why it’s great: 2. Little Big Man (1970) Arthur Penn‘s film follows a 121-year-old man recounting his life among Native Americans. Why it’s great: 3. Broken Arrow (1950) James Stewart stars as a scout attempting to broker […]

1. Westworld (1973) Michael Crichton‘s sci-fi Western depicts a futuristic theme park where robots malfunction. Why it’s great: 2. Cowboys & Aliens (2011) This film combines Western and alien invasion tropes in 1873 New Mexico Territory. Why it’s great: 3. The Valley of Gwangi (1969) Cowboys encounter dinosaurs in turn-of-the-century Mexico. Why it’s great: 4. […]

1. The Alamo (1960) John Wayne‘s epic depiction of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. Why it’s great: 2. Tombstone (1993) This film tells the story of Wyatt Earp and the events leading to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Why it’s great: 3. Cheyenne Autumn (1964) John Ford’s final Western depicts the Northern Cheyenne […]

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone‘s epic follows three gunslingers competing to find buried Confederate gold. Why it’s great: 2. Unforgiven (1992) Clint Eastwood‘s revisionist Western follows an aging gunfighter taking on one last job. Why it’s great: 3. The Magnificent Seven (1960) Seven gunfighters are hired to protect a […]

1. The Last of the Mohicans (1992) Michael Mann‘s adaptation of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel is set during the French and Indian War. Why it’s great: 2. The Revenant (2015) Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film follows a frontiersman’s quest for survival and revenge in the 1820s wilderness. Why it’s great: 3. Jeremiah Johnson (1972) Sydney Pollack’s […]

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) Sergio Leone‘s sprawling epic follows three gunslingers competing to find a fortune in buried Confederate gold. Why it’s great: 2. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Leone’s follow-up to his “Dollars Trilogy” is a sweeping tale of revenge and railroad expansion. Why it’s great: […]